Cr Bourke was at Mount Panorama on Friday morning to announce that Bathurst Regional Council will attempt to create a world record in October of 2000 cars simultaneously moving on the racetrack – and raise money to help drought-stricken farmers at the same time.

When the deputy mayor’s phone started ringing halfway through his announcement, one of the others present joked that the calls had already started from people wanting to be part of the attempt.

READ MORE:

But given Cr Bourke’s track record of rallying support for big fundraisers in the city – including the appeal in 2011 that collected more than $100,000 in whitegoods for the flood-ravaged people of Toowoomba, which he organised with the help of Cr Ian North - the joke might not be too far from the truth.

Cr Bourke said the record attempt will be held at 9am on Sunday, October 28 and though he estimates the Mount can fit 2400 cars, a limit will be set at 2000 cars.

He said a record does not exist for the most moving cars on a racetrack at the same time, so council wants to set one and “give the opportunity for anyone else in the world to try to beat it”.

Participants will pay $30 a car, which will raise $60,000 if the attempt gets its full complement of vehicles.

“But the [overall] target is $100,000, which will go a long way to helping farmers in the region,” he said.

The money, he said, will be used to buy hay for drought-stricken farmers.

Mayor Graeme Hanger said Cr Bourke had form in defying expectations and setting a record at the Mount.

People were sceptical, he said, when Cr Bourke and Cr North announced their intention a number of years ago to set a world record for the longest chain of neckties.

As it turned out, they set a record in February 2010 of 8695 ties in two rows around the Mount Panorama racetrack – and they had plenty of ties that didn’t get used.

The 2010 tie record doubled as a promotion to raise awareness of men’s health.

“Ian North and I have had this idea [a record for most moving cars on the Mount] for the past three or four years,” Cr Bourke said. “And what better way to do it than to help our farmers out?”

He said the plan is to have the 2000 vehicles gather in Harris Park and then drive out to form a parade around the Mount.

“We are going to have a traffic jam – we’ll be driving the drought away,” he said. 

“We are going to ask the people of Bathurst to come together that morning.”

Cr Bourke said council’s events team has been in contact with Guinness World Records to finalise what needs to be done to have the event accepted.

Local real estate identity Peter Rogers was at Friday’s announcement because his son-in-law Grant Denyer will also be involved.