WITH over 400 entries received, this month’s Challenge Bathurst is set to be another success story for Mount Panorama.
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For those unfamiliar, Challenge Bathurst is a rare opportunity for people to drive their own street car or track racing car on Mount Panorama, participating in either the supersprint or regularity categories.
It is the second year in a row that the event, which is in its third year, has recorded more than 400 entries, proving that drivers of all different levels are keen for their chance to drive on the iconic circuit.
While the action will be contained to the track, participants and their supporters will need to come down from the Mount at some point between November 15 and 18, likely providing a boost to Bathurst’s economy.
Given that, Mayor Graeme Hanger is pleased to see that Challenge Bathurst has once again been able to attract hundreds of participants.
“Events at Mount Panorama contribute substantially to the local and regional economy, bringing visitors to our region who visit attractions, dine in our cafes and restaurants and utilise local accommodation,” he said.
Bookings seem to be going strong for accommodation providers, with multiple venues reporting good numbers.
Bathurst Heritage Motor Inn is around 50 per cent full so far for the four days of the event, while Panorama Bathurst is fully booked for the Saturday and near full for the Thursday and Friday.
Councillor Warren Aubin said Challenge Bathurst was “a fabulous event” to have at Mount Panorama.
“People look at Challenge Bathurst, it doesn’t bring a crowd to go watch, but it brings a lot of competitors for a couple of days and they have to stay somewhere and eat somewhere,” he said.
Given the city is moving closer to having a second track, he believes it is important to keep encouraging motor sport events to come to Bathurst.
“If you look at it, we can only have five full track closures [a year] and we’ve got four – the Supercars have the 1000, and there’s the 12 Hour, the 6 Hour and Challenge Bathurst,” he said.
“And if you look at it, they’re all endurance events except for Challenge Bathurst, and we can only take one more, so the second track will take on a lot more.”
Although it is yet to be built, Cr Aubin said he expects that the second track will end up being booked out up to 18 months in advance, given that other circuits in NSW have 12-month waiting lists.
“[The second track] is going to be an excellent economic addition for Bathurst, it’s going to pull in a lot of money,” he said.
