AS SOON as 2020, there could be a fifth motor sport event on the Mount Panorama calendar.
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The circuit hosts four major events that require full-track closures - the Bathurst 12 Hour, Bathurst 6 Hour, Bathurst 1000 and Challenge Bathurst - and Bathurst Regional Council has now called for expressions of interest (EOI) for a potential fifth event.
If a fifth event is added to the calendar, it would mean that the main circuit would be fully booked out and no other events requiring full-track closures could be held.
Councillor Warren Aubin said it was time for council to open the track for a fifth event, instead of continuing to waste the opportunity to bring more people and money into Bathurst.
"Council has had several different groups approach them to run different events in recent years, but they've kept holding off because we only have five," he said.
"It should be used as often as we are able to use it."
The track has been hired for one-off testing days before, but Cr Aubin said it was very rare for them to come up and therefore council shouldn't reserve the last full-track closure.
In regards to what kind of event could take up that fifth spot, Cr Aubin said he wanted to see something different to the four already on offer that would bring in a crowd.
"There's other categories that do bring good crowds. There's heritage events, there's muscle cars ... there are other categories that could come to the table," he said.
While the time of year the event is held would largely be up to the promoter, he would like to see a September event to precede the Bathurst 1000.
Cr Aubin didn't completely rule out the return of a 24-hour race, but said it would be unlikely that a promoter would offer it.
"The two 24-hour races that they ran, they were in consecutive years, the promoter actually went broke because it is a really expensive event to do," he said, explaining that lighting and race officials were needed.
"A 24-hour race is feasible, but whoever is promoting it would need to have their sums done."
Cr Aubin said he would be keeping a very close eye on the submissions coming in and anticipated that it could be as soon as next year that a fifth event was added to the calendar.
"2020 is a good year, it's a nice number. I think whoever does this event would like to get it up and running as soon as possible," he said.
Cr Alex Christian was also eager for a fifth event to be added to the calendar, specifying the need for a "blue ribbon event".
"I'd certainly like to see a large-scale event, whether it's with the V8s or some other corporation," he said.
"I'd certainly like to see something that brings a lot of people to town, like the 12 Hour or the 1000."
Cr Christian also suggested September as an ideal time to hold another event, but also didn't rule out the possibility of winter.
"If we can pull people to Bathurst during that time of year, then it's a bonus," he said.
Details on the EOI process are on council's website. Promoters will have until April 23 to make submissions.
