WHEN it comes to selecting the fifth and final event for Mount Panorama, it needs to be something that is different to what the calendar already offers.
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In late March, Bathurst Regional Council called for expressions of interest for a fifth major event at the iconic circuit, which would take up the last full-track closure available.
There were six expressions received by the closing date, put forward by Mountain Motor Sports, Australian Racing Group and CAMS, Ontic Sports Pty Ltd, Supercars, 24 Hours of Lemons Australia Pty Ltd and Creventic International.
When asked what criteria he would be looking for when making a decision, councillor Warren Aubin said the event would have to be different to existing events and something that would draw in a crowd.
He will also be looking for a financially viable event that will increase Mount Panorama's income.
"We really need to be looking for something different that we've never seen before," he said.
"We really need to make sure we pick the right people and the right category."
One of the events put forward, 24 Hours of Lemons, would see cars worth only a few hundred dollars do laps around Mount Panorama.
While Cr Aubin could appreciate the idea, he wasn't certain it would be financially viable, given the costs to run the event and that it would be trying to raise money for charity at the same time.
He was also looking carefully at Creventic International, which has proposed a 24-hour event.
"They don't always race a 24-hour in one go, they do a 12 and a 12, so that's kind of interesting," Cr Aubin said.
"But that would probably have GT cars and I don't know if we would want to put our existing 12 Hour in jeopardy."
The Bathurst 12 Hour, run in early February, features GT3 and GT4 cars, some of which are racing as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
Creventic told Speedcafe that the event wouldn't conflict with the 12 Hour, instead saying it would be "an addition to the Australian motor sport scene".
When expressions of interest were first called, Cr Aubin said he wanted to see an event take place sometime in September.
He still believes this to be the best option, saying it would set the track up for the Bathurst 1000 in October.
"You don't want anything running in June or July because it is too cold and September is really nice," he said.
"Plus we can have it set up for the V8s a couple of weeks later."
Cr Aubin acknowledged that a September event was unlikely to suit Supercars, the operator of the Bathurst 1000, if it wanted to bring a second championship round to Bathurst.
It is now up to the promoters to submit detailed submissions about their events.
The submissions will be provided to councillors to read ahead of making a decision, which Cr Aubin said should occur in the next few months.
"It won't be far away, because if we want to have [the event] next year then we need to give them time," he said.
