THEY may not have got their Easter treat, but the Australian Racing Group knows something very special still lies in wait.
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It will be what they anticipate being the "largest motor sport participant race event" that has ever been staged at Mount Panorama.
To take place in November, it is an event which will see the Bathurst 6 Hour combined with the inaugural edition of the Bathurst International.
The coronavirus pandemic meant the ARG were unable to run this year's edition of the Bathurst 6 Hour in its regular time slot over Easter.
While necessary in the current environment, it was still a hard call to make given organisers had planned for more than 22 hours of racing at the iconic Bathurst circuit.
The Bathurst 6 Hour was also poised to witness its largest grid with 68 cars entered - the current record stands at 64.
"For the Australian Racing Group, it [was] been a difficult few weeks in the lead up to Easter 2020, which should have seen around 10,000 people come to the Bathurst region to participate in or spectate at the Easter Bathurst 6 Hour motor sport event," ARG's general manager-operations Ken Collier said.
"We had secured a record number of entries for the feature race, the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour, and in addition to this huge field we also had fantastic support categories on the schedule.
"These included the first ever race of the globally successful TCR race cars, the Australian GT Championship with their exotic Supercars, the MRF Tyres Excel Challenge with more than 60 cars on the grid, Radical Australia with their fast open wheelers, and the best Historic Touring Cars in the country.
"Whilst we are incredibly disappointed about the Easter event not going ahead, we are now planning for the largest motor sport participant race event that has ever been held at the iconic Mount Panorama circuit."
As Collier indicates, instead of cancelling the 6 Hour altogether, ARG decided to combine it with the Bathurst International, which has been scheduled for November 13-15.
The Bathurst International already had an exciting program planned, the highlight of which is a 500 kilometre TCR race.
It will be a standalone enduro and is expected to draw drivers from across the globe.
On top that the Bathurst International will feature the Touring Car Masters, Trans Am 2 racers and the all-new S5000 open wheelers.
Working out how to schedule all those categories along with the requirements of the Bathurst 6 Hour field - practice and qualifying sessions along with the race itself - is a process which is underway.
But Collier is confident it will be a bumper event.
"We are still finalising the schedule and working with the Bathurst Regional Council to make sure we can do what we need to," he said.
"One additional race category that no motor sport fan will miss is the inclusion of the S5000 open wheel teams being at the event.
"These cars have been designed and built in Australia. They are world class modern race cars and just happen to be the fastest race cars in the country."
Formula 1 legend Rubens Barrichello is set to be part of the S5000 field for the Bathurst International, his pending Mount Panorama debut having already created plenty of interest.
"At Bathurst, after most international series have concluded, will bring the opportunity to drive a special car around a circuit all Australians love, which I would expect to attract drivers from all over the world. It will be an exciting end to the year for sure," Barrichello said.
Aside from the on-track action, Collier said ARG is working hard to ensure the other elements of the November event run smoothly.
"We are contacting the various local Bathurst and surrounding area suppliers and community groups who were engaged for the Easter event to make sure they are aware of our Bathurst International event in mid-November," he said.
"We will always approach local suppliers to find out if we can work together.
"I really look forward to being at Bathurst over the weekend of November 14th to 15th and the weeks leading up to the event. Even after many years, driving into Bathurst and seeing the Mount Panorama sign on the mountain still gives me goosebumps!"
Collier said if anyone has questions about the event they can contact ARG via email at: events@australianracinggroup.com
