THERE'S a question mark over spectators and a 500 kilometre TCR race is unlikely, but there are still motor sport records which will be set at Mount Panorama in November.
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The Australian Racing Group is currently working on its plans for the Bathurst 6 Hour-Bathurst International it will stage in November, the combined event a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
ARG's general manager-operations Ken Collier admits that not all the initial track time for the two separate events will be retained, but says that a planned expansion from three to four-days of action in November will still be attractive.
"There's no secret that we are talking about it being a four-day event," he said.
"We haven't got the official go ahead, but we think that it would make sense for it to be a four-day event because we can make it a bigger event, we can roll over pretty much all the categories from Easter into November.
"Then additionally, we can work on what was already going to be a big event anyway.
"I must admit there's going to be a bit of a cut in some of the categories, but we are committed to the Easter guys and all but one of those categories wants to come to November. He wants to just roll his racing into 2021, which is great.
"The November guys need to be accommodated as well, so four days would be ideal for us if we can get approval, if not we will go back to another plan.
"I think it would be great for the community for it to be a four-day event, we'd have a lot more people flowing through, though obviously we don't know if we'd have spectators or not at that time.
"But simply being able to bring almost like two, two-day events to the community, I think that would be a great plus."
One of the cuts Collier thinks is almost inevitable will come in the TCR series.
It is a series which was to make its debut as a Bathurst 6 Hour support category over Easter ahead of a non-championship, 500 kilometre enduro featuring international teams at the Bathurst International.
With uncertainty over international racing schedules and what international travel restrictions will in place be come November, Collier said the plan is to instead stage a championship sprint round.
But whatever option the ARG settles on, November is set to mark the first time the TCR category has raced at the Mount.
And Collier expects to see a capacity field.
"We've discussed it with all our teams already and the likelihood of a 500 kilometre TCR race is very remote, very remote," Collier said.
"The reason being is the big push for that was the international aspect and we are not confident of the international participation given all of their winter-our summer racing will be postponed.
"We are unsure about what the international calendars will be, therefore we had no guarantee that international TCR teams will be able to make it.
"We said to our Australian and New Zealand TCR teams that should that be the case, then we would not hold an endurance race in November, but it would be a round of the Australian championships.
"It would be included in sprint championship, so we will have a full grid of TCR no doubt, it will be made up of Australian and New Zealand teams. It's still going to be pretty exciting."
As for the Bathurst 6 Hour, the plans are to still run the practice, qualifying and endurance race itself as was the intent for the Easter time slot.
Collier also revealed that a record grid is still expected as well. A total of 68 entries had been received prior to the postponement of the event and that is the number expected at the Mount come November.
The current grid record for the Bathurst 6 Hour, which had its inaugural edition in 2016, stands at 64.
"Absolutely it will, there's no question, the 6 Hour will be a record field," Collier insisted.
"Everyone, there are only two exceptions, everyone in the 6 Hour field is full-throttle ready to come. We had one guy pull out as he couldn't come in November and another guy say, 'It's November, I can bring my second car now with another couple of guys'.
"Hand on heart, the 6 Hour is looking really, really good."
The Bathurst 6 Hour-Bathurst International, if expanded to four days, will likely run November 12-15.
