Supercars' decision not to hold a second round of the 2020 championship at Mount Panorama has created uncertainty around what the Bathurst 12 Hour is going to look like in February.
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A second Supercars' round and the 12 Hour, which are events both owned by Supercars, were slated to combine for one bumper event next year as the categories try to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, last week Supercars revealed changes to the draft revised calendar for the 2020 season, which saw the championship finale at Bathurst scrapped.
Councillor Warren Aubin said the decision not to come to Bathurst a second time came down to contractual agreements.
"It's one of those contractual things," he said. "All of their contracts, sponsorship and television, runs out on December 31. Nobody has got sponsorship, so it's a bit hard to continue the season into next year."
It was hoped that a second Supercars round, along with a version of the Bathurst 12 Hour, would provide a substantial boost to the Bathurst economy, as the two categories would attract different crowds of people if spectators were allowed.
Without Supercars on the schedule, a portion of that audience is lost, which is only exacerbated by the uncertainty around entries for the 12 Hour.
"The problem we face is the 12 Hour international field won't be able to come here. For them to come here for the 12 Hour, they have to have everything packed for them to come here in November, and our borders probably won't be open by then anyway," Cr Aubin said, adding there would also be quarantine periods for the drivers and other personnel.
"It means we won't have that international flavour for the Bathurst 12 Hour."
He said an event was still booked for the Mount at that time, but it was hard to say what that would look like.
While a second Supercars round for the 2020 season is off the table, the Bathurst 1000 will still go ahead in October and people can expect the city to take full advantage of the visitors who come then.
Mount Panorama continues to be one of, if not the most, beloved circuits visited by Supercars each year.
Undoubtedly, many teams and drivers would love the chance to race there twice a year, but Cr Aubin said it is unlikely that could ever happening in a normal season.
While it would be great for both the region and the sport, Mount Panorama can only have five full-track closures a year.
"We've already got five events each year, so you'd have to tack it on to another event and the only other one Supercars owns is the 12 Hour," Cr Aubin said.
"The problem with that is Adelaide is contracted to be the first round. I don't think you could do it."
