FIRST we had it confirmed the Bathurst 1000 would be going ahead this year and now we have a much better idea of what the event might look like.
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The COVID- safe plan released by the NSW Government last Friday has banned camping on Mount Panorama for this year's event and imposed very tight restrictions on the number of spectators that will be allowed on track.
Just 4000 ticket holders will be allowed into the venue each day and they will each be assigned a seat along Pit Straight at the bottom of the Mount.
There will be no spectators at the top of the Mount this year, no Pantech and driver parade through the middle of Bathurst and none of the public gatherings we usually associate with Race Week.
It all adds up to a very different event, but we should not be surprised by that.
In the end the race organisers were naturally willing to do whatever it took to get the Bathurst 1000 up and running this year and, given the many hurdles, it's been a remarkable feat of co-operation and compromise.
But while the announcement of the plan provides a clearer picture for Bathurst businesses, police and health authorities as they plan for what should still be a very busy week in Bathurst, there is certainly not full clarity.
The great unknown remains the question of how many racing fans will still make the trip to Bathurst even if they can't be trackside for the race.
It will be interesting to see how many bookings local hotels and motels take in the next few weeks because that will probably be the best measure available leading into Race Week.
The reality is, many people in Bathurst remain nervous about the prospect of visitors coming from all parts of the state so long as COVID-19 remains a threat.
Continuing low transmission numbers in recent weeks have certainly reduced that risk to the Bathurst population but you can still understand those who believe that any risk at all is still too much for the sake of a car race.
The NSW Government, with the release of its COVID plan for the Bathurst 1000, has taken a different view but one that is consistent with its ongoing push to reopen the state's economy and its continuing pressure on neighbouring states to reopen their borders. Now let's make the most of it, and hope for the best.
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