BATHURST could be in for a bumper six-day festival of racing this year as the Bathurst 1000 and Bathurst International events may come together, delivering 10 categories of racing action over a week.
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The Bathurst International us currently penned in for November 26 to 28 and the Bathurst 1000 is looking likely to find a new home around early December.
If the organisers of the Bathurst International, Australian Racing Group (ARG), are interested in striking a deal with Supercars then they may end up sharing Mount Panorama over a huge week of motorsport.
It's a prospect that would be exciting to many motorsport enthusiasts and it's an idea that Bathurst Super3 driver Michael Anderson wouldn't mind seeing unfold.
"The world we live in today means things have to change around to try and make the best of what we've got. If they could run with the calendar they originally had it would have been a perfect year but that can't be the case anymore," he said.
"Hopefully, with them leaving it as long as they can, we'll get the state around 80 per cent double vaccinated. That would mean crowds could be there, and such an event would be a big drawcard for Bathurst."
If the two events come together then it would likely mean racing getting started on a Tuesday and finishing up with the 1000 on Sunday.
Anderson believes almost a full week's action on the Mount could possibly drum up anticipation for the Bathurst 1000 to even greater heights.
"I think it makes sense. I don't think anything is going to take away from the 1000. There's few events in the world that are more exciting than the 1000 - it will be the main draw - but if they can make a bigger spectacle out of the week then that would be great," he said.
"If they open up and crowds can go, it means that people who might normally come up for a couple of weeks can get a full week of racing and still have time away for a bit of a holiday.
"It would be really great for the Bathurst economy, and with the way things have been, anything to improve the economy will be a good thing."
Anderson sits third in the Super 3 series following three rounds, two of which came in succession at Townsville in July.
He claimed a race win and two runner-up results in those winter rounds to go along with his race win at home back in February.
Looking back, Anderson said it was great to have that extra chance to race in Townsville given what's unfolded COVID-wise since then.
"When we were in Townsville and they put the second round on us we were unsure about whether to fly back because of border restrictions but we ended up staying there," Anderson said.
"At the time we were thinking 'This is a bit of an inconvenience' but in hindsight they were right to make it a double event to get another round in, since no-one was able to predict what would happen."
The Supercars calendar received another shake up on Monday as organisers officially cancelled the Gold Coast 600 round, which was due to take place over December 3 to 5.
It marks the second season in a row that the Queensland event has been cancelled.
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