TEN DAYS of fast-paced, high-octane action will mark the beginning of the 2024 Supercars calendar for Bathurst, with confirmation that Mount Panorama will become the home for the axed Newcastle 500.
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What will be known as the Bathurst 500 will take place in February, and racegoers can expect more than just on-track activities over the 10-day spectacular of Bathurst SuperFest.
The Bathurst SuperFest will feature the Bathurst 12 Hour from February 16-18 and the Bathurst 500 from February 23-25, along with a week-long program of community events to celebrate the start of the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship.
Though the official calendar has yet to be announced, Bathurst Mayor Jess Jennings said that the timing of the Bathurst 500 creates a plethora of potential for race fans and the local community.
"There's the opportunity for those that can allocate the time and the resources to be here for the entire festival, but there's also the opportunity to come to the first event and stay a little bit longer," he said.
"Or arrive a little bit earlier and catch some of the off-track events, and then catch the second weekend.
"This is shaping up to be a genuine festival and I'm looking forward to all the off-track curricular activities that haven't traditionally been a part of race events."
And though this has been the case for recent years, Cr Jennings said that it wasn't always this way.
According to Cr Jennings, off-track events used to be an important feature of the Bathurst racing calendar, and he is hoping to see a resurgence with the Bathurst SuperFest.
"I'm really looking forward to history repeating to some extent," he said.
"While the program for this hasn't been finalised at this stage, in a broad sense, it opens the opportunity for things like markets, night markets, food and wine events, and music, entertainment, street theatre.
"All sorts of things become an opportunity when you have to fill in two or three days in between the two weekend bump-ins and bump-outs."
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"It's great for Bathurst and it means that we can leverage more off Mount Panorama for both the local community and the visitor economy," he said.
"It's a win-win-win situation when it comes to supporting not just the Motorsport fans who come from far afield, but I'm really looking forward to the off-track events that are delivered as part of the festival."
Another win is the fact that actions speak louder than words, and the proof is in the 500 that the relationship between Supercars and Bathurst Council couldn't be stronger.
Supercars have announced that tickets for the Bathurst SuperFest will go on sale in coming weeks, and further information regarding the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour will be made available in coming days.
The 2024 Bathurst SuperFest featuring the Bathurst 12 Hour and Bathurst 500 is the second date confirmed on the 2024 calendar for Supercars.
The return to NZ for the ITM Taupo SuperSprint has been locked in for 19-21 April, 2024.
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