Festival Of Speed for Bathurst ?

[Skippy1976]

Taken From the Weekend Advocate 25/6

Bathurst Regional Council has sent an even expert on a fact finding mission to England in a bid to bring a second event to Mount Panorama.

Documents obtained by the Western Advocate show council has been meeting with James O'Brien, a former employee of sports event group IMG, from as early as May 18 this year in a bid to copy England's Festival of Speed and bring it to Mount Panorama.

The decision to help fund Mr O'Briens Trip was made during the same confidential meeting that saw council decide not to support the East Coast Targa to the tune of $25,000. The east Coast Targa brings $2 million into the Bathurst economy, according to an economic impact statement.

The festival of speed is Goodwood, England every year and attracts tens of thousands of motorsport fans from around the world for a celebration of everything from early motorbikes to modern Formula One cars. On Wednesday, June 1 all councillors met under thebanner of the Mount Panorama Committee to consider Mr O'Brien's request for $4000 so he could go to the festival as a representative of the council.

That request was granted and from today (our time) Mr O'Brien will begin gathering details of how the English festival is run and how it can be brought to Bathurst.

The $4000 will be taken from council's Mount Panorama fund.

Motorsport News journalist Jon Thompson, who has attended 32 consecutive Bathurst 1000s said council should proceed cautiously.

"Bathrst has an asset in Mount Panorama ... it is vastly underused." Mr Thompson said.

"Maybe in 10 years time you're going to have a massive event"

Council's director of corporate services and finaces, Bob Roach, was tight-lipped about Mr O'Brien's trip, but Cr Ian North said he supported council's decision to make the decision behind closed doors.

"It would be totally inappropriate to have it out there at the moment. I was personally comfortable in discussing the issue in confidence" Cr North said.

[ends]



Sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind seeing some different machinery circulating around the track, like a heap of group C cars, Group A, plus whatever else people have sitting in their sheds.

I'd still like to see the 24hr back up and running though. It was a great event for those who liked to spend a lot of time at a race track watching all different types of cars go around from every vantage point around the circut in daylight and 2am in the morning.

[Razor]

If they want more motor sport at Mt Panorama. I think, bring back the Bathurst 24hr endrance race

[Matt H]

the only thing that concerns me with a possible 24 hour race is that the gt performance category is owned or run by avesco, whilst the rest i think spend time with the AMRS.

so i feel having all ex-procar categories together might be hard, but god id love to see it happening again...

[Raglanparade]

Who cares about AVESCO, AMRS or PROCAR. Just get cars out there and racing. I dont care which series they belong to or who is driving there, but i wanna see the best 50 cars around Bathurst for 24 hours.

Failing that... demo runs of ex and current formula 1 cars around the mountain would be awesome !

[Matt H]

jason, id love to see it too, but can see avesco not letting for some reason not letting gt performance cars involved.

would group c or a cars last the distance ?? they'd be awesome too.

seeing demos of ex and current f1 cars would be nice, but the dipper might not be the best spot for em :P


surprised to read they didnt support the east coast targa.. disappointing

[Crowestar]

That would be great. I love seeing pictures of the cars at Goodwood each year and if they brought something similar to Mount Panorama i'd go for shaw

[Hepatic]

I've just got back from Goodwood and have to say it's the best event i've ever been at, motorsport or otherwise. Peter Brock was there for the first time and looks like he had great fun. If you guys can get a similar event at Bathurst that's even half as good, you'll be on a winner!

[Gaz170]

Isn't the Speed On Tweed festival a similar thing?
And I worry about the speeds some of those old vehicles would reach down Conrod.

[Falcadore]

More than similar - it's the best such event in the country. Modelled directly on Goodwood by regular Goodwood visitor Roger Ealand who runs it. I've had the pleasure of being able to commentate the event for the last three years and have loved it immensely, it's the highlight of my calendar and I really look forward to being able to do so again.

[mac]

More events at Bathurst, you say?

I have two acronyms for you .............. FIA GT.

[Cambo]

Interesting but are they holding a festival of speed or a revival (race) type meeting? We already have a festival of speed type event which is hugely successful as mentioned so would this be a Historic race meeting rather than a hill climb styled event? Just curious, either way big grids could just about be guaranteed!

[Matt H]

mac

droool

[Shoey]

Imagine seeing some old Tasman series open wheelers return to the mount. Fantastic! Hopefully it doesn't spell the end for the chance of a 24 hour return or FIA GT mind you. Haven't I read somewhere before that Mt Panorama is only available for two events a year?

[Raglanparade]

Last time i checked it only had one event.

How would a combined Historic and FIA GT event held over the Easter Long Weekend go up there on the mountain ?

You have the focus on Historics Friday Saturday and Sunday, and then you have a 6 hour FIA GT race on the Monday from 10am to 4pm.

Something tells me having a huge Easter Weekend of Bathurst motorsport would almost be as popular as the V8 Supercars.

Could we incorporate it into a massive F3 international event on the same level as Zandvoort or Macau as well ?

[racer69]

Are we talking here about the Goodwood 'Festival of Speed', as seen in England last weekend, which as stated above we have, with 'Speed on Tweed', or the 'Goodwood Revivial Meeting', held later in the year. We have a similiar type of event at Phillip Island, without the popularity though.

A meeting like that (revival) would be fantastic at Easter, but any event like that must include the bikes. They could have a revival meeting based on the old formula, bikes on the Friday and Saturday, cars on the Sunday and Monday.

And with the latest Bathurst improvements, didn't the BCC indicate they wanted the track used more than twice a year, ie....change the city regulations so they get their money's worth?

I'd cap it at 4, and a picky four at that.

- 1000km enduro
- Historic meeting
- International Sportscar/GT endurance race
- Bike meeting (before anyone mentions too dangerous, did we not see the TT races the other week, the riders know the dangers, and yet they still come in flocks)

[Matt H]

racer69, whats the event at phillip island you talk of ??

[Shoey]

Originally Posted by jasonhill9884

Last time i checked it only had one event.

How would a combined Historic and FIA GT event held over the Easter Long Weekend go up there on the mountain ?

You have the focus on Historics Friday Saturday and Sunday, and then you have a 6 hour FIA GT race on the Monday from 10am to 4pm.

Something tells me having a huge Easter Weekend of Bathurst motorsport would almost be as popular as the V8 Supercars.

Could we incorporate it into a massive F3 international event on the same level as Zandvoort or Macau as well ?

Yes, one event + another event equals two events. I think what I was thinking of was the funding given by the government for the track upgrades being given on the condition there be two events a year staged at the track (I think that was the case but feel free to correct me). That was before the 24 Hour folded. Now with no Targa this year they probably need another event for legal reasons. But whatever the reasons the more events at the Mount the better!

[Raglanparade]

I think the Mount deserves a major international series.

Champ Car ?? Probably too dangerous.

WTCC or DTM could be a possibility ?

FIA GT would be awesome !

What other series would be a contender to race at the mount ?

[DKGandBH]

Do the BLCC still run hill climbs ?

I'd like to see an appendix J (Group N) 1000 Km Race...
With Fuel Chruns and a tipper truck for crashed cars...
With multiple classes of competing cars, each with multiple manufacturers...
With drivers with personalities...

I'll just get out my tardis shall I ?

DKGandBH

[the man]

Why not the World Touring Car Championship, as it is a world championship and doesn't venture out to close to here. If we all look back to 87 when the boys came out in their flocks in sierras, rovers, BMWs it was a great specticle but the only problem with it now is we don't have any cars out here eligible for the series but it would be good

Ultimately i believe there should be a sportscar race held at the mountain. Hopefully with Aussie GT Championship growing with numbers, the race can return.

On this note i believe that a ar can run anywhere it wants unless the sporting regs say otherwise. So i beleive that a GT Performance car could run in anything its wants.

[Monaro]

Originally Posted by DKGandBH

Do the BLCC still run hill climbs ?


DKGandBH

Yes.Usually 4 a year.Most start at the car club and finish at Skyline with the odd hillclimb on Mountain Straight

[mixxer]

Great idea, Id be making the dates on the calender if we got it at Bathurst.
Went to the that "tweed on speed" event 2 years ago and while it was good, I'm of the opinion that the same sort of event being held at the track that put Australia on the World Motorsport map would have more prestige to attract more overseas competitors more in the vain of Goodwood.

[inpitlane]

Haven't been to Speed on Tweed but I have been to Goodwood and the closest thing I've seen to it here would be the Geelong Speed Trails. Speaking to a representitive of Lynfox he told us that Phillip Island was also looking at a FOS style event which would merge the exsisting Historic Bike and Car meetings. Of course the VHRR and their two wheel compatriots are furious at the idea.
I thought Goodwood was great and I'd love to go back but in all honesty it's not really a motorsport event, more a society picnic with lots of great cars and famous drivers as a backdrop. It wouldn't work at Bathurst as apart from the track itself, Bathurst is a lifeless dump. Really the only other place I can think of that might work is Sandown. It's accessible, has huge Grandstands, manicured lawns, lots of car parking and plenty of shade and cover.

[Falcadore]

IPL: you absolutely right, but Bathurst has a gravitas that no British circut can claim. The chance to go to Bathurst would attract more vehicles than Sandown. But to me Sandown strikes me as inappropriate. Part of the attraction of FOS events is that they are NOT held at race tracks. They are held at venues much more unusual. An FOS held at a racetrack is only likely to attract the same sort of spectators that the Shannon's Historic racing festival would attract, and thus would likely defeat the point of holding the event in the first place.

Races at Bathurst have always created their own add on atmosphere, why should a FOS be any different?

There are also a rash of speed festivals in this part of the world. In addition to Speed on Tweed, there is also Leyburn Historic Sprints, plus similar events at the Noosa Hillclimb, and another at Gatton, and there used to be one at Lowood as well.

[Wingman]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

More than similar - it's the best such event in the country. Modelled directly on Goodwood by regular Goodwood visitor Roger Ealand who runs it. I've had the pleasure of being able to commentate the event for the last three years and have loved it immensely, it's the highlight of my calendar and I really look forward to being able to do so again.

Please please please tell me where I can get info on this event. I simply love the sound of high performance engines, and TV just doesn't cut it. As for Bathurst, I've always wondered how an F1 car would deal with the Dipper.