Supercars and TCR Australia in battle for new Bathurst event
Supercars and TCR Australia promoters Australian Racing Group are the final two bidders in contention for a new event at Bathurst
The Bathurst Regional Council has confirmed that the original shortlist of three has been further cut down to two, with Mountain Motor Sports now out of the running.
That means there are just two bidders for the additional fifth event at Mount Panorama remaining, Supercars and ARG.
Supercars is understood to be planning a Goodwood Festival of Speed-style moving motor show and hillclimb event, to run alongside the Bathurst 12 Hour GT race and Bathurst 1000 Supercars race events it already runs.
ARG, meanwhile, is looking to run a 500-kilometre international TCR race, and could even look to attract the WTCR in the future.
"Council is currently finalising the tender specification and we expect the two companies invited to take part in that process will receive those documents before the end of the month," said Bathurst mayor Graeme Hanger.
"We anticipate Council will consider these tenders in September."
It was confirmed earlier this week that TCR Australia will join the Australian Grand Prix as a support event in Melbourne next year, giving the championship a new season opener.
"When you get an offer to run at the Grand Prix, it's a fantastic event," said Matt Braid, director of TCR Australia rights holder Australian Racing Group.
"It's the biggest international motorsport event in the country, so to showcase TCR there, and have it as the first race for TCR in 2020, that's a fantastic opportunity.
"So we've grabbed it with both hands."
The event is expected to attract teams and drivers from around Asia as well as the Australian regulars.
While the new season opener at Albert Park was confirmed, TCR Australia will not support the Supercars Adelaide 500 next season.
TCR Australia promoters Australian Racing Group are understood to have had an informal agreement in place to race at next year's Adelaide street race, however it was today confirmed that the deal won't go ahead.
It is believed that Supercars played a significant role in the agreement not being formalised, with an unwillingness to share the bill with TCR at its season opener.
Previous article
Supercars open to high-degradation tyre for 2021, tyre rules change in '20
Next article
Supercars Queensland: Whincup snaps winless streak ahead of Davison
How taming his temper shaped Supercars' slow-burn star
His decision to leave Brad Jones Racing was the biggest shock of the Australian Supercars silly season so far. But for Nick Percat, it comes as the culmination of a personal journey that has made him into one of the most rounded drivers in the series, now in search of a seat that can make him a champion
Why replacing Supercars' GOAT with a teenager is worth the risk for T8
On the face of it, picking an 18-year-old rookie to replace arguably the greatest Supercars driver of all time is a risky move. But as Jamie Whincup takes up a team principal role and hands his car to Broc Feeney, it's one that he is confident will be rewarded in the fullness of time - time which wasn't afforded to Whincup in his early days
How Randle went from fighting cancer to battling for Supercars contention
After his fledgling career was paused by a battle with testicular cancer, Thomas Randle then had to wrestle with finding a drive in Supercars after he got the all-clear. It's been a long road for the Melbourne native but, after two lengthy battles, he's finally got a full-time drive to look forward to
How crisis talks over Supercars’ Gen3 future could leave it without a paddle
With Supercars’ Gen3 era on the horizon, a shift is set to take place – in more ways than one – but, as has become clear in recent weeks, the plan to bin the stick and use paddles with electronic assisted shift has been met with fierce opposition
Can DJR still be a Supercars powerhouse after Penske?
OPINION: Roger Penske's operation helped lift Dick Johnson's faltering Ford team back to the top of Australian tin-tops. But, despite The Captain's departure, along with star driver Scott McLaughlin, there's no reason to expect an imminent decline from DJR
Why Whincup's next move is no calculated gamble
Supercars' most successful team of the past 15 years is set for a radical shakeup next year when Jamie Whincup retires from driving and takes over the reins at Triple Eight. But the team's outgoing boss Roland Dane has full faith that he'll be up to the task
The top 10 Supercars drivers of 2020
In a year of few constants, the Australian Supercars championship could be relied upon for its usual blend of rough and tumble racing with a V8 soundtrack. But who were its top performers in 2020?
The 'lifetime deal' that broke down in double quick time
Last year, David Reynolds signed a decade-long deal with Erebus, seemingly pledging his long-term Supercars future to the team. One year on, "Decade Dave's" contract has been reduced to tatters, with an undercurrent of discontent having brewed in 2020
