The controversial date clash between the Bathurst 12 hour sportscar event and V8 Supercars pre-season test of 2015 could come to a spectacular end with the two meetings potentially joining forces.
It emerged this week that V8 Supercars is set to take control of the promotional rights of the rival Bathurst 12 hour event, which could see the series move its pre-season test from Sydney Motorsport Park to Bathurst for a unique double header on the same weekend.
This year, the conflict meant V8 Supercars went head-to-head with the Bathurst 12 hour. So while V8 regulars such as Craig Lowndes, Rick Kelly, Shane van Gisbergen, Will Davison and more missed out on Bathurst 12-hour drives, V8 Supercars suffered a massive public backlash for the date clash.
What does V8 Supercars gain from taking over the promotional rights of a race outside of its series? It brings a rival event into its fold while helping to link up with the sportscar fraternity at a time when V8 Supercars’ technical regulations are edging closer to the types of cars racing at the Bathurst 12 hour.
But how will a joint V8 Supercars test/Bathurst 12 hour work? Drivers could manage the task of jumping between different machinery for testing and racing, depending on how a joint schedule is programmed.
Testing at Bathurst would be an odd sensation for V8 Supercars drivers, as their mileage at Mount Panorama is usually reserved for the October weekend of the Bathurst 1000 event.
Sydney Motorsport Park is well suited for testing given its middle ground for teams based in Victoria and Queensland, the circuit has a range of corners from low to high speed and lots of run off means driving errors won’t always result in big damage.
Bathurst, in contrast, can punish drivers and machinery like no other Australian circuit. It is hardly ideal for a test, though drivers will always be in favour of more mileage at the much-loved circuit.
“Bathurst would be an exceptional track to go and test at,” Craig Lowndes told Inside Supercars.
“You wouldn’t do too many laps over the course of the day because it’s such a long circuit.
“But it’s got everything; low speed, high speed, undulation, everything you would want to make the car right.”
But a test at Bathurst will be unpopular with some. The circuit is rightly considered hallowed turf for Australian motorsport, and attempts to stage other events at the circuit away from the 1000-kilometre endurance have often failed.
Twenty years ago, for example, the then Australian Touring Car Championship held an early-season sprint race round at Bathurst. But crowds were poor in comparison to the 1000-kilometre classic and the latest attempt at reviving a championship round there only lasted two seasons.
The Bathurst 12 hour is growing in stature and the V8 Supercars partnership will only solidify its place on the Australian motorsport calendar, but how the test component is received remains to be seen.
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