Should motorcycles return to Bathurst?

Wouldn’t it be great if motorcycles were racing at Bathurst this weekend and a free-to-air TV channel was broadcasting three days of live coverage like the Bathurst 1000?

We love the Great Race, but a return of motorcycles to the mountain could be as the famous as the Isle of Man TT.

That race has grown enormously in the past decade to become every motorcyclist’s must-do trip.

Bathurst Council has proposed a second circuit on the mountain that unfortunately doesn’t include the mountain.

The proposal has been around for a few years now. Council media spokeswoman Therese Ryan says they are still awaiting State and Federal Government and private funding.

“It will be a multi-purpose second circuit, not just a motorcycle circuit, with a business park. We’re still lobbying for funding at this point.”

Still, wouldn’t it be great if there were support motorcycle classes at this weekend’s Bathurst 1000?

Motorcycle racing on the iconic mountain track finished in the late ’80s. Since then, the touring cars and now V8 Supercars have heavily modified the circuit. It is now at a stage where there could never be safe motorcycle racing there again.

However, the local council is confident their second track can attract state and federal funding and private interest. If so, they hope to create a world-class MotoGP and World Superbikes track to the east of the existing track in the camping ground and old drive-in area.

Proposal stalls

Committee member Rob “Stumpy” Taylor told me two years ago he was confident they would turn the first sod within a year.

Two years later, nothing has happened.

While V8 Supercars continue to run street events such as the new Newcastle race, there is less impetus to create new race circuits.

Meanwhile, old circuits wither and die and become housing developments.

Let’s hope this new circuit gets appropriate funding.