TBK-Light.com

A feasibility study into a second racing circuit for Bathurst has also suggested a number of improvements to the famous Mount Panorama circuit including more permanent grandstands and accommodation.

AECOM Australia prepared the Mount Panorama Second Circuit Feasibility Study for the Homebush Motor Racing Authority, which assists with works associated with V8 Supercars’ Sydney Telstra 500.

A second circuit has been proposed in a bid to get motorbike racing back to Bathurst because the iconic 6.213km track used for the annual Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 is deemed unsuitable for bikes.

The study investigated a number of layouts for the proposed second circuit, which could also be used for four wheel racing and would not block public roads, which the current track forces when it is used.

AECOM’s study recommends the second circuit be a long term objective and should not be implemented before a revisal of the governance structure for the Mount Panorama precinct.

Other short term recommendations the study made include developing an enhanced tourist centre at the eastern end of the pit complex and a sky tower at the top of Mount Panoramas featuring a restaurant.

A permanent grandstand running along pit straight, with the possibility of attached accommodation or commercial activity, has been proposed in the study to remove the cost of constructing and removing temporary grandstands.

The construction of a motor industry research and development park by a private developer was also recommended in the study as a medium term objective which could help cover the cost to construct the second circuit.

V8 Supercars Events General Manager Shane Howard was consulted as part of the study.

The study said Howard “emphasised the need to maintain the integrity of the historic hill race course, to improve spectator viewing and experience wherever possible…and to ensure detailed circuit design was undertaken to maximise racing quality”.

True. Yeah i think it sounds good saving costs will bring in more teams and to keep them in the series to make it more affordable to run, it sounds good i doubt the racing will be much different from these days anyway the cars are pretty similar.

It is also HIGHLY unlikely any new manufacturers will enter, where is the incentive? The series has been promoted as "off-limits" to anyone except Holden and Ford since 1993. The only real sniff has been from BMW, who declared they were only interested if they could run their new DTM car.....

"co-drivers in the GC600 can't race at PI or Bathurst" rule that has been introduced...

- Six wildcards will be allowed to compete at Phillip Island and Bathurst, as opposed to four. Can't see it having a big effect, considering there's been less than the maximum allowed the last two years, but it could encourage the bigger teams to maybe field extra cars.

And as for the future I wonder if they could go back the older formula having a Class A (V8SC) and Class B.

For the Class B perhaps they could run to the rules that the BTCC and the like are running now or something, since I doubt Cochrane would want something faster than the V8's.

That could also attract more makes too.

urrgh dont run 2 classes hate that stuff lol, and also hate what dtm do with older model cars, i believe everyone should be in the same class and have same year model cars.

Most of the grid can't afford to build new model cars, and yes, class racing is fundamentally what racing was built from, there's nothing wrong with it, you're being incredibly narrow-minded.

"co-drivers in the GC600 can't race at PI or Bathurst" rule that has been introduced...

Wilson Security moves to TDR this season.

http://www.speedcafe.com.au/2011/01/10/ ... e-sponsor/

D'alberto will race an ex-FPR car from the second round of the season onwards. I do not get the decison made by Wilson Security, I would have stuck with Slade.

I can understand why Wilson Security left Slade. Wasn't because of Slade's performances, but because they wanted to sponsor the whole car, which wasn't going to happen with Slade's car as long as Lucky 7 was on the hood. I reckon D'Alberto will do well this year, remember he had a bunch of good results early in the season before his form slipped away a bit, and going away from the Walkinshaw car (which except for Tander all flopped last year) will probably do him the world of good.