MOTORSPORT: V8 Supercars takes over Bathurst 12-Hour

The takeover of the Bathurst 12-Hour at Mount Panorama by V8 Supercars has been confirmed.

The deal for the acquisition was completed between existing promoter James O’Brien of Yeehah Events, the Bathurst Regional Council and Supercar Events (a business of V8 Supercars) this week.

Rumoured for some time the deal is sure to be met with mixed emotions by Australian motor racing fans, considering the way Australia’s dominant motorsport category prevented star drivers such as 2014 winner Craig Lowndes from competing in the 12-hour this year by scheduling its own pre-season test up against it.

V8s taking over the event also means it will have to renew ties with its former telecaster Channel 7, which picked up the rights to the Bathurst 12-Hour after being dropped by the V8s in favour of Fox and Channel 10.

But the new deal is being presented as the best way forward for an event which began in 2007 and now has significant international support and following. The 2016 12-hour is schedule for February 5-7.

“The Liqui-Moly 12-Hour is now ready to establish itself as a major international endurance event, however to achieve this it needs an organisation with the right resources. Supercars Events is the right team to realise our vision and continue what we began all those years ago,” said O’Brien.

While V8 drivers will now be clear to rejoin the 12-hour and V8 teams such as Triple Eight Race Engineering have expressed interest in entering, V8 Supercars says it has no plans to tamper with the concept of the event, which is designed as an international GT race.

Speculation a pre-season test for V8 Supercars would be held at Mount Panorama as part of the B12H meeting have been kyboshed. In fact the whole concept of a pre-season V8 Supercars test appears doomed, with a media launch planned to replace it.

The announcement comes just days after V8 Supercars’ in-house media arm was named as the television production service for the first KL City Grand prix in Malaysia on August 7-9.

Five V8 Supercars will stage demonstration races at the event this year, with a championship round scheduled for the full field in 2016.

The Bathurst and KL TV gigs back up V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton’s declaration to motoring.com.au that he planned to more fully exploit the event promotion abilities and television broadcast abilities of the organisation.

O’Brien predicted Supercars Events, which manage the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and many of Australia’s largest major events, would significantly enhance the race he revived in 2007.

“It has been an interesting journey and an event I am proud of,” O’Brien said. “The work and dedication of so many stakeholders, not least the officials and volunteers, has been humbling.

Mayor of Bathurst Regional Council Cr Gary Rush said Supercars Event’s enduring relationship with Council would ensure the region would have two of the world’s best motorsport weekends.

“Council is excited to be entering into a new arrangement for the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-Hour and we look forward to being involved in the continued growth of the event.

“We have been a partner in the 12-Hour with Yeehah Events from the start and this is another step in the evolution of the event which has firmly established itself on the motorsport calendar."