SUPERCARS and the Bathurst Regional Council will work through the night in a bid to safeguard Sunday’s Repco Bathurst 1000 from flooding.
Officials tried in vain to divert water running onto the circuit before eventually announcing the cancellation just minutes prior to the scheduled start.
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Although the weather is forecast to improve on Sunday, a significant amount more rain is forecast to fall overnight.
Supercars CEO Shane Howard says every effort will be made to ensure the circuit is ready for racing on Sunday.
Track action is scheduled to begin with Race 4 of the SuperUtes at 7:25am, ahead of Supercars’ warm-up at 8am.
Toyota 86 and Porsche racing action is also scheduled prior to the 11:15am start of the Great Race.
“We and the council will be doing some work overnight to try and make sure those drains are relieved from any debris, etcetera, that’s been washed down into them,” said Howard.
“We’ll look at trying to cut some temporary drains just to help dissipate off the circuit where the grass is elevated above the asphalt, just the things available for them to do.
“Then we’ll obviously have to manage it on the day.”
Asked if the Bathurst council needs to improve drainage at the venue for future events, Howard stressed the unique aspects of the Mount Panorama Circuit.
“It’s very challenging in an environment like this, just the topography of the circuit,” he said.
“When you have a weather event like that, with that amount of rain being dropped in a short period of time with ground that’s already water-soaked, it’s very hard to manage.
“The council are always very proactive in helping us with those situations, but it is a temporary street circuit.
“Driveways and things have to be maintained for the residents. You’ve got some quite elevated ground that actually runs down to the circuit.
“When you get that sort of volume and it’s channelled down there it’s very hard to manage.
“I don’t think there’s a lot that can be done to improve that under those conditions.”
