START YOUR ENGINES: Orange Visitor Information Centre’s Leanne Holland and Tracey Crowe will have their hands full with a bumper number of race-goers set to stay in Orange for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in October. Photo: LUKE SCHUYLER 0821lssnap091
ORANGE looks set to pick up Bathurst’s accommodation slack ahead of the 50th running of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in October.
Come Thursday, October 4, Bathurst will be full to the brim with a record number of motor sport enthusiasts.
Numbers are tipped to exceed the 220,000 mark, set over four days in 2006, the year legend Peter Brock died.
With Bathurst unable to keep up with the numbers, the city’s neighbours are benefiting.
“It’s pretty difficult to get a booking within a 100-kilometre radius of Bathurst on that weekend,” Orange City Council business and industry development officer Tony Boland said ahead of the great race at the iconic Mount Panorama circuit.
“Most hotels or motels in Orange ring and let us know if they’ve got any accommodation because as soon as there’s nothing left in Bathurst, we’re the ones getting the calls.”
When campsites on top of the mount went on sale earlier this year, they were snapped up in record time.
And already the 120 campsites at the Bathurst sportsground have been sold, with Bathurst Regional Council in negotiations with Bathurst Panthers to use Carrington Park to house another 120 campsites.
But for those who can’t find a bed in Bathurst during the four-day event, Orange has the room.
“Absolutely, and hotels and motels often get multiple nights bookings out of them,” Mr Boland said.
“It’s been a significant event on the calendar for some time now.”
The Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 begins on Thursday, October 4, and runs until the main race on Sunday, October 7.