ORANGE and Bathurst are set to clash again over motor sport, with the Bathurst 12-hour race now adding a car show to its program, to be held on the same weekend as Orange’s Gnoo Blas classic car show.
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Gnoo Blas classic car club president Denis Gregory said he was furious about the clash and believed both events would suffer as a result.
Mr Gregory said his club was already gearing up for another big weekend on February 7 and 8 and the date had been widely circulated to car clubs and venues had been booked.
“The 2015 show will mark the 60th anniversary of the first international race meeting held in Australia that was run on Gnoo Blas in January 1955 with a string of overseas drivers,” Mr Gregory said.
He said the club had already organised to have an international touring car driver as one of its special guests.
“Now we have to compete with a private Queensland promoter organising what he describes as a supershow on the same weekend at Bathurst,” Mr Gregory said.
“The Gnoo Blas club has held its show on the second weekend in February for years while the 12-hour, which started at Easter, has shifted its dates several times to clash with Orange.”
Mr Gregory said the decision to run a competing car show had angered his members.
“Some enthusiasts would probably like to attend both events, but for them to be on the same weekend, just 50 kilometres apart, is ridiculous,” he said.
“The race organisers have taken our date for several years now and that hasn’t really affected us because we end up with more spectators than the 12-hour.
“But now we have to compete with another car show that’s obviously being put on to try to increase support for the 12-hour because entrants have to pay for two weekend passes in their entry fee.
“We’ve just about had enough of this lot, no doubt propped up by Bathurst City Council and its ratepayers.”
Mr Gregory said over the years his members had worked hard to develop and promote the Gnoo Blas show.
“It’s now firmly established as one of the best and most popular in NSW, and this year it attracted more than 350 cars and motorcycles and more than 2500 spectators through the day,” he said.