While this year’s Bathurst 1000 attracted more than 204,000 race fans, one in particular was keen to know the ins and outs of how the Great Race is hosted.

Bathurst Regional Council and Ipswich City Council (south-west of Brisbane) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that the two cities will work together to help the Ipswich Motorsport Precinct expand.

And, while Bathurst might be the country’s most well-known motorsport track, Ipswich is keen to improve its standing.

The Ipswich Motorsport Precinct already hosts a Supercars round each July. It also has a drag racing track and go karts, with operators hopeful of including motocross in the planned expansion.

Ipswich councillor Wayne Wendt was a special guest during the Bathurst 1000 to learn from Bathurst council.

“Bathurst has a huge head start on anywhere else in Australia,” he said.

During Cr Wendt’s visit he toured Mount Panorama’s pits, racing and crowd facilities from the ground and also by helicopter.

“I’m blown away by the atmosphere and crowd participation and anticipation. They’re all mad keen racing enthusiasts,” he said. “I’m here to learn and I’ve opened my eyes about your facility.”

And there are a lot of area for improvements in Ipswich Motorsport Precinct, located in the suburb of Willowbank, Cr Wendt said.

“Our facilities at Willowbank [Ipswich] Motorsport Precinct are fair to say basic,” he said.

Cr Wendt said Ipswich has an enormous amount of industrial land to expand the precinct, but said it has to be able to generate money for the local economy.

“We need to understand what to invest in,” he said.

“The mayor [Gary Rush] has been forthcoming in sharing information.”

Cr Wendt said they have been “lucky enough” to have employed former V8 Supercars administrator Damien White, who resigned from his position with the category late last year, to help them.

“We’ve been able to obtain the services [as general manager] of Damien White from Supercars and he knows what works and what doesn’t,” Cr Wendt said.

The MOU between the two councils will be a sharing of information, Bathurst mayor Gary Rush is only too happy to be a part of the arrangement.

“It’s a great recognition from another regional city in Australia who has similar ambitions,” he said.

Cr Rush said the MOU further acknowledges that Bathurst’s Mount Panorama was the benchmark facility.

“Bathurst council are very willing to share because we see it as the development of regional Australia,” Cr Rush said.