A FEW weeks ago The Race Torque explored some options about how to grow Phillip Island’s annual leg of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.

Our concerns were centered around the fact the event has no real unique selling point, outside of the grand nature of the circuit itself. It was our argument that such a location deserved something special, something unique, to add to the experience of going to one of the best tracks in the land.

Which is interesting in itself, because just a few hours up the Hume Highway another regional circuit is kicking goals – and they’ve not needed a unique format with which to do it.

Take a look at the Winton round on paper and you could be excused for finding reasons to miss the trip towards the borderlands.

For starters, the date places it on the edge of a Victorian Winter at a location 100km from the snowfields. It’s generally chilly and if it’s not raining, it’s close to it.

The round is just one month after Phillip Island and only two after the Grand Prix – making it a busy and potentially expensive eight-week period for Victorian fans.

The schedule is nothing spectacular; with a standard SuperSprint event format. A decent, if not overwhelming, support program. And that’s about it.

And as a circuit while it has charm it is most certainly not Phillip Island.

Yet the Benalla Auto Club has managed to do what few other permanent venues have been able to do lately: They’ve grown their event.

The BAC has been smart in their approach. For starters, they have date equity; people can lock the mid-may weekend into their calendar year on year.

If they need to take leave from work, they can pencil that in early and plan well ahead.

Secondly, they’ve played to their strengths – notably, the opportunity to grow the camping.

We’re told the circuit this year sold more than 670 campsites for the weekend, well from last year and even notably more than the year prior. That’s about 3,000 people locked in for the three-days – a turn-key attendance to start your event with.

By building in things like a Saturday night concert and friendly service (we were told people in the line waiting to get into the campsite were keen to get to the front to say ‘hello’ to the person coordinating it all, because they’d dealt with her throughout the whole process) the circuit has grown a loyal base of those who return each year.

It’s the kind of thing Bathurst has had for decades and that works pretty well.

This year the event also boosted their off-track offerings; putting more emphasis on merchandise alley and other activities for families.

They also engaged local radio advertising to target the key audiences in Shepparton, the Albury-Woodonga region, Wangaratta and surrounds.

Engaging the local Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes, has also led to governmental support as a major regional event, a smart tactic given the desire of city-based governments to show they are trying to support the regional areas.

(That’s the same reason, amongst others, that the South Australian Government was eager to support The Bend Motorsport Park, too).

The net result was an attendance visually larger than the last few years and a true country festival style feel.

This despite the weather and the brilliant, wall-to-wall coverage now available on Fox Sports at each round.

Its become the Winton event’s unique selling point compared to any other circuit on the calendar and the reason it should remain on the schedule long-term.

The term ‘heartland fans’ got thrown around a lot last weekend and though its somewhat cliche’ it is accurate.

This year marked the second of the three-year agreement the BAC and Supercars inked to continue the event. And though we understand the event is not a significant (if at all) money-maker for the promoter, it remains important; last year’s economic impact report indicated it dropped about $40m into the region.

It’s also a ‘halo’ event for the circuit that maintains its visibility: You can make cash on a club event or practice day, but no-one watches. Getting eyeballs on, and people in to the venue remains important for businesses.

For Supercars, the event must be considered important in that it retains contact with the fans that have supported the category since day dot. For every Townsville or Newcastle, there needs to remain a Winton to balance the equation and prove the category can still touch those who can’t get to a street circuit event.

The success at Winton is such that it would be worth those who promote similar events in regional areas – Ipswich and The Bend, in particular –  taking note.

In an era where, for the most part, sporting attendance levels are decreasing Winton’s efforts to build their May event are notable and commendable.

They’ve turned what may otherwise be considered an ho-hum event at a circuit that is most definitely not Phillip Island into something that is succeeding – and that’s a great story for our game.

It’s even enough to make the mind-numbing schlep up the most boring freeway in the country worth the trip – and that’s saying something.

WORDS: Richard Craill
IMAGES: Dirk Klynsmith / V8 Touring Cars / Touring Car Masters.