THE inaugural Nandaly 300 off-road racing event provided a huge economic boost to the local region over the King’s Birthday long weekend.
Nandaly is a small town tucked away on the Calder Highway north of Sea Lake.
While it was once a thriving community, today it is home to 30 residents and the Nandaly Community Hotel.
That changed at the weekend, when the town welcomed an influx of visitors for the motorsport event.
Off-road motorbikes and cars came together for two action-packed days of racing.
The event was a tourism drawcard for motoring enthusiasts, providing a much-needed boost to the local economy.
Nandaly Community Hotel chairman Jacko Kiley said the event delivered a huge benefit.
“It was a great weekend,” he said.
“We welcomed heaps of campers, a mystery bus tour from the Ouyen football club and a good number of locals.”
Mr Kiley said this was the biggest crowd the pub had seen this year, and it was events like the Nandaly 300 and the annual pig races in October that would ensure the survival of the community hotel.
“I don’t think we’d survive without them,” Mr Kiley said.
“We don’t have the population here to sustain it. We rely on events and outsiders to help keep us going.”
