# The Bend Motorsport Park

The Bend Motorsport Park, currently known as Shell V-Power Motorsport Park for naming rights reasons, is a 7.770 km (4.828 mi) bitumen motor racing circuit at Tailem Bend, South Australia, Australia, about 100 km (62 mi) south-east of the state capital, Adelaide.
The complex has a bitumen circuit, drag racing strip, and drift racing circuit.
The race circuits are of a high international standard and licensed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for car racing and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) for motorcycle racing. Along with Sydney Motorsport Park, Surfers Paradise Street Circuit and the only Grade 1 track, the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, The Bend is one of only four race circuits in Australia with an FIA Grade 2 track licence or better, while it is also one of only two Australian race tracks along with the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, to carry an FIM Category A track licence.
The circuit name was changed to Shell V-Power Motorsport Park in August 2023.

## History

In February 2015, Peregrine Corporation lodged plans with the Government of South Australia to redevelop the former Mitsubishi Motors Australia test track at Tailem Bend, South Australia. Approval was granted in May 2015 with construction commencing in March 2016. Initially titled the South Australian Motorsport Park, by the time construction commenced, The Bend Motorsport Park name had been adopted.
The address of the site was originally in Elwomple. In September 2017, before the facility opened, the boundary between Tailem Bend and Elwomple was adjusted so that The Bend Motorsport Park is officially in Tailem Bend, not Elwomple.
The first major event was the Revolve24 Endurance Cycling Challenge on 13–14 January 2018, an ultra-distance cycling festival featuring 24-hour, 12-hour and 6-hour races. It hosted The Bend SuperSprint, a round of the 2018 Supercars Championship, in August 2018. It has a desire to hold a MotoGP Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix round.
On 4–14 January 2019, the circuit hosted the 25th Australian Scout Jamboree. From January 10–12, 2020 it hosted a round of the 2019–20 Asian Le Mans Series season as the 4 Hours of The Bend and the Supercars sprint round will be replaced by a new endurance event, The Bend 500. The Supercars race was later dropped from the calendar altogether, in a shortened calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with circuit managing director Sam Shahin openly critical of the cancellation. After multiple changes in the Supercars calendar, it was announced that the track will held a doubleheader in late September.
Sam Shahin also offered up the facility for Hotel Quarantine during the Covid pandemic, but this was not taken up by the South Australian Government.

## Facilities
### International Circuit

Length: 4.950 km (3.076 mi)
* Used for majority of events including Supercars, Superbikes and national series events, through to state racing, club racing and track hire

### GT Circuit

Length: 7.770 km (4.828 mi)
* Used for endurance racing, specialist racing events, private hire and test days. Hosted a four-hour Asian Le Mans Series event in January 2020.
At 7.77km long, the GT Circuit is the second longest permanent race track in the world behind only the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife which is 20.832 km (12.944 mi) long.

### West Circuit

Length: 3.410 km (2.119 mi)
* Used for the majority of short track events. Includes club racing, testing, sprint events, “cruising” events, driver/rider training
* Used for 2020 OTR SuperSprint The Bend event in 2020 Supercars Championship
* Can be used independently from the East Circuit

### East Circuit

Length: 3.930 km (2.442 mi)
* Used for driver/rider training, drifting, testing, club days, private days
* Can be used independently from the West Circuit

### West PLUS Circuit

Length: 3.660 km (2.274 mi)

### Sprint Circuit

Length: 2.784 km (1.730 mi)

### Southwest Circuit

Length: 1.811 km (1.125 mi)

### North Circuit

Length: 1.341 km (0.833 mi)

### Karting Circuit

Length: 1.101 km (0.684 mi)

### Drag Strip

Length: 0.402 km (0.250 mi)
The drag racing strip at The Bend opened to fanfare and a capacity 20,000 crowd in October 2023. The drag strip itself is approximately 1.250 km (0.777 mi) in total length by 18.5 m (61 ft) wide, built to international standards. The Bend's drag racing strip has taken over from the older (and shorter) Adelaide International Raceway as South Australia's main drag racing venue.

### Pit building and hotel

Construction commenced in February 2017 for the 300 m (980 ft) long pit building which includes hotel accommodation in the upper levels of the four-storey building. There are 34 pit garages. The 100 room Rydges Pit Lane Hotel opened in 2019.

## Events
### Current

* May: Australian Drivers' Championship, Formula 4 Australian Championship
* July: Formula 4 Australian Championship
* August: Australian Prototype Series SAMRC Grand Final
* September: Supercars Championship The Bend 500, TCR World Tour, TCR Australia Touring Car Series, GT World Challenge Australia Race Tailem Bend, Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia, Ferrari Challenge Australasia, Radical Cup Australia, GT4 Australia Series, Australian National Trans-Am Series, Aussie Racing Cars, AU3 Championship, Australian Formula Ford Series, Touring Car Masters, Australian Saloon Car Nationals
* October: National Sports Sedan Series The Bend Classic
* November: Australian Superbike Championship ASBK Grand Finale

### Former

* Asia Road Racing Championship (2018–2019)
* Asian Le Mans Series
** 4 Hours of The Bend (2020)
* Australian Formula 3 Championship (2018–2019, 2022)
* Australian Formula Ford Championship (2018–2019, 2022–2023)
* Australian Production Car Championship (2019, 2021–2024)
* Australian Superkart Championship (2019, 2021–2024)
* Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia (2023–2024)
* Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship (2018–2019, 2021–2023)
* S5000 Australian Drivers' Championship (2019, 2023)
* Super3 Series (2018–2019)
* Supercars Championship
** The Bend SuperSprint (2018–2023)
* SuperUtes Series (2022–2023)
* Toyota 86 Racing Series (2018, 2023)

## Lap records

As of November 2024, the fastest official race lap records at The Bend Motorsport Park are listed as:
| Category | Driver | Vehicle | Time | Date |
| GT Circuit: 7.770 km (2018–present) |||||
| LMP2 | Aidan Read | Ligier JS P217 | 2:38.673 | 12 January 2020 |
| LMP3 | David Fumanelli | Ligier JS P3 | 2:51.692 | 12 January 2020 |
| GT3 | Alessandro Pier Guidi | Ferrari 488 GT3 | 2:56.990 | 12 January 2020 |
| CN | Mark Short | Prince LSR | 3:00.3237 | 24 November 2024 |
| Production Cars | Keith Wong | Honda Integra DC5 | 3:45.671 | 12 January 2020 |
| International Circuit: 4.950 km (2018–present) |||||
| Formula Three | John Magro | Dallara F308 | 1:40.7295 | 23 June 2019 |
| S5000 | Thomas Randle | Ligier JS F3-S5000 | 1:41.2560 | 16 November 2019 |
| GT3 | Jamie Whincup | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | 1:45.6607 | 13 July 2019 |
| Superkart | Jordan Ford | Anderson Maverick | 1:46.6960 | 10 April 2021 |
| Sports Sedans | Jordan Caruso | Audi A4-Chevrolet | 1:47.0564 | 31 July 2022 |
| Group CN | Mark Laucke | Wolf GB08 Tornado | 1:47.1031 | 18 September 2021 |
| Lamborghini Super Trofeo | Jonathan Cecotto | Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 | 1:48.3219 | 11 June 2023 |
| Toyota Racing Series | Christopher Slusarski | Tatuus FT-50 | 1:49.2963 | 10 June 2023 |
| Supercars | David Reynolds | Holden ZB Commodore | 1:49.4042 | 24 August 2019 |
| Formula 4 | James Piszcyk | Tatuus F4-T421 | 1:49.8767 | 5 May 2024 |
| Radical Cup | Cooper Cutts | Radical SR3 XX | 1:50.2406 | 8 June 2024 |
| Superbike | Troy Herfoss | Honda CBR1000RR | 1:50.529 | 3 December 2023 |
| Porsche Carrera Cup | Jordan Love | Porsche 911 (991 II) GT3 Cup | 1:50.7966 | 25 August 2019 |
| Supersport | Harrison Voight | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:54.522 | 3 December 2023 |
| TCR Touring Car | Nathan Morcom | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 1:57.0504 | 17 November 2019 |
| Formula Ford | Angelo Mouzouris | Mygale SJ18A | 1:57.5339 | 23 June 2019 |
| GT4 | Sam Brabham | Mercedes-AMG GT4 | 1:57.7228 | 22 October 2022 |
| Improved Production Cars | Adam Poole | Holden Monaro | 2:00.2456 | 25 May 2024 |
| Touring Car Masters | Joel Heinrich | Chevrolet Camaro RS | 2:00.2787 | 24 November 2024 |
| Aussie Racing Cars | Joshua Anderson | Ford Mustang | 2:05.6723 | 31 July 2022 |
| Sidecar F1 | Patrick Clancy/Steve Bonney | LCR-Suzuki GSXR-1000 | 2:06:114 | 26 November 2022 |
| Asia Production 250 | Muklada Sarapuech | Honda CBR250RR | 2:07.170 | 28 April 2019 |
| Supersport 300 | Cameron Swain | Yamaha YZF-R3 | 2:08.815 | 10 November 2024 |
| Sidecar F2 | Jamie Crass/Lee Menzies | Windle-Suzuki GSXR-600 | 2:09:347 | 16 March 2024 |
| SuperUtes | David Sieders | Mazda BT-50 | 2:10.8731 | 20 August 2023 |
| Toyota 86 Racing Series | Jayden Wanzek | Toyota 86 | 2:15.3067 | 26 May 2024 |
| Asia Underbone 150 | Md Helmi Azman | Yamaha MX King 150 | 2:16.894 | 22 April 2018 |
| Oceania Junior Cup | Valentino Knezovic | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2:29.820 | 3 December 2023 |
| West Circuit: 3.410 km (2018–present) |||||
| Formula One | Josh Kean | Footwork FA15 | 1:10.085 | 5 September 2020 |
| GT3 | Jaxon Evans | Ferrari 296 GT3 | 1:14.9167 | 2 June 2024 |
| Sports Sedans | Thomas Randle | Saab 9-3-Chevrolet | 1:15.5004 | 2 June 2024 |
| Supercars | Shane van Gisbergen | Holden ZB Commodore | 1:16.2224 | 26 September 2020 |
| Porsche Carrera Cup | Clay Osborne | Porsche 911 (991 II) GT3 Cup | 1:18.2243 | 2 June 2024 |
| Trans-Am Australia | Jordan Boys | Ford Mustang Trans-Am | 1:20.6785 | 2 June 2024 |
| GT4 | Jason Yu | McLaren Artura GT4 | 1:21.7144 | 2 June 2024 |
| TCR Touring Car | Josh Buchan | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 1:22.7478 | 2 June 2024 |
| Production Cars | Grant Sherrin | BMW M4 (F82) | 1:26.3355 | 1 June 2024 |
| Improved Production Cars | Scott Cook | Nissan Silvia S13 | 1:26.5584 | 16 May 2021 |