The Bend Motorsport Park Explained

Shell V-Power Motorsport Park
Time: (UTC+10.5 DST)
Location:Tailem Bend, South Australia, Australia
Coordinates:-35.3083°N 139.5167°W
Events:Current:
Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia (2023–present)
GT World Challenge Australia (2018–2019, 2021–present)
TCR Australia (2019, 2024)
Australian SBK
(2018–2019, 2021–present)
Future:
Supercars Championship
The Bend 500 (2025)
The Bend SuperSprint
(2018–2023)
Former:
S5000 (2019, 2023)
Asian Le Mans Series (2020)
Asia Road Racing Championship (2018–2019)
Owner:Peregrine Corporation
Fia Grade:2 (3 layouts)
Former Names:The Bend Motorsport Park (January 2018–August 2023)
Layout1:GT Circuit (2018–present)
Length Km:7.770
Length Mi:4.828
Turns:35
Record Time:2:38.673
Record Driver: Aidan Read
Record Car:Ligier JS P217
Record Year:2020
Layout2:International Circuit (2018–present)
Length Km2:4.950
Length Mi2:3.076
Turns2:18
Record Time2:1:40.7295
Record Driver2: John Magro
Record Car2:Dallara F308
Record Year2:2019
Record Class2:F3
Layout3:West Circuit (2018–present)
Length Km3:3.410
Length Mi3:2.119
Turns3:12
Record Time3:1:10.085
Record Driver3: Josh Kean
Record Car3:Footwork FA15
Record Year3:2020
Record Class3:F1
Layout4:East Circuit (2018–present)
Length Km4:3.930
Length Mi4:2.442
Turns4:22
Layout5:West PLUS Circuit (2018-present)
Length Km5:3.66
Length Mi5:2.274
Turns5:17
Layout6:Sprint Circuit (2018-present)
Length Km6:2.784
Length Mi6:1.73
Turns6:11
Layout7:Southwest Circuit (2018-present)
Length Km7:1.81
Length Mi7:1.125
Turns7:7
Layout8:North Circuit (2018-present)
Length Km8:1.34
Length Mi8:0.833
Turns8:13
Layout9:Karting Circuit (2018-present)
Length Km9:1.1
Length Mi9:0.684
Turns9:16
Layout10:Drag Strip (2023)
Length Km10:0.402
Length Mi10:0.25

The Bend Motorsport Park, currently known as Shell V-Power Motorsport Park for naming rights reasons, is a 7.77km (04.83miles) bitumen motor racing circuit at Tailem Bend, South Australia, Australia, about south-east of the state capital, Adelaide.

The complex has a bitumen circuit, drag racing strip, and drift racing circuit.[1]

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.

The circuit name was changed to Shell V-Power Motorsport Park in August 2023.[2]

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.[3] Approval was granted in May 2015[4] with construction commencing in March 2016.[5] Initially titled the South Australian Motorsport Park, by the time construction commenced, The Bend Motorsport Park name had been adopted.[6]

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.[7] [8]

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.[9] [10] It hosted The Bend SuperSprint, a round of the 2018 Supercars Championship, in August 2018.[11] It has a desire to hold a MotoGP Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix round.[12] [13]

On 4–14 January 2019, the circuit hosted the 25th Australian Scout Jamboree.[14] 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[15] and the Supercars sprint round will be replaced by a new endurance event, The Bend 500.[16] 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.[17] After multiple changes in the Supercars calendar, it was announced that the track will held a doubleheader in late September.[18]

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.[19]

Facilities

International Circuit

Length: 4.953NaN3

GT Circuit

Length: 7.773NaN3

West Circuit

Length: 3.413NaN3

East Circuit

Length: 3.933NaN3

West PLUS Circuit

Length: 3.663NaN3

Sprint Circuit

Length: 2.7843NaN3

Southwest Circuit

Length: 1.813NaN3

North Circuit

Length: 1.343NaN3

Karting Circuit

Length: 1.13NaN3

Drag Strip

Length: 0.4023NaN3

Pit building and hotel

Construction commenced in February 2017 for the long pit building which includes hotel accommodation in the upper levels of the four-storey building. There are 34 pit garages.[21] The 100 room Rydges Pit Lane Hotel opened in 2019.[22]

Events

Current
Future
Former

Lap records

As of June 2024, the fastest official race lap records at The Bend Motorsport Park are listed as:[23] [24]

Category Driver Vehicle Time Date
GT Circuit: 7.770 km (2018–present)
2:38.673[25] 12 January 2020
2:51.692 12 January 2020
2:56.990 12 January 2020
3:02.493[26] 12 January 2020
3:45.671 12 January 2020
International Circuit: 4.950 km (2018–present)
1:40.7295 23 June 2019
1:41.2560[27] 16 November 2019
1:45.6607 13 July 2019
1:46.6960 10 April 2021
1:47.0564 31 July 2022
1:47.1031 18 September 2021
1:48.3219 11 June 2023
1:49.2963 10 June 2023
1:49.4042[28] 24 August 2019
1:49.8767 5 May 2024
1:50.2406 8 June 2024
1:50.529[29] 3 December 2023
1:50.7966[30] 25 August 2019
1:54.522[31] 3 December 2023
1:57.0504[32] 17 November 2019
1:57.5339[33] 23 June 2019
1:57.7228 22 October 2022
2:00.2456 25 May 2024
2:00.4736 20 August 2023
2:05.6723 31 July 2022
2:06:114[34] 26 November 2022
2:07.170[35] [36] 28 April 2019
2:08.963 5 December 2021
2:09:829[37] 9 July 2023
2:10.8731 20 August 2023
2:15.3067 26 May 2024
2:16.894[38] 22 April 2018
West Circuit: 3.410 km (2018–present)
1:10.085[39] [40] 5 September 2020
1:14.9167 2 June 2024
1:15.5004 2 June 2024
1:16.2224[41] 26 September 2020
1:18.2243 2 June 2024
1:20.6785 2 June 2024
1:21.7144 2 June 2024
1:22.7478 2 June 2024
1:26.3355 1 June 2024
1:26.558416 May 2021

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend, South Australia. 19 August 2015. Practicalmotoring.com.au. Robert. Pepper. 21 May 2015.
  2. Web site: The Bend unveiled as Shell V-Power Motorsport Park . speedcafe.com . 16 August 2023 . 16 August 2023.
  3. http://www.murrayvalleystandard.com.au/story/2861372/tailem-motorsport-park-master-plan-revealed/ Tailem Motorsport Park master plan revealed
  4. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-21/tailem-bend-racetrack-redevelopment-gets-green-light/6486972 Tailem Bend track redevelopment gets green light
  5. http://www.speedcafe.com/2016/03/25/308298/ Construction underway at SA Motorsport Park
  6. https://www.murrayvalleystandard.com.au/story/3777170/park-named-the-bend/ The Bend Motorsport Park:Tailem Bend raceway, former SA Motorsport Park and Mitsibushi test track, has new official name
  7. News: Council to adjust town boundaries to make 'The Bend' an official part of Tailem Bend . The Murray Valley Standard . 26 July 2017 . Nick . Grimm . 15 February 2018.
  8. Web site: Notice to Alter the Boundaries of Places . Geographical Names Act, 1991 . Michael . Burdett . 19 September 2017 . DPTI 2017/17699/01 . . 15 February 2018. and Boundary Alteration of Tailem Bend and Elwomple . 2017_17699_01_Tailem_Bend . 11 September 2017 . . 15 February 2018.
  9. From Britain to the Bend: UK's Biggest 24 Hour Cycling Challenge heads to Adelaide . 4 May 2017 . SANTOS Tour Down Under . 6 August 2017.
  10. Web site: Bend Motorsport Park hosts first event. 14 January 2018. Speedcafe.
  11. News: Supercars reveals 16 event 2018 calendar. Speedcafe. 4 October 2017.
  12. http://www.speedcafe.com/2016/02/08/sa-motorsport-park-targets-motogp-race/ SA Motorsport Park targets MotoGP race
  13. News: Bend Motorsport Park tipped for August 2018 slot. Speedcafe. 31 May 2017.
  14. http://www.sa.scouts.com.au/aj2019 AJ2019 - A New (12 Day) Township for South Australia
  15. https://www.speedcafe.com/2019/01/17/the-bend-to-host-asian-le-mans-series-in-2020/ The Bend to host Asian Le Mans series round
  16. News: Supercars drops QR, Phillip Island in revised 2020 calendar. Tom. Howard. speedcafe.com. Speedcafe. 28 August 2019. 28 August 2019.
  17. News: McAlpine . Heath . The Bend Responds to Supercars Calendar Omission . 19 June 2020 . . 19 June 2020 . en-AU.
  18. https://www.supercars.com/news/championship/doubleheader-locked-in-at-the-bend/ Doubleheader locked in at The Bend
  19. Web site: 2021-02-17. Hotel quarantine in rent-seeking pandemic. 2021-11-22. Australian Financial Review. en.
  20. http://www.samotorsportpark.com.au/#!circuit/c1fiy The Circuit
  21. ADELAIDE'S FIRST PERMANENT PIT BUILDING STARTS CONSTRUCTION . 2 February 2017 . The Bend Motorsport Park . 23 February 2017.
  22. Web site: Rydges Pit Lane Hotel | Accommodation in Tailem Bend | Hotel in the Bend Motorsports Park.
  23. Web site: The Bend Fastest Lap Comparison . https://web.archive.org/web/20230228201020/https://www.driverdb.com/circuits/fastestlaps/the-bend-international/ . 28 February 2023 . 19 August 2023 . dead.
  24. Web site: Natsoft Race Results . 28 February 2023.
  25. Web site: 2019-2020 4 Hours of The Bend best laptimes per driver . 12 January 2020 . 18 March 2021.
  26. Web site: 4H of The Bend - Asian Le Mans Series 2019-2020 The Australian Prototype & Production GT Challenge Final results Race 2 . 12 January 2020 . 31 July 2022.
  27. Web site: 2019 S5000 The Bend Race 1 results . 18 March 2021.
  28. Web site: 2019 Supercars Championship The Bend SuperSprint Race 1 Statistics . 11 December 2022.
  29. Web site: 2023 Round 7: December 1 - 3 - The Bend Motorsports Park - Alpinestars Superbike Championship - Race 1 - Provisional Classification . 3 December 2023 . 3 December 2023.
  30. Web site: Round 6, 2019: The Bend - Race 3 . 11 December 2022.
  31. Web site: 2023 Round 7: December 1 - 3 - The Bend Motorsports Park - Michelin Supersport Championship - Race 2 - Provisional Classification . 3 December 2023 . 3 December 2023.
  32. Web site: 2019 TCR Australia The Bend Motorsport Park 2 Race 3 Results . 18 May 2021.
  33. Web site: Australia Formula Ford Lap Records . 15 May 2022.
  34. Web site: The Bend Motorsports Park - Round 2 - Horsell Australian Sidecars - Race 2 - Provisional Classification . 26 November 2022 . 22 October 2023.
  35. Web site: The Bend Motorsport Park - Motorcycle Lap Records (Updated After 2021 ASBK) . 12 December 2022.
  36. Web site: Asia Road Racing Championship Round 2 - 2019 - Australia Asia Production 250 Championship - Race 2 - Provisional Classification . 28 April 2019 . 28 October 2022.
  37. Web site: 2023 Victorian & South Australian Rpad Racing Championships - The Bend Motorsports Park - Round 2 - July 8 & 9 - Australian Sidecar Championship - Race 3 - Provisional Classification . 9 July 2023 . 22 October 2023.
  38. Web site: 2018 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 2: The Bend Motorsport Park - Australia: April 19–22 Asia Underbone 150 Championship Race 2 - Provisional Classification . 22 April 2018 . 28 October 2022.
  39. Web site: The Bend Classic >> Classic Open Wheel & F1 - Sprint 4 . 5 September 2020 . 12 December 2022.
  40. Web site: The Bend Motorsport Park’s new West Circuit record is stupidly fast . 8 September 2020 . 12 December 2022.
  41. Web site: 2020 Supercars Championship OTR The Bend Race 1 Statistics . 26 September 2020 . 11 December 2022.

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