The Bend Motorsport Park, currently known as Shell V-Power Motorsport Park for naming rights reasons, is a 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.
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, and it is also one of only two Australian race tracks along with the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (which hosts the annual Australian MotoGP and Superbike World Championship (WSBK) rounds), 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 which had lay dormant since Mitsubishi ceased their Australian production in 2008 with the closure of their Adelaide manufacturing plant at Tonsley and their engine plant at Lonsdale.Tailem Motorsport Park master plan revealed Murray Valley Standard 4 February 2015 Approval was granted in May 2015Tailem Bend track redevelopment gets green light ABC News 21 Mat 2015 with construction commencing in March 2016.Construction underway at SA Motorsport Park Speedcafe 25 March 2016 Initially titled the South Australian Motorsport Park, by the time construction commenced, The Bend Motorsport Park name had been adopted.The Bend Motorsport Park:Tailem Bend raceway, former SA Motorsport Park and Mitsibushi test track, has new official name Murray Valley Standard 8 March 2016
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. and
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.SA Motorsport Park targets MotoGP race Speedcafe 8 February 2016
On 4–14 January 2019, the circuit hosted the 25th Australian Scout Jamboree.AJ2019 - A New (12 Day) Township for South Australia Scouts Australia 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 would 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 would held a doubleheader in late September.
Sam Shahin also offered up the facility for Hotel Quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this was not taken up by the South Australian Government.
Facilities
International Circuit Length: Used for majority of events including Supercars, Superbikes and national series events, through to state racing, club racing and track hire
GT Circuit Length: The Bend's GT Circuit is used for endurance racing, specialist racing events, private hire and test days. It is the longest motor racing circuit in Australia since the closure of the Longford Circuit in Tasmania in 1968.
At long, the 35 turn GT Circuit is the second longest permanent race track in the world behind only the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany which is long. It is also one of only 4 permanent race circuits in the world with an official length of at least , the others being the 154 turn Nürburgring, the , 23 turn Burt Brothers Motorpark (formerly known as the Utah Motorsports Campus and Miller Motorsports Park) in the USA, and the , 20 turn Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
The circuit hosted a four-hour Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS) event in January 2020 called the 4 Hours of The Bend. Unfortunately it has proven to be a one off race as the planned return of the ALMS did not eventuate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was announced that the ALMS would return in 2021–22 and 2022–23, but the global pandemic and a change in series focus to an annual series, plus cutting costs for the teams (including travel), has seen that to date (2025), the ALMS has not returned to Australia or The Bend.
West Circuit Length: 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 Will be used for The Bend 500 in 2026
East Circuit Length: Used for driver/rider training, drifting, testing, club days, private days Can be used independently from the West CircuitThe Circuit South Australia Motorsport Park
West PLUS Circuit Length:
Sprint Circuit Length:
Southwest Circuit Length:
North Circuit Length:
Karting Circuit Length:
Drag Strip Length:
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 in total length by 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 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.
Layout configurations
Events
Current
March: Australian Formula Ford Championship, TA2 Racing Muscle Car Series, Australian Drivers' Championship May: GT World Challenge Australia Race Tailem Bend, Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia, Ferrari Challenge Australasia, GT4 Australia Series, Australian Superbike Championship, Radical Cup Australia, Mustang Cup Australia June: CERA Excel Nationals July: AU4 Australian Championship August: AU4 Australian Championship September: Supercars Championship The Bend 500, Australian National Trans-Am Series, Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship, Aussie Racing Cars, Touring Car Masters October: National Sports Sedan Series, The Bend Classic November: Australian Superbike Championship
Future
Superbike World Championship (2028) Supersport World Championship (2028)
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 Production Car Championship (2019, 2021–2024) Australian Prototype Series (2018–2019, 2022–2025) Australian Superkart Championship (2019, 2021–2024) Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia (2023–2024) S5000 Australian Drivers' Championship (2019, 2023) Super3 Series (2018–2019) Supercars Championship The Bend SuperSprint (2018–2023) SuperUtes Series (2022–2023) TCR Australia Touring Car Series (2019, 2024–2025) TCR World Tour (2025) Toyota 86 Racing Series (2018, 2023)
Lap records
As of September 2025, the fastest official lap for the GT Circuit was set in qualifying for the 4 Hours of The Bend by British driver Ben Barnicoat who took pole position in a Dallara P217 LMP2 with a time of 2:35.698. The circuit's official lap record, set during the 4 Hours of The Bend race, is 2:38.673 by New Zealand's Aidan Read driving a Ligier JS P217 LMP2.
As of September 2026, the fastest official race lap records at The Bend Motorsport Park are listed as:
Category Time Driver Vehicle Date GT Circuit (2018–present): LMP2 2:38.673 Aidan Read Ligier JS P217 12 January 2020 LMP3 2:51.692 David Fumanelli Ligier JS P3 12 January 2020 GT3 2:56.990 Alessandro Pier Guidi Ferrari 488 GT3 12 January 2020 CN 3:00.3237 Mark Short Prince LSR 24 November 2024 Production Cars 3:45.671 Keith Wong Honda Integra DC5 12 January 2020 International Circuit (2018–present): Formula Three 1:40.7295 John Magro Dallara F308 23 June 2019 S5000 1:41.2560 Thomas Randle Ligier JS F3-S5000 16 November 2019 GT3 1:45.6607 Jamie Whincup Mercedes-AMG GT3 13 July 2019 Superkart 1:46.6960 Jordan Ford Anderson Maverick 10 April 2021 Sports Sedans 1:47.0564 Jordan Caruso Audi A4-Chevrolet 31 July 2022 Group CN 1:47.1031 Mark Laucke Wolf GB08 Tornado 18 September 2021 Lamborghini Super Trofeo 1:48.3219 Jonathan Cecotto Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 11 June 2023 Toyota Racing Series 1:49.2963 Christopher Slusarski Tatuus FT-50 10 June 2023 Supercars 1:49.4042 David Reynolds Holden ZB Commodore 24 August 2019 Formula 4 1:49.8767 James Piszcyk Tatuus F4-T421 5 May 2024 Radical Cup 1:49.886 Isaac McNeill Radical RSX 1500 3 May 2026 Superbike 1:50.035 Cru Halliday Ducati Panigale V4 R 9 November 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup 1:50.7966 Jordan Love Porsche 911 (991 II) GT3 Cup 25 August 2019 Ferrari Challenge 1:51.3360 Enzo Cheng Ferrari 296 Challenge 6 September 2025 Supersport 1:53.724 Archie McDonald Yamaha YZF-R6 9 November 2025 Trans-Am Australia 1:54.9677 Nathan Herne Ford Mustang Trans-Am 13 September 2025 GT4 1:56.2054 Jobe Stewart Audi R8 LMS GT4 Evo 10 May 2026 TCR Touring Car 1:56.4810 Mikel Azcona Hyundai Elantra N TCR 13 September 2025 Formula Ford 1:57.5339 Angelo Mouzouris Mygale SJ18A 23 June 2019 Mustang Cup 1:59.9080 Josh Anderson Ford Mustang Dark Horse R 10 May 2026 Improved Production Cars 2:00.2456 Adam Poole Holden Monaro 25 May 2024 Touring Car Masters 2:00.2787 Joel Heinrich Chevrolet Camaro RS 24 November 2024 Sidecar F1 2:04.715 Corey Turner/Danyon Turner LCR-Suzuki GSXR-1000 1 March 2025 Aussie Racing Cars 2:05.3605 Joel Heinrich Chevrolet Camaro 14 September 2025 Asia Production 250 2:07.170 Muklada Sarapuech Honda CBR250RR 28 April 2019 Supersport 300 2:08.775 Jordan Simpson Yamaha YZF-R3 10 November 2024 Sidecar F2 2:09.347 Jamie Crass/Lee Menzies Windle-Suzuki GSXR-600 16 March 2024 SuperUtes 2:10.8731 David Sieders Mazda BT-50 20 August 2023 Toyota 86 Racing Series 2:15.3067 Jayden Wanzek Toyota 86 26 May 2024 Asia Underbone 150 2:16.894 Md Helmi Azman Yamaha MX King 150 22 April 2018 Oceania Junior Cup 2:29.820 Valentino Knezovic Yamaha YZF-R15 3 December 2023 West Circuit (2018–present): Formula One 1:10.085 Josh Kean Footwork FA15 5 September 2020 GT3 1:14.9167 Jaxon Evans Ferrari 296 GT3 2 June 2024 Sports Sedans 1:15.5004 Thomas Randle Saab 9-3-Chevrolet 2 June 2024 CN 1:15.5157 Jason Makris Wolf F1 Extreme 13 September 2026 Supercars 1:16.2224 Shane van Gisbergen Holden ZB Commodore 26 September 2020 Formula 4 1:17.6540 Marco Manson Tatuus F4-T421 18 July 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup 1:17.7675 Harri Jones Porsche 911 (992 I) GT3 Cup 12 September 2026 Trans-Am Australia 1:20.6785 Jordan Boys Ford Mustang Trans-Am 2 June 2024 GT4 1:21.7144 Jason Yu McLaren Artura GT4 2 June 2024 TCR Touring Car 1:22.7478 Josh Buchan Hyundai Elantra N TCR 2 June 2024 Touring Car Masters 1:24.3406 Steve Johnson Ford Mustang Trans-Am 13 September 2026 Production Cars 1:26.3355 Grant Sherrin BMW M4 (F82) 1 June 2024 Improved Production Cars 1:26.5584 Scott Cook Nissan Silvia S13 16 May 2021 Aussie Racing Cars 1:28.5636 Diesel Thomas Chevrolet Camaro 13 September 2026
Notes
References