The Bend Motorsport Park
The Bend Motorsport Park at a glance
- Location
- Tailem Bend, South Australia
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 4.95 km (3.076 mi)
- Turns
- 18
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 2018
- Owner
- Peregrine Corporation
- Phone
- +61 8 8165 5700
- Website
- thebend.com.au
Track map and layout
The Bend was built from scratch on a former Mitsubishi vehicle proving ground and opened in 2018 as Australia's most modern permanent circuit, with a modular design that lets it run several configurations at once. The main International Circuit used for Supercars and Superbikes is 4.950 km over 18 turns, run clockwise, opening with a 90-degree right-hander taken at the highest speed of the lap. Joining every section together produces the 7.770 km, 35-turn GT Circuit, the second-longest permanent racetrack in the world after the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with an aggregate rise and fall of about 85 metres. As a purpose-built venue, The Bend has no historically named corners; its turns are identified by number. It is now also sold commercially as Shell V-Power Motorsport Park under a naming-rights deal struck in 2023, though still widely known as The Bend.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| International Circuit | 4.95 km | Main configuration used for Supercars, Superbikes and national series |
| GT Circuit | 7.77 km | Full 35-turn combined layout; second-longest permanent circuit in the world |
| West Circuit | 3.41 km | Shorter 12-turn layout used for club racing and training |
| East Circuit | 3.93 km | 22-turn layout that can run independently of the West Circuit |
Events and race weekends
The Bend 500 (branded with a title sponsor, most recently the AirTouch 500) is the venue's Supercars Championship round, held in September and reworked from 2026 with a revamped West layout and, for the first time, infield trackside camping in a deliberately NASCAR-style format. The circuit also runs Australian Superbike Championship rounds, GT and sports car racing, and a heavy program of manufacturer launches and driver training given its size and modern facilities; World Superbike has been flagged to visit the venue from 2028.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bend 500 / AirTouch 500 | Supercars Championship | September | Run on a version of the West/International layout; from 2026 features infield trackside camping |
| Australian Superbike Championship round | ASBK | varies | National superbike round on the International Circuit |
Getting there and parking
The Bend sits at Tailem Bend, about 100 km south-east of Adelaide, roughly an hour to an hour and a quarter's drive via the South Eastern Freeway and Dukes Highway. Adelaide Airport is the nearest major airport; there is no rail service to the venue, so visitors drive or use event shuttle/coach services laid on for the Supercars weekend.
- Adelaide Airport (ADL) · about 80 min drive
Parking
General on-site parking is included with standard event tickets; for the Supercars round additional shuttle and Park 'n' View options are sold, and organisers advise arriving early on the Dukes Highway approach on peak days.
Because The Bend has its own hotel and campgrounds on site, many visitors treat a race weekend here as a stay-at-the-venue trip rather than a day drive from Adelaide.
Hotels and camping near The Bend Motorsport Park
The Bend is unusual among Australian circuits in having accommodation built into the venue itself: the 100-room Rydges Pit Lane Hotel sits directly behind the pit building, putting guests literally trackside. For bigger events the venue also opens the Northern Apex and Horizon campgrounds and The Bend Holiday Park, and from 2026 added infield trackside camping for the Supercars round; visitors who prefer a town base generally stay in Tailem Bend itself or make the drive out from Adelaide.
Where to look
The on-site Rydges Pit Lane Hotel is the standout option for staying right at the circuit; the town of Tailem Bend has additional motel-style accommodation, with a wider range available back in Adelaide for those happy to commute.
Camping
Northern Apex Campground and Horizon Camp Ground offer powered and unpowered sites for major events, supplemented for the 2026 Supercars round by infield trackside camping and premium glamping-style tents on Pit Straight.
RV
Powered sites suitable for caravans and RVs are available at the Northern Apex and Horizon campgrounds and at The Bend Holiday Park, which operates year-round independent of race events.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
The Bend runs an extensive commercial experiences program covering both passenger hot laps and self-drive sessions, from entry-level hot laps in V8 race cars to drives in performance road cars and single-seaters, bookable directly through the venue. Corporate and group track day hire is also available across the various circuit configurations.
Who runs days here
Typical cost: Passenger hot laps from around A$199 (V8 Holden/rally car) up to A$349 (Formula car, Radical SR3); self-drive experiences from around A$329-349 for a short multi-lap session
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 3 | 1:40.7295 | John Magro | Dallara F308 | 2019 |
| Supercars Championship | 1:49.4042 | David Reynolds | Holden ZB Commodore | 2019 |
| Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) | 1:50.035 | Cru Halliday | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 2025 |
Spectator guide
The Bend's pit building and main grandstands overlook a wide, purpose-built pit straight and Turn 1, giving clear views of standing starts and the first, fastest braking zone of the lap. Because the facility is so large, many other vantage points around the International and West circuits are used for general admission viewing depending on the event and layout in use that weekend.
Seating
Grandstands line the pit straight opposite the 300 m pit building; general-admission viewing mounds are set up elsewhere around the layout for major events.
Best places to watch
The pit straight and Turn 1 give the clearest view of starts and the biggest braking zone; elevated general-admission areas on the West layout are popular for watching cars carry speed through the faster middle sector.
Weather
- September (Supercars round): South Australian early-spring conditions, typically mild with highs around 18-20°C but with a real chance of a cold front and rain moving through
History of The Bend Motorsport Park
Built on a proving ground
The Bend was developed by the Adelaide-based Peregrine Corporation on the site of a former Mitsubishi Motors vehicle proving ground at Tailem Bend, about 100 km south-east of Adelaide. Construction began in March 2016 as part of a reported investment of over A$100 million, and the venue opened in stages from January 2018, with the full circuit complex operational later that year.
A modern, modular design
Unlike Australia's older circuits, The Bend was designed from the outset around interchangeable configurations rather than one fixed lap. The West and East circuits can run independently or be joined with connecting sections to form the International Circuit used for Supercars and Superbikes, or the full 7.770 km GT Circuit, the second-longest permanent racetrack in the world behind the Nürburgring Nordschleife. A 300-metre pit building with 34 garages and the on-site Rydges Pit Lane Hotel, opened in 2019, gave the venue facilities on a scale not previously seen at an Australian circuit.
Supercars, sponsorship and the present day
Supercars first raced at The Bend in 2019 and the venue has hosted a round most years since, evolving into today's Bend 500/AirTouch 500 with a reworked layout and, from 2026, infield trackside camping aimed at recreating a NASCAR-style stay-and-watch atmosphere. In August 2023 the circuit's naming rights were sold, and it now trades commercially as Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, although The Bend remains its best-known name. With World Superbike flagged to visit from 2028, the venue continues to add major international dates to a calendar built mostly around Supercars, national superbike racing and a large commercial driving-experience business.
Frequently asked questions
How long is The Bend Motorsport Park?+
The main International Circuit used for Supercars is 4.950 km (3.076 mi) with 18 turns; the full GT Circuit, joining every section together, is 7.770 km (4.828 mi) with 35 turns.
Is The Bend the same as Shell V-Power Motorsport Park?+
Yes. The venue sold its naming rights in 2023 and is now marketed as Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, but it opened in 2018 as The Bend and is still commonly called by that name.
Does The Bend have its own hotel?+
Yes, the 100-room Rydges Pit Lane Hotel sits directly behind the pit building, making it one of the only Australian circuits with purpose-built accommodation on site.
Can the public drive The Bend?+
Yes, through the venue's own commercial Experiences program, which offers passenger hot laps and self-drive sessions in a range of cars, plus corporate and club track day hire.
Is there camping at The Bend for Supercars weekends?+
Yes. The Northern Apex and Horizon campgrounds and The Bend Holiday Park operate for major events, and from 2026 the venue added infield trackside camping and premium tents for the Supercars round.
What is the Supercars lap record at The Bend?+
1:49.4042, set by David Reynolds in a Holden ZB Commodore in 2019 on the International Circuit.
Other tracks nearby
- Adelaide Parklands Street Circuit · 92 km · street circuit
- Adelaide International Raceway · 110 km · road course & oval
- Mallala Motor Sport Park · 136 km · road course
- Calder Park Raceway · 537 km · road course & oval (Thunderdome dormant)
- Albert Park Circuit · 563 km · street circuit
- Sandown International Motor Raceway · 583 km · road course
Facts checked against 5 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.