A racetrack in the middle of nowhere: what awaits the Superbike World Championship at ‘The Bend’

The news that Phillip Island will no longer feature on the World Superbike Championship calendar from 2028 onwards, and that races will instead be held at The Bend, came as a surprise to many fans. The contract with The Bend has been signed for five years.

Officially known as the ‘Shell V-Power Motorsport Park’, it was built on the site of a former Mitsubishi test track, 100 km south-east of Adelaide. Following a three-year construction period, the facility opened in 2018. The Australian Superbike Series has been held at The Bend since its inaugural season. 

The circuit offers a total of eight different layouts. The ‘International Circuit’ has a length of 4.95 km – suitable for the Superbike World Championship – with an elevation difference of 85 metres. The longest variant measures 7.77 km, the shortest 3.41 km. Racing takes place in a clockwise direction. Safety is not an issue: The Bend has Grade A homologation from the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), which qualifies it to host MotoGP.

The circuit is located in the middle of nowhere.

Tayla Relph

You’ll look in vain for any similarities with Phillip Island – the track layout is modelled on international circuits, says Tayla Relph. The 29-year-old works as a press officer at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, but she is also an outstanding motorcyclist and competes in the Women’s World Championship. The Australian knows The Bend inside out; that’s where she carries out all her World Championship preparation on her Yamaha R7.

“The track is in the middle of nowhere,” laughed Tayla. “Even more so than Phillip Island. When you’re driving there, you’re convinced for ages that there’s definitely no race track. And then suddenly you see this huge building and the massive infrastructure surrounding it. Accommodation is a bit of a problem, but it’s no different to Cremona, where many riders have to travel 30 minutes or more. It’s not impossible; other circuits in Europe have the same conditions. Personally, I love The Bend; the track is fun and technically very demanding. Of all the race tracks in Australia, The Bend is the most similar to a proper circuit in Europe. The Bend reminds me a bit of Portimão, even if the track isn’t quite as extreme. It offers plenty of racing spectacle, and there are grandstands for the fans. It’s a big track with 18 corners.”

Relph argues in favour of giving The Bend a chance. “Whenever a new circuit is added to the World Championship calendar, people are sceptical and it takes a few years,” Relph noted. “I don’t know how many spectators will turn up, but I expect there’ll be more because it’s something new. Everyone loves coming to Phillip Island; people also come for the scenery. The Bend, on the other hand, offers a new and amazing circuit. I’d think it would be great if both circuits were used. Both are world-class venues for different reasons. The Superbike World Championship is almost a European championship; the teams spend a great deal of money flying to Australia for a single event. Why not race at both circuits? The spectators come from different regions.”