The penultimate weekend of October is shaping up to be a massive motorsport extravaganza in South Australia, with The Bend Motorsport Park at the centre of a mammoth event.
Badged as The Bend AutoFest, a mix of national championships and popular South Australian events will make up a bumper schedule from 21-23 October.
Headlining the busy event is the finale for the 2022 Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships, which will see a number of national racing series and championships in action on the world-class international circuit.
Categories such as the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia, Radical Cup Australia, GC Marine Australian Prototype Series, Australian Production Cars and Motorsport Australia GT Championship will all be on show during Shannons’ 2022 season finale.
While there will be some of the finest cars on Australian soil racing on the circuit, fans will also have the opportunity to get up close and personal with a breathtaking collection of GT cars via the GT Festival.
Held inside the circuit’s Welcome Centre, the festival will have up to 20 cars in pristine condition on display for fans to marvel at, with the lineage of GT cars from past to present celebrated.
The other major national drawcard for the AutoFest is the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC), which will see Australia’s best rally drivers contest the Adelaide Hills Rally.
With crews to tackle 180 competitive kilometres over 28 special stages, a large portion of the ARC’s penultimate round for the 2022 season will be held at The Bend - the picturesque shire roads of the Adelaide Hills the other location for the rally.
The Adelaide Hills Rally will conclude at The Bend, with the EROAD Power Stage to commence immediately after the conclusion of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships track activity on Sunday afternoon as a crescendo to the AutoFest.
While there is plenty going on from a national championship standpoint, the weekend will also welcome an event adored by many South Australian car enthusiasts - The Bend Classic.
Having built a reputation as one of the most prestigious events on the state’s motorsport calendar, The Bend Classic sees iconic racing machines of yesteryear up against some of the fastest open-wheelers in the country.
Entries for the event are now being accepted, with Historic F1 & Modern Open Wheel cars and Vintage Group J & K vehicles both accepted.
Click here for more information and to enter The Bend Classic.
Motorsport Australia Director of Motorsport & Commercial Operations Michael Smith was looking forward to what would be a massive weekend.
“It’s quite rare to have multiple major national championships running at the same time and even rarer to have them at the same location,” Smith said.
“There is a lot of work going into this event, and it’s a very exciting prospect to have both Shannons and the ARC both sharing the spotlight at a brilliant circuit such as The Bend.
“Add in a highly popular event like The Bend Classic, and it certainly whets the appetite of all types of motorsport fans. It will be great to see the circuit racing, historic, and rally communities combine, and even work together, under the one event.”
The Bend Managing Director Dr Sam Shahin echoed Smith's thoughts and was proud to have a part in running the event.
“Events such as The Bend AutoFest will form the template for future motorsport events in Australia,” Dr Shahin said.
“The Bend is so proud to be in a position to work alongside Motorsport Australia to put on one of the biggest motorsport festivals this year.”
Photo: Liam Meyer Photography
Click here for more information on the event
For those who can’t make it, or want to watch it from the comfort of home, free broadcast details will be announced in the coming weeks.
The ARC’s EROAD Power Stage will be broadcast live on 7plus.
The Bend AutoFest takes place at The Bend Motorsport Park on 21-23 October.
Click here to purchase tickets