Australia’s first new permanent circuit for almost two decades is taking shape as the construction of The Bend Motorsport Park reaches its next phase.
The state-of-the-art $100 million facility located at Tailem Bend, South Australia will feature an FIA grade 2 circuit including four different layouts.
Privately funded by the Peregrine Corporation, the complex will include a 50 room hotel complex and facilities to host drifting, karting, rallycross and a bespoke off road training park.
The venue is on course to be opened in January next year and is expected to host a round of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship in August.
The first major event will be a 24 hour cycling race on January 13.
Having now prepared the base for the 7.7km circuit, bitumen is set to be laid next month.
Construction of the pit buildings is also progressing with the framework close to being completed.
“It is looking good, we might be one or two weeks behind because of weather as we have had a bit of rain,” Paul Trengove, motorsport development operations manager told Speedcafe.com.
“There is nothing to be concerned about, we are pretty much on track.
“It has been going fairly well and people are seeing the progress happening which is good.
“The majority of the base prep has been completed for the circuit. All the barriers and run off have been prepared.
“There are just a few more weeks of earthworks there and we are looking to September for the bitumen to be laid.
“The pit building is just about to top out. There are four levels in the middle of the pit building which will where our welcome centre and members lounge and some corporate suites is located
“The right wing and left wing have had the walls go up. On one side is the hotel and on the other side is more corporate rooms and race control.
“It is exciting. Each time I go out there the track becomes more and more defined.
“The cambers and where the spectators will be watching from the viewing mounds are there, it is really starting to look like a motor racing circuit now which is great.”
The circuit’s 4×4 training park looks set to be the first part of the project to be completed, with Trengove hopeful it will be in use before the end of the year.
“The 4×4 training adventure course is something we wanted to do to ensure the motorsport park brings in as many different people to the site as possible,” he said.
“We are hoping that facility becomes a feature in its own right and gets people from the city and nearby areas to test their 4×4 vehicles.
“It is not far away from being completed. We are only about two or three weeks away from that being finished.”
Designs for the circuit’s drifting, karting and rallycross facility have been drawn up with a contractor set to be appointed to carry out the construction.
“We have had all the engineering designs completed for the stadium circuit which is the drift, karts and rallycross element,” he added.
“That is out for tender at the moment. Once a contractor has been appointed that will be an immediate start.
“Our hope was to have it done by the end of the year, but that may get pushed out a bit, but no later than the first quarter of next year.”
The organisation plans to maintain the 2.6km circuit in its current guise until the end of the year while identifying improvements aimed to bring national level motorsport back to the venue.
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