news: The Bend finalises Supercars supports

GT World Challenge Australia is among the support category line-up at The Bend’s Supercars event

The Bend has finalised the support category programme for May’s OTR SuperSprint.

The undercard for the fourth event of this year’s Repco Supercars Championship will consist of the first ever V8 SuperUtes round, Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS, Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia, and Group N Historic Touring Cars.

V8 SuperUtes is building to a field in the mid-teens while GT World Challenge Australia kicked off last weekend at Phillip Island and Carrera Cup’s season begins this weekend at Sandown.

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In terms of Historic Touring Cars, more than 35 expressions of interest have been received from potential competitors for Tailem Bend’s Supercars event.

The Bend organisers have also teased the prospect of “more things to see and do when the cars aren’t on the circuit” as well as new spectator areas, with details to be announced.

“The OTR SuperSprint at The Bend Motorsport Park will be the biggest motorsport event in South Australia this year, so it needed an on-track programme to match,” said the facility’s managing director, Sam Shahin.

“In Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia and the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS, The Bend has attracted the two premier internationally-based GT racing series in the country to race this year.

“The intensity of the one-make Carrera Cup racing and the incredible supercars of GT World Challenge will be perfectly suited to The Bend’s 4.9km International Circuit.

“It’s exciting to see a new era for SuperUte racing start at The Bend – a race in the stunning South Australian countryside the perfect place for V8-Powered Utes to strut their stuff.

“Finally, we have been blown away by the interest from Historic Touring Car (Group N) competitors who want to demonstrate their beautiful cars at The Bend this year – there will be a massive field and great racing from them.”

The Bend hosted two Supercars events last year, on consecutive weekends in September, with a support programme created to maximise entries during a time of various border restrictions.

Among the categories was Tin Tops, which also featured at last year’s Bathurst 1000 and has now been announced as returning for next month’s Symmons Plains Supercars event.