The Bend Added for 2019-20 Season in Australian Debut

Photo: Asian Le Mans Series

The Asian Le Mans Series will visit Australia for the first time next year, with a race at The Bend Motorsport Park added to the 2019-20 schedule.

It will use the full 7.77 km configuration of the circuit, which is the second longest permanent race track in the world after the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The track is located in South Australia, 60 miles south-east of Adelaide.

“We had been considering an expansion into Australia for quite some time, but we needed to find the right opportunity,” explained Asian LMS managing director Cyrille Taesch Wahlen.

“I visited the Bend last year and was blown away by the high standard of the track and the facilities. This, along with the enthusiasm being shown by the circuit management team, made it an easy decision.

“The feedback from our teams and drivers about the possibility of a trip to Australia was also widely positive – we already have many drivers, engineers and other support crews from Australia!

“Not only it is a very exciting project, it also has the potential to be a really great event and it will be a very nice addition to the Asian Le Mans Series calendar.’’

While a date hasn’t been set for the race, it is expected to take place in early 2020, towards the end of the 2019-20 season.

“The Asian Le Mans Series is the pinnacle of international endurance racing, and we are very excited and proud to bring the event to Australia and to continue to showcase Tailem Bend and the surrounding region to the world,” said The Bend managing director Sam Shahin.

“The vision for The Bend Motorsport Park, is to be a world-class facility which hosts international standard events of the highest calibre.

“Last year with 40,000+ fans attending the inaugural Supercars event, we took a big step forward in establishing our credentials.

“To be hosting this event in our third year of operation is a testament to the project, and an indication that our ambition has no boundaries.”

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.