The Bend SuperSprint
| Race Information | |
| Venue | The Bend Motorsport Park |
| Number of times held | 7 |
| First held | 2018 |
| Last held | 2023 |
| Race Format | |
| Race 1 | |
| Laps | 20 |
| Distance | 100 km |
| Race 2 | |
| Laps | 20 |
| Distance | 100 km |
| Race 3 | |
| Laps | 20 |
| Distance | 100 km |
| Last Event (2023) | |
| Overall Winner | |
 Brodie Kostecki |
Erebus Motorsport |
| Race Winners | |
| Brodie Kostecki |
Erebus Motorsport |
| Brodie Kostecki |
Erebus Motorsport |
| Brodie Kostecki |
Erebus Motorsport |
The Bend SuperSprint (known for sponsorship reasons as the OTR SuperSprint – The Bend) was an annual motor racing event for Supercars, held at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend, South Australia from 2018 until 2023.[1] In 2023, it was announced that The Bend 500 endurance race, originally planned for 2020, would replace the event from 2025, with no event held in 2024.[2]
Format
[edit]The event was held over two days, from Saturday to Sunday. On Saturday, two thirty-minute practice sessions, then a three-part knock-out qualifying session were held, for the 100 kilometre race to follow. Sunday features two fifteen-minute qualifying sessions that set the grid for each of the day's two 100 km races.[3]
History
[edit]
The Bend Motorsport Park, the first permanent circuit to be opened in Australia since Queensland Raceway in 1999, signed a memorandum of understanding to host a future Supercars race early in the construction process in 2015.[4] Following final approval from the Government of South Australia, the circuit was added to the 2018 calendar with an August date, the first time the state has held two championship events in a season since Adelaide International Raceway hosted two rounds in 1977.[5][6] The inaugural event was dominated by Triple Eight Race Engineering, with two poles and two race victories shared between Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup.[7] The 2019 event was again dominated by a single team, with DJR Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin winning both races from pole position.[8]
From 2020, the sprint event was due to be replaced on the championship calendar by a new endurance race at the circuit.[9][10] The endurance event was then dropped in a shortened calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] In a further revision to the calendar, caused by border restrictions, a double-header SuperSprint was added to the calendar to be held in September 2020 on consecutive weekends.[2] In the first of the two events the wins were again shared between Triple Eight and DJR Team Penske, with championship combatants McLaughlin and Whincup clashing in the first race of the weekend, resulting in a penalty for Whincup.[12] Fabian Coulthard won the round.
Other than the second 2020 event, all events have run on the 4.9km "International" configuration of the circuit.[13] The second 2020 event used the shorter "West" layout.[14] The event was also open to "wildcard" entries, allowing teams and drivers from the Super2 Series support category to take part in the top tier.[1] McLaughlin winning the second round, and in doing so securing his third consecutive Supercars Championship.[15] In 2021, the event was the only South Australian event following the demise of the Adelaide 500 (the event later returned in 2022).[16] Ford won all three races over the weekend, including Andre Heimgartner's first career win, however Shane van Gisbergen won the round in Holden's final scheduled year in the championship.[17] In 2022, Zak Best, entered as a wildcard, took a pole position for the first race.[18] At the event's final running to date in 2023, Brodie Kostecki won all three races as part of his championship-winning campaign.[19]
Winners
[edit]- Notes
- ^1 – The Bend Motorsport Park hosted two events of the 2020 Supercars Championship. The second event was the only event to date to use the circuit's West layout. All other events have used the International layout.
Multiple winners
[edit]By driver
[edit]| Wins | Driver | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 3 |  Shane van Gisbergen
|
2018, 2021, 2022 |
| 2 | Scott McLaughlin
|
2019, 2020-2 |
By team
[edit]| Wins | Team |
|---|---|
| 3 | DJR Team Penske |
| Triple Eight Race Engineering |
By manufacturer
[edit]| Wins | Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| 3 | Ford |
| Holden |
Event names and sponsors
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Supercars reveals 16 event 2018 calendar". Speedcafe. 4 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ a b Chapman, Simon (30 August 2020). "Supercars confirms double-header at The Bend". Speedcafe. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ Concert, party and new podium boost OTR SuperSprint Supercars 9 August 2023
- ^ Cook, Craig (14 June 2015). "Tailem Bend Motorsport Park: the plan for SA's second V8 race". The Advertiser. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ Bartholomaeus, Stefan (22 June 2017). "SA Government backs Tailem Bend Supercars event". Supercars.com. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ Bartholomaeus, Stefan (8 January 2018). "Tailem Bend buoyed by early ticket sales". Supercars.com. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ Herrero, Daniel (26 August 2018). "Whincup wins, van Gisbergen takes points lead". Speedcafe. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- ^ Herrero, Daniel (25 August 2019). "McLaughlin equals Lowndes with 16th race win of 2019". Speedcafe. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ Bartholomaeus, Stefan (24 August 2019). "The Bend joins 2020 PIRTEK Enduro Cup". Supercars. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ Howard, Tom (28 August 2019). "Supercars drops QR, Phillip Island in revised 2020 calendar". speedcafe.com. Speedcafe. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- ^ "Sandown Takes Traditional Spot on Newly Revised Supercars Calendar". Auto Action. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^ Jenkin, Cara (20 September 2020). "Ford flyer's stunning comeback at The Bend". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ "Bend Motorsport Park confirms Supercars 2018 slot". Speedcafe. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
- ^ O'Brien, Connor (23 September 2020). "Overtaking, carnage tipped for new Bend circuit". Supercars. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ Herrero, Daniel (27 September 2020). "McLaughlin clinches championship as Waters wins Race 30". Speedcafe. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ "Date locked in for 2021 Bend SuperSprint". Supercars. 27 November 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Herrero, Daniel (9 May 2021). "Van Gisbergen does not feel like round winner". Speedcafe. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Herrero, Daniel (30 July 2022). "Wildcard Best takes The Bend Supercars pole position". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ van Leeuwen, Andrew (20 August 2023). "The Bend Supercars: Kostecki completes clean sweep". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 4 October 2024.