WorldSBK has confirmed that The Bend will host the Australian Round from 2028 under a multi-year agreement, moving the championship into a new South Australian chapter.
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship said Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend will join the calendar from the championship’s 41st season onwards. The venue, based at Tailem Bend in South Australia, replaces the long-running Phillip Island setting for the Australian round and gives the series a new home after decades of history in the country.
According to the official WorldSBK announcement, further details on dates and ticketing for the inaugural The Bend event will be announced in due course.
The Bend deal shifts Australia’s WorldSBK centre of gravity
The move matters because Australia has been part of the WorldSBK story since 1990, producing major riders, early-season drama and one of the championship’s most recognisable stops. The Bend now gets the task of building its own identity around production-based world championship racing.
Dr Sam Shahin, managing director of Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, called the deal a historic day for South Australian motorsport, while South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said it strengthened the state’s claim as Australia’s motorsport capital.
For WorldSBK, the decision gives manufacturers, teams and riders a modern facility with multiple circuit configurations and a government-backed events strategy around it. For Australian fans, it marks the start of a new era and the end of a familiar one.
