Key Facts:
Full program for AirTouch 500 at the Bend announced
Richard Craill & Garth Tander share their views leading into the opening round of the Enduro Cup
Supercars Unlocked at The Bend — unrivalled access all weekend
4 August 2026: Supercars’ endurance season opens this September, with the road to Bathurst starting at The Bend, with Shell V-Power Motorsport Park today confirming the full program for the opening round of the Enduro Cup.
Contested across two rounds at The Bend and Bathurst, the Enduro Cup offers important championship points that can reshape the leaderboard heading into the finals.
Barossa broadcaster Richard Craill said the round carried more championship weight than fans may expect.
“The road to Bathurst starts at The Bend and it’s a hugely important weekend in both the context of the championship, as a key lead-in event to the finals, and as the opening round of the Ryco Enduro Cup.
“Get it right and you’re set for the title fight, but get it wrong, and the upsets will start in South Australia – and could be felt for the remainder of the season.”
Bathurst winner and former Supercars champion Garth Tander said the co-drivers had the most to prove, with the season’s driver combinations racing together for the first time.
“The Bend is where co-drivers earn their stripes. It’s the first time these combinations race under real enduro pressure, and for a lot of them it’s their only hit-out against the main-game drivers before Bathurst. A quick co-driver can win you the Championship.”
The 500km race forces every team through compulsory pit stops and a driver change, handing each co-driver a race-defining stint behind the wheel. On the shorter 3.41km West Circuit, tighter laps bring more traffic, narrower strategy windows and a higher chance of a safety car — the variables that decide endurance races.
“Endurance racing is won in the details,” Tander said. “The pit stops, the driver changes, when you run your co-driver, how you play the fuel and tyres. One slow stop, or a safety car at the wrong moment, flips the whole race. The West Circuit compresses all of it, and track position becomes everything.”
Supercars headline a full weekend of racing across Friday to Sunday, supported by Porsche Carrera Cup, Touring Car Masters, Trans Am, Aussie Racing Cars and the Australian Prototype Series, with Micro Speedway closing out the entertainment. The 500km enduro runs on Sunday 13 September across 147 laps.
Fans are moving early to be part of it. Almost 75% of the camping precinct is booked, the new infield campground on pit straight is filling fast, and just three of the nine premium glamping tents remain. Park ‘n’ View sites let fans park up close to the action and enjoy the comforts of their own car — perfect for the whole family.
Shell V-Power Motorsport Park Managing Director Dr Sam Shahin made no apologies for the venue’s ambitions.
“The focus this year is on making sure every visitor of The Bend creates a memory. We would have done our job if everyone’s wearing a smile on their face at the end of each day in what promises to be an epic event. Some will leave heroes, others villains. In years to come, everyone will hopefully look back and fondly recall that they were there when The Bend sat on a pedestal alongside Bathurst as the only two venues that are part of the Endurance Series. I am very proud of that.”
The AirTouch 500 at The Bend runs from 11–13 September 2026 at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park as the opening round of the Ryco Enduro Cup in the Repco Supercars Championship. Camping, grandstand and General Admission from $39 — children under four free — are on sale now at thebend.com.au.
