TCR World Tour coming to The Bend
The TCR World Tour will return to Australia at The Bend Motorsport Park when the Supercars come to town for the 500km enduro next year.
The September 12-14 weekend in 2025 was always a big one for the South Australian venue as it hosts the famous pre-Bathurst 500km enduro for the first time.
But in addition to Supercars, the worlds best TCR drivers and teams will also be returning to Australia at The Bend.
The TCR World Tour will headline the supports across the weekend and host its first Australian based round since 2023 when SMP and Bathurst hosted a double header.
The category was supposed to return to the same circuits this year, but WSC Group announced it would not return due to “issues that are delaying international deliveries around the globe in 2024.”
But both the TCR World Tour and Australia drivers will be racing together again at The Bend.
In addition to seeing the World Tour return, it confirms the first piece of the 2025 TCR Australia.
With SRO taking over the national circuit racing championship, the 2025 TCR Australia season could be significantly different with rounds not exclusively limited to the SpeedSeries platform.
Drivers such as Tony D’Alberto believe TCR needs Supercars to lift its profile, and ARG has been pushing to do just that.
It was believed the 2025 TCR Australia calendar could start at the Sydney Supercars opener before Race Tasmania, the Bathurst 6 Hour, plus Supercars events at Wanneroo, Townsville and The Bend.
After being predicted by AUTO ACTION in early September, the first part has been confirmed at the South Australian circuit.
Up to 30 cars can be expected with the TCR Australia and World Tour categories to race side by side.
“We are delighted to bring the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour back to Australia next year, especially now that the World Tour has been granted the FIA status,” said President of WSC, Promoter of the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Marcello Lotti
“Our previous visit in 2023, with the two joint events with TCR Australia at Sydney Motorsport Park and Bathurst, was incredibly successful.
“We delivered some spectacular races, with the international Touring Car stars facing strong competition from their Australian colleagues, as it was proved by Ben Bargwanna’s pole position and Will Brown’s double victory at Sydney and by the podium finishes of Tony D’Alberto and Aaron Cameron in Bathurst.
“We are all very much looking forward to race together with TCR Australia at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend in September 2025,” he said.
After missing out on Supercars for the first time since the track opened in 2018 this year, Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend CEO Alistair MacDonald cannot wait for a big weekend.
“We have never been more determined to put on one of the best Supercars events on the calendar then we are for 2025,” he said.
“After the year off we are poised, having now locked in the endurance format, which is not only a point of difference, but it will allow us to cement ourselves as a 3-day trackside camping festival in the lead up to Bathurst.
“We will have over 2500 people camping here next weekend for The Bend Classic, so we are ready and waiting to expand this offering alongside Supercars and the TCR World Tour in September of 2025.
“General Admission and select premium tickets are now on-sale to the general public while our past campers will have 2 weeks from today to lock in their previous site. We will release camping to the public on November 2nd.”
Possible 2025 TCR Australia calendar
Round 1: SMP February (Supercars)
Round 2: Race Tasmania March (ARG)
Round 3: Bathurst 6 Hour April (ARG)
Round 4: Wanneroo June (Supercars)
Round 5: Townsville July (Supercars)
Round 6: The Bend September 12-14 (Supercars) CONFIRMED
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