Shannons Nationals Series, South Australia

Story by Vince Johnson
Photos by Vince Johnson and John Lemm

There were quite a few firsts recorded at the opening round of the 2018 Shannons Nationals Series in South Australia recently, with lap records set in every category. The town of Tailem Bend lies alongside the River Murray, the continent’s longest waterway, a hundred kilometers south-east of the state capital, Adelaide. Last century Mitsubishi Motors Australia had established their road car proving ground nearby and it was earmarked in the early 2000’s for upgrades, including a high-speed oval. But sales woes had put paid to that. Fast-forward to 2016 and years of planning by the state’s largest private company, Peregrine Corporation, saw construction start on The Bend Motorsport Park.

The complex is Australia’s, and possibly the world’s, newest multi-use motorsport center and is the only circuit in the country to receive FIA Grade 2 and FIM Category A approval. The eight racing circuit configurations vary in length from 3.4km to 7.7km, making it the second-longest permanent racetrack in the world, behind Germany’s Nordschleife. In addition, its design includes precincts for Drift, Kart, Rallycross, International Group 1 Dragway, Rally & Off-road and a 4WD Adventure Park. A 100-room hotel with private balconies and racetrack views already has half of its rooms open, with the remainder available mid-year. Ongoing development includes trackside villas and premium garages, a 40-hectare business park and an airstrip.

As this was The Bend’s first race meeting, inaugural lap records were there for the taking in each of the seven categories. After the hottest April on record, the heavens opened for Friday’s practice and qualifying. Saturday saw the wind gusts continue, with airborne sand a problem on the smooth track surface. Thankfully conditions improved greatly on Sunday.

Competitors in the CAMS* Australian GT Endurance Championship had a test day on Thursday. Unfortunately the sole Ferrari of the field, a 488GT3 with John Bowe at the wheel, suffered damage to the left front in a high-speed corner and had to be withdrawn. Saturday’s weather played havoc with grip and visibility, causing the afternoon’s planned one-hour race to be downgraded to half-hour practice sessions on the 4.95km International Circuit. Sunday’s race became an extended 2 hour 40 minute enduro. Max Twigg and Tony D’Alberto had put their Mercedes AMG GT3 on pole and they dominated the race for lengthy periods, before sharing the podium with Liam Talbot/John Martin (Porsche 911 GT3-R) and Steve Richards/Michael Almond (BMW M6 GT3). The two remaining Italians, the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 of Adrian Deitz/Cameron McConville and Jim Manolios/Dean Canto’s similar car came home 8th and 13th.

In the National Sports Sedan Series things looked better for the Italians. West Australian Tony Ricciardello has been racing his 26 year-old Alfa Romeo GTV since 1998 with father Basil as Team Manager, winning the Championship that year and nine more times since. The 6-liter Chev-engined Alfa is built for power and speed, similar to the US Trans Am cars, and he has finished in the top three each year he has contested the category. After taking a break last year following his 10th title, Tony’s reputation continued in the weekend’s three races with him coming home in 3rd, 2nd and 1st place and taking out the points for a round victory.

Italians also figured in Group S. Fresh from their outings at Phillip Island were the Alfas of South Australians Peter Axford (1964 Giulia Sprint GT) and Dale Ashby (1974 Montreal) and New South Welshman Colin Wilson-Brown (1970 GTV 1750). Hopes were up when race 1 went to the 1973 De Tomaso Pantera GTS of Rusty French who also took 2nd in Sunday’s race 3. However the points leader after race 4 justifiably was Wayne Seabrook (1976 Porsche 911 Carrera) with three race victories. In the Historic Touring Cars category the laurels went to Jack Le Brocq, 1992 Ford Sierra, while the sole Italian, Richard Magoffin’s 1972 Alfa GTV, enjoyed a close tussle with Neville Butler’s 1984 Ford Escort Mk 2 in race 4.

With two wins from the three Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge races, Max Vidau took the first round points from race 1 winner Cooper Murray. In the ProAm class, victory went to The Bend Motorsport Park’s Managing Director Sam Shahin. Races in the Australian Prototypes and the Radical Australian Cup were hotly contested, round victories going to Peter Paddon and Chris Perini.

While the Italians were evident at ground level, there was a French connection a little higher up. Performing spectacular aerobatics during the weekend was VH ZKZ, a 2000-built Mudry CAP-232 single-seater that gave spectators a bird’s eye view as it took off along the 1km start-finish straight. More sedately on display in the Welcome Centre’s foyer, complementing an impressive line-up of Porsches, was 1983 Le Mans winner Vern Schuppan’s 1948 Lago Talbot T26 (#110002) and the ex-Bridgestone & National Motor Museum of Australia Ferrari F2004 Formula 1 show car (#F2004 R5)

Upcoming events in the pipeline for The Bend include GT Sprints and rounds of the Australian Superbikes, Asia Road Racing and Supercars Championships and there are more national and international race meetings on the way. South Australia’s summer dryness has finally broken and it won’t be long before the vegetation takes hold. Expect to see those lap records shrink as this world-class motorsport facility establishes a reputation as creditable as the forward thinking that went into its creation.

*CAMS: Confederation of Australian Motor Sport

More photos of the Hybrid Alfa below!

Click here for full results

For more information about The Bend..