The 2023 Australian drag racing calendar has been dealt a major blow with the shock announcement that The Bend Motorsport Park Dragway in rural South Australia will not host rounds of the Burson Auto Parts Top Fuel Championship or 400 Thunder Aeroflow Drag Racing Series that were scheduled for March 2023.

This week they announced that operations will officially commence in March while the Grand Opening and major events won’t happen until October 2023.

Track management has given no reasons for the delay.

The venue was originally expected to host their first meeting, a round of the 400 Thunder Aeroflow Drag Racing Series on January 28-29, 2023.

In September 2022 Bend management said: "The January event was being rescheduled to an unspecified date in March due to weather delays and supply issues."

Top Fuel Australia organizers moved quickly and relocated round five of the Australian Top Fuel Championship, originally scheduled for The Bend, March 11-12, to the Perth Motorplex Westernats meeting on March 4-5.

TFA last raced at the ‘Plex in November 2022 when local hero Damien Harris defeated veteran Phil Lamattina in the final.

Also on the move is the ANDRA Sportsman Grand Finals - originally planned to be held alongside Top Fuel on March 11-12. They will now be held at the Motorplex, still with TF at the  March 4-5. 

The future of the 400 Thunder Aeroflow meeting that was scheduled for March 25-26 is unknown. 

The absence of The Bend for much of 2023 is a major blow to the fortunes of drag racing in Australia.

The (US)$30 million venue, also home to Supercar Racing, is located 50 miles from Adelaide, the Capital of South Australia and 800 miles from Sydney Dragway in New South Wales.  

The first purpose-built drag racing facility built in Australia since Sydney Dragway opened in 2004, is seen as potentially ushering in a new era for the sport and a catalyst in attracting more sponsorship opportunities and spectator numbers.  

In another surprise announcement, ANDRA has revealed that the Australian Nationals at Calder Park, Melbourne, February 4-5 was being canceled.

The one-time jewel in the crown of Oz drag racing CP last hosted the Nationals in 2017 when NHRA racer Dom Lagana, driving for Rapisarda Autosport International, defeated local Darren Morgan in front of a near-capacity crowd.