Port Stars confirmed for Drag Race at The Bend on Gather Round weekend

The Bend has announced today that Port Adelaide footballers Charlie Dixon and Lachie Jones will face off in an exhibition Drag Race two days after their Friday Night Gather Round Clash against Essendon.  

As part of the April 5-7 Riverbend Nationals the pair of self-confessed ‘rev heads’ will attend The Dragway at The Bend on Sunday April 7th for not only their first experience of 500KMH Top Fuel Drag Racing but to duke it out in a drag race in front of another bumper crowd ahead of the second Round of Top Fuel finals on Sunday afternoon. 

The pair’s addition to the event adds further to the return of Top Fuel for the first time since the ‘Kings of Drag Racing’ competed in front of a sold-out crowd of over 22,000 people on the venue’s opening day in October. 

Charlie Dixon and Lachie Jones will witness the fastest accelerating machines on earth for the first time at 11AM on Sunday 7 April before taking to the track themselves at approximately 1PM on Sunday afternoon.  

The Riverbend Nationals launches into action on the afternoon of Friday 5 April with Top Fuel on track for qualifying at 1PM & 4PM on Saturday and 11AM, 1:30PM and 3:30PM on Sunday for their Finals to determine the winner of the Riverbend Nationals, which forms part of the National Drag Racing Championship.         

Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said it is fantastic to see that Charlie Dixon and Lachie Jones will join the exciting Riverbend Nationals program.

"The footy greats will join the enormous amount of interstate travellers and South Australians visiting the Murray River Lakes & Coorong region for The Riverbend Nationals, as they experience the sensation of Top Fuel Drag Racing for the first time," Minister Bettison said. 

"I am looking forward to an amazing line-up of top-level sporting events in South Australia in April and the boost it will bring to our visitor economy.”

Port Adelaide Football Club star Forward & Drivin’ With Dixon Media, Charlie Dixon said “I’ve never actually seen Top Fuel Drag Racing live so to tick that off the bucket list and also have a race against my good mate Lachie, it’s going to be a lot of fun." 

"We’ve both had the chance to race at the new track up at The Bend when it opened in the off-season but I’m still pretty confident I’ve got him covered down the Quarter-Mile," Mr Dixon said. 

Port Adelaide Football Club #34, Lachie Jones said “Charlie and I have done a lot together off the field in the car & motorsport scene so I’m thrilled to join him at The Bend for what should be a massive event." 

"We will both act like it’s a bit of fun but I think once we hit that start line the gloves will be off and neither of us will want to lose," Mr Jones said. 

Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend CEO, Alistair MacDonald said the experience of the speed and the noise of Top Fuel is something you never forget and puts the Riverbend Nationals to the forefront as a must-see-sporting event.

"With the huge influx of interstate visitors to the region for what will be a huge weekend for South Australia, it is great to have Charlie and Lachie on-board to provide even more entertainment for the fans,” Mr MacDonald said.