A new national motorsport festival series, SHIFT Nation, will launch in 2027 with events across four Australian states, bringing together circuit racing, drifting, time attack, roll racing and broader automotive culture.
A new national motorsport festival series, SHIFT Nation, will launch in 2027 with events across four Australian states, bringing together circuit racing, drifting, time attack, roll racing and broader automotive culture.
The new series will be sanctioned by the Australian Auto-Sport Alliance (AASA) across the SHIFT Nation calendar.
The inaugural season will feature five rounds, including four festival-style events at The Bend, Calder Park, Queensland Raceway and Sydney Motorsport Park, along with a dedicated SHIFT Nation Race event in Victoria later in the year.
The season will open at The Bend in South Australia on 26–27 February before moving to Calder Park in Victoria from 16–18 April. Queensland Raceway will host the series from 3–5 September, followed by Sydney Motorsport Park on 8–9 October.
A separate Victorian SHIFT Nation Race event is also planned for November, with dates yet to be announced.
All four festival rounds will include night time action, with Saturday evening programs at The Bend, Calder Park and Queensland Raceway, while Sydney Motorsport Park will feature Friday night competition.
The events will run across two and three-day formats and are being developed around affordable and accessible participation for competitors, while also creating a broader entertainment offering for spectators.
Away from the track, SHIFT Nation plans to feature car club displays, sim racing competitions, live music, family entertainment and a dedicated Partner Precinct showcasing automotive and motorsport brands, products and technology.
A new home for competitors and categories
SHIFT Nation has been created to provide competitors and categories with a new national event platform, with the organisation taking responsibility for the racing and promotion of its own festivals.
As the sanctioning body for the series, AASA will provide the regulatory, permit and insurance framework under which the SHIFT Nation events will operate.
SHIFT Nation also plans to work with existing operators, clubs and organisers involved in drifting, time attack and roll racing, with the aim of giving those communities greater exposure as part of the wider festival format.
Further details on competing categories, event programs and commercial partners will be announced ahead of the opening round at The Bend.
Motorsport and automotive culture together
SHIFT Nation is an initiative of Steve Jukes and Ben Alexander.
Jukes brings experience across motorsport competition and category management at state and national level, alongside his broader business interests.
Alexander brings a strong background in automotive culture and a focus on the fan and off-track experience, helping shape the broader festival environment surrounding the on-track program.
Jukes said the concept had been developed in response to changing audience expectations around motorsport.
“We’ve been watching how motorsport is changing, nationally and internationally, as it reaches a wider audience who simply want to be entertained.
“We’re responding with a fun, sustainable, all-ages national event that welcomes everyone, including competitors and spectators alike, regardless of their motoring background.”
Alexander said SHIFT Nation was designed around the shared culture that connects different parts of the automotive community.
“What connects people in this scene isn’t the price tag or what’s in the garage. It’s a shared love of all things automotive.
“SHIFT Nation celebrates that culture in every form, from cars to bikes and drift to endurance, bringing the whole community together in one place.”
2027 SHIFT Nation dates
South Australia — The Bend: 26–27 February 2027
Victoria — Calder Park: 16–18 April 2027
Queensland — Queensland Raceway: 3–5 September 2027
New South Wales — Sydney Motorsport Park: 8–9 October 2027
Victoria — SHIFT Nation Race: November 2027, date to be confirmed
More information is available at shiftnation.com.au.
