Gold Coast Now Round of V8 Championship

[RaceTime]

Fans will be treated to the biggest weekend of Australian motorsport when rounds of both the FedEx Championship Series and the V8 Supercar Championship Series are contested in a massive "Double Header" at the Honda Indy 300 on the streets of Surfers Paradise in a world first from October 24-27.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie was flanked by some of the country's leading V8 Supercar stars on the steps of Parliament House in Brisbane today as he officially unveiled the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge which will double as round 11 of a now 13-round V8 Supercar Championship Series.

The new event will offer a maximum of 200 championship points in what is expected to be the most competitive V8 Supercar Championship ever.

The 600-horsepower Fords and Holdens will practice and qualify on the Friday of race weekend while a top-10 shootout and two 100km races for championship points will be run on Saturday and Sunday.

The Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge compliments the 18th and penultimate round of the FedEx Championship Series, which will include such stars at Michael Andretti, Dario Franchitti and Brisbane-born Kiwi Scott Dixon, according to Honda Indy 300 Chairman, John Cowley.

"I guess this is the ultimate win-win situation," said Cowley.

"Both our organisation and AVESCO realise the enormous benefits of the V8 Supercars returning to the streets of Surfers Paradise.

"The V8 Supercars have been an important part of our program for several years and the fact that they are returning to contest a round of the championship takes the show to a whole new level.

"We are going to be offering one of the best four days of racing value ever seen with fans witnessing the penultimate round of the FedEx Championship Series and round 11 of the V8 Supercar Series - it doesn't't get much bigger than that."

The Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge will come two weeks after the V8 Supercar 1000 at Bathurst on October 10-13. Points in the Surfers Paradise street race will be vital to the overall V8 Supercar Championship Series, which will conclude with rounds in New Zealand on November 10 and Melbourne on
December 1.

The event will include Australia's leading teams and drivers including Mark Skaife, Jason Bright, Glenn Seton, John Bowe, Garth Tander, Greg Murphy, Brad Jones, Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall.

The field will also include a massive group of Queensland-based stars including Craig Lowndes, Steve Johnson, Paul Radisich, Paul Morris, Marcos Ambrose, David Besnard, Tony Longhurst, Mark Larkham, Steve Ellery, Cameron McLean, Paul Weel and Paul Romano.

AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane believes the streets of Surfers Paradise will make a fantastic addition to the V8 Supercar Championship Series calendar.

"We are pleased that we have been able to enter into a brand new arrangement with the Honda Indy 300 board which provides the V8 Supercars and Champ Cars equal billing," said Cochrane.

"We have always considered the event at Surfers Paradise would be a fantastic location to contest a Championship round and after months of negotiations we are delighted with this outcome, especially for our fans.

"Logistically it was one of the most difficult decisions to make, but we are confident that the professional level of all our teams will enable this addition to our championship calendar to be a great success."

The Gillette Company is the world-leader in male grooming products utilising superior performance and technology to be a market leader in every category in which it competes.

Gillette has been a corporate supporter of the Honda Indy 300 for several years and laid a foundation for today's announcement with naming-rights sponsorship of last year's Gillette Young Guns support event.

Business Manager Gillette Australia, Mike Abbott, says the sponsorship of the V8 Supercar Challenge was a natural progression for his company.

"The Honda Indy 300 has gone from strength to strength in recent years and Gillette has been delighted to increase our own commitment on an on-going basis," said Abbott.

"We were extremely happy with our sponsorship of the Young Guns program last year and believe the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge will be an exciting and unique event.

"Gillette has a strong sporting heritage and we see motor sport as an integral part of our marketing mix.

"We like to associate our world class brands with world class sporting events."

Radisich, who has been a previous winner on the Gold Coast with Dick Johnson's Shell Helix Ford team, says the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge will be one of the highlights on the racing calendar.

"Indy has always been an enjoyable event, but this time I guess you could say it is for real," said Radisich.

"It would have been nice to have collected championship points when I won there a couple of years ago.

"There is no doubt that the Surfers Paradise races are being held at a vital stage of the season and that fans are going to see a much more serious show - and an even more entertaining one."

The official opening round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series will be at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on March 15-17.

[mac]

Didn't Cochrane spit the dummy last year and start *****ing about how the V8s would never return because CART and the Gold Coast organisers treated them so bad?

[Buckshot]

Well his little tantrum has gotten him what he wanted - bigger billing for his V8s.

Also now it's a championship round the boys in the V8s will actually have a decent go and not just back off because they're worrying about scratching their cars for a demo race.

[Ray Bell]

I reckon this is the end of any round at Sandown... Jon won't stand for this...

[sevi]

I have a name for the game TC and Cowley were playing, but I can not say it on an open age forum.

[Rick]

"Biggest weekend of Australian motorsport"? - Don't think so - I'm going there next weekend!

[RaceTime]

Shhhhh - don;t tell them - they have no control over crowd figures at that event

[marcus]

I think its good its a round of the championship now , and they should make the GP events a round as well that way everytime the cars go out its for championship points.

but this is good to see.

[knackaneal]

Guess we will never know whether attendances would have dropped at Surfers if the V8s were not there ... good they've given it Championship status to justify any damage in the concrete canyon ... roll on Rocktober

[StuiE]

great when was the last time u saw good racing at surfers? huh? NEVER

[RaceTime]

For the full text of the release, http://www.racetime.com.au/?racenews=00001011

[D.R.T.]

What have the CART guys said about this. Sharing top billing with a national touring ca championship, geez.
It should be good though, watching V8 Supercars follow each other round for championship points, should be like every other round.

[Crash Test]

I dunno... I've seen some fantastic racing on the Gold Coast, just not from the V8s.

I doubt very much that the attendances would have differed significantly, but then, their numbers are ******** anyways. I think they greatly undersell themselves... obviously they count those with accomodation passess, but last year, the place was absolutley chockers on Thursday, but the figures they posted were miniscule. It was definately a bigger crowd than Friday (when it pizzeled down all day), and not far behind the weekend. Heck, I know I walked through the gates without them looking at my ticket on 2 of the 4 days. If they took the time (and spent the money) on crowd figures, I think they would surprise themselves with what the real crowd numbers are.

[knackaneal]

Originally posted by Crash Test
I dunno... I've seen some fantastic racing on the Gold Coast, just not from the V8s.

I doubt very much that the attendances would have differed significantly

Total agreement with those sentiments ... I first got a live taste of the INDYdescribable "Roar by the Shore" two years ago.

As much as I lurv the V8s, this "Mexican" intended crossing two State Borders in October anyway.

Sure there were plenty of cynics suggesting that crowds would drop, but now we will never know.

CT ... do you really think they UNDER-estimate the crowd-count???

[Crash Test]

I've been going every year since 92, and it just keeps getting bigger.

Yes, I honeslty do think that they sell themselves short on Thursday and Friday. All of the on track accomodation is booked out for the week, and I'd say most people take a couple of days off work to use them on Thurs/Fri. Now if these people are counted in the total figures (I'd imagine that they'd make up a large percentage of the attendees), then there shouldn't really be that great a difference between the 4 days. Thursday may have looked a bit bigger than it may have otherwise been had it not been for the promoters throwing the gates open to school kiddies. Surely they count? Also a lot of people these days just go on Thurs/Fri to miss the crowd, thus making one... But hey, who I am to pick out their faults?

[racer69]

Don't know how they car promote it as 'the motorsport event of the year'

As Rick said, that's next weekend in melbourne.

& i don't see how a major open wheel category should have to share top billing with a local series.

Who wants to take bets for how long before TC starts trying to invade on the AGP

[D.R.T.]

I'd say in the next 1-2 years. But what do I know.
This November shall be interesting, if nothing else.

[Alan Jones]

Originally posted by D.R.T.
It should be good though, watching V8 Supercars follow each other round for championship points, should be like every other round.

here , here DRT. Keep up the good work!

[knackaneal]

Originally posted by racer69
i don't see how a major open wheel category should have to share top billing with a local series.

Does it really matter R69 ... surely we as spectators/enthusiasts are the ones who get the benefit

If the V8s are there on top of the CART event, we get more top level entertainment!!!!!!!!!.

Finally got to go to my first LIVE Honda Indy 300 at Surfers in Year 2000; repeated the dose in 2001; heard that Avesco had pulled the pin for this year, but still had every intention of going again in 2002, and beyond, regardless.

Now that the V8s are confirmed back there, and with Championship points at stake to boot, my attitude is that
we, the ordinary punters, are two-time winners

It's just like the premier event in my native Melbourne this weekend ... "Jours Trulli" is going, whether the V8s were there or not ... the fact that they are is an added bonus to the entertainment, and if they need the security blanket of Championship status to attend in years ahead, well so be it!!!

I don't reckon Surfers nor Melbourne Promoters lose any credibility just because they have agreed to some Avesco demands. It simply benefits the big picture for the benefit of all of us in motorsport

[DAVID PATERSON]

What are they doing about paddock facilities for the V8s at Indy?