CHAMPCAR/CART: Record field at Gold Coast CART race
The green flag has been officially waved on a record 29-car entry list for the FAI Insurance V8 Supercar Challenge -the leading support category at this year's Honda Indy 300 on the streets of the Gold Coast from October 12-15. The Gold Coast ...
The green flag has been officially waved on a record 29-car entry list for the FAI Insurance V8 Supercar Challenge -the leading support category at this year's Honda Indy 300 on the streets of the Gold Coast from October 12-15.
The Gold Coast street races will be the last outing for the V8 Supercars before they head to Bathurst on November 16-19 for the FAI 1000 endurance classic at Mt Panorama.
Many of Australia's leading motorsport identities will take part in the four days of on-track activities for the thundering V8s, according to Honda Indy 300 General Manager, Mr Geoff Jones.
"To have a record field of these 650-horsepower machines will be one of the on-track highlights of our four-day event and will have the crowd on its feet," said Jones
"There have been some fantastic V8 battles on the streets of the Gold Coast in the past and with the increasing competitiveness of the category there is every indication that we are going to be in for one hell of a show.
"I think the amount of local involvement in the category is a great thing for everyone."
The local contingent in this year's V8 Supercar races is enormous with Craig Lowndes, Craig Baird, Tony Longhurst, Mark Larkham, Steve Johnson, Paul Radisich, Paul Romano, Paul Morris, Steve Ellery and Paul Weel all living in South-East Queensland.
Radisich, driver of the #18 Shell Helix Falcon, will start among the favourites for this year's event after winning his maiden V8 event on the Gold Coast last year.
"It was certainly great to win in front of my new home crowd last year and hopefully we can repeat again next month," said Radisich.
"The Honda Indy 300 has always been one of the highlights of the year for us since the V8 Supercars joined the program a few years ago. The V8s always put on a great show on what is one of our most challenging circuits of the season. I think a 29-car grid of latest-spec cars is going to provide some fantastic entertainment."
While every local would like to take home the Gold Coast trophy there will be no shortage of opposition from interstate drivers such as Shell Series leader Mark Skaife, Ford drivers Glenn Seton and Neil Crompton, defending Bathurst champions Steve Richards and Greg Murphy, multiple Bathurst winners Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall and young Holden stars Jason Bargwanna and Garth Tander.
The V8 Supercars will have two 30-minute practice sessions on Thursday, a 30-minute qualifying on Friday followed in the afternoon by an exciting top-10 shootout. There will be two 30-miunute races on Saturday and a 30-minute sprint on Sunday which will be the curtain raiser to the Honda Indy 300 - the penultimate round of the FedEx Championship Series for Champ Cars.
Other support categories at this year's event will include Formula Ford, Saloon cars, GTP Nations Cup, a NASCAR demonstration and the newly created Young Guns category for the best dozen drivers from Australia/New Zealand under the age of 25.
All this will be linked together by the traditional Triple M drags on Friday night.
<pre> 2000 FAI Insurance V8 SUPERCAR Challenge Honda Indy 300, Gold Coast 12-15 October
Car Team Name Sponsor Name Driver Model
1 Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team Craig Lowndes Holden VT
2 Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team Mark Skaiffe Holden VT
3 Lansvale Smash Repairs Racing Lansvale / Optus / PPG Trevor Ashby Holden VS
4 Stone Brothers Racing Pirtek Racing Craig Baird Ford AU
5 Ford Tickford Racing Ford Tickford Racing Glenn Seton Ford AU
6 Ford Tickford Racing Ford Tickford Racing Neil Crompton Ford AU
7 Kmart Racing Kmart Racing Steven Richards Holden VT
8 Perkins Engineering Castrol Perkins Race Team Russell Ingall Holden VT
9 Stone Brothers Racing Caltex Havoline Race Team Tony Longhurst Ford AU
10 Mitre 10 Ford Racing Mitre 10 Ford Racing Mark Larkham Ford AU
11 Perkins Engineering Castrol Perkins Race Team Larry Perkins Holden VT
12 Kmart Racing Kmart Racing Greg Murphy Holden VT
16 Perkins Engineering Pepsi-Cola Dugal McDougall Holden VT
17 Dick Johnson Racing Shell Helix Racing Steven Johnson Ford AU XR8
18 Dick Johnson Racing Shell Helix Racing Paul Radisich Ford AU XR8
21 OzEmail Internet Racing OzEmail Internet Racing Brad Jones Ford AU
23 Lansvale Smash Repairs Racing Lansvale / Optus / PPG Steve Reed Holden VS
24 Romano Racing Romano Racing Paul Romano Holden VS
28 Rodney Forbes Racing Wynns Racing Rodney Forbes Holden VT
29 Nemo Racing Big Kev Racing / Team Nemo Paul Morris Holden VT
31 Super Cheap Auto Racing Super Cheap Auto Racing Steve Ellery Ford AU
34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Valvoline Cummins Repco Team Garth Tander Holden VT
35 Garry Rogers Motorsport Valvoline Cummins Repco Team Jason Bargwanna Holden VT
43 K & J Thermal Products Racing K & J Thermal Products Racing Paul Weel Ford AU
46 Team Asia Online Team Asia Online John Faulkner Holden VT
50 Ultra Tune TDK Racing Ultra Tune TDK Valvoline Racing Michael Donaher Holden VT
54 Rod Nash Racing Repco / Fram Cameron McConville Holden VT
75 Toll Racing Toll Racing Anthony Tratt Ford AU
600 CAT Racing CAT Racing John Bowe Ford AU
Total 29
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