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 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