Past Events

 

Queensland's Gold Coast has reconfirmed it's status as the motorsport event capital of Australia as over 314,000 people soaked up the sun, sand and exciting on-track action during the four-day Lexmark Indy 300 carnival held October 18 – 21 2007.

In a perfect result for the State's glitter strip, the annual combination of 750 horsepower International Champ Car action and 640 horsepower V8 Supercars packed a mighty punch that continues to attract mountainous support from home and abroad.

 

On the racing front, history making Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais (Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing) became the first ever driver to claim a second Lexmark Indy 300 victory. His win also sealed a record breaking fourth consecutive Vanderbilt Cup Championship title. Following Bourdais over the line in second place was Justin Wilson (RuSport Racing) of England and third place went to Brazil's Bruno Junqueira (Dale Coyne Racing).

 

Holden's Toll HSV driver Garth Tander won a game of survival during the final 27-lap race of the V8 Supercar Challenge to take overall honours and claim his maiden iconic surfboard trophy. Claiming second for the event was Caltex Racing's Russell Ingall while Jason Richards of Tasman Motorsport slotted into third.

 

A bumper entertainment schedule included On-track entertainment from the CAPA Stunt Team, Victor Bray and Brett Stevens Burnout Displays, Australia’s best Drift cars, Army Parades and the Speed Comparison.

 

Pre-Race festivities included driver parades as well as podium performances from International superstars Good Charlotte and Brisbane band Small Mercies.

 

The SeaFM Air Show once again delivered an amazing spectacle as the RAAF Roulettes, Army Blackhawk Helicopters and ARH Tiger Helicopter took to the skies of Surfers Paradise, accompanying them was the famous F-111 “dump and burn” down the main straight.

 

The Sea FM stage was a hive of activity, fans were able to get up close and personal with their favourite Champ Car and V8 Supercar drivers at autograph sessions. The stage also played host to many local bands as well as performances from Ricki-Lee, Kisschasey and The Veronicas.

 

For the first time ever, the Lexmark Indy 300 had it’s very own music festival, Indyfest. Indyfest was an all-day, all ages music event featuring live bands, as well as DJs. Indyfest’s massive line up included Good Charlotte, Small Mercies, Butterfingers, Kisschasey, Potbelleez and many more.

 

The 2007 Lexmark Indy 300 hosted almost 11,000 primary and secondary school students on Students Day Thursday 18^th October.

 

 

From October 19-22 a crowd of 312, 054 spilled through the gates at Surfers Paradise to experience a world class motorsport event and watch the Champ Cars and V8 Supercars do their thing, on this very technical and gripping street circuit.

Holden Racing Team’s Todd Kelly took out the prestigious Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge over Ford’s Mark Winterbottom and his brother Rick Kelly.

Queensland’s own Team Australia driver Will Power started in pole position, however damage to his car during the race, saw Frenchman Nelson Phillipe crowned the 16th victor of the race. It was a great day for France as Sebastien Bourdais wrapped up his third Champ Car World Series crown.

Entertainment included Friday night’s Big Night Out, the Sea FM Airshow, Australian National anthem sung by Alfio Bonnano and pre-race entertainment by Taxi Ride and Big Brothers Danielle. Triple M on-track entertainment included the CAPA Stunt Team.  Live bands including Little Birdy, Violette and Soul Frame staring Mutto from Australian Idol, rocked the Sea FM Stage. Parades by Bartercard Miss Indy and Miss V8 Supercar girls also kept the fans entertained.

A record 10,500 student’s and teachers enjoyed Thursday’s Students’ Day.

A record 316,459 patrons filed through the gates for another history-making Lexmark Indy 300 on the streets of the Gold Coast.

The crowds watched in awe as 750-horsepower Champ Cars and 620-horsepower V8 Supercars headlined the program in glorious Queensland coastal conditions.

French driver Sebastien Bourdais became the 15th different winner of the Champ Car race on the Gold Coast as well as securing his second consecutive Vanderbilt Cup for the Champ Car World Series title winner.

The Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge was won by Ford star Craig Lowndes. For the first time, two 100km races were held on the Sunday with the 57-lap Champ Car race right in the middle.

Adding to the entertainment extravaganza was:

• a spectacular F1-11 dump’n burn by the Australian Defence Force as part of the Sea FM Air Show
• a performance by band ‘The Presidents of the United States of America’
• the Australian and US National Anthems by Ricki-Lee
• ‘Waltzing Matilda’ sung by Adam Brand
• parade laps by all 32 Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge drivers and 19 Champ Car drivers
• the VB Challenge
• CAPA Stunt Bikes
• and great racing in the support categories – Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup, CARSguide Aussie Racing Cars, and Haymans Electrical V8 Utes.

More than any other year in Lexmark Indy 300 history, Aussie parochialism took charge. More than 20,000 green and gold flags were around the circuit, 1000 green and gold balloons were released into the sky, people were decked out or painted in green and gold, and Team Australia cars attracted huge support.

This year Team Australia became the first full-time Australian outfit in the Champ Car World Series, and two of its three drivers Marcus Marshall from the Gold Coast and Will Power from Toowoomba raced around the 4.47km street circuit for the first time in a Champ Car.

However it was their more experienced team mate Alex Tagliani from Canada who led the team home in fourth place, just missing the podium which comprised Bourdais, and US duo Jimmy Vasser and A.J Allmendinger.

Overall Lowndes was the victor of the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge with Greg Murphy second and Mark Skaife third.

We have hailed the 2005 Lexmark Indy 300 a resounding success with a fabulous entertainment program, 11 hours of live television on Network 10, exciting racing and jubilant fans numbering 56,786 on Thursday, 64,111 on Friday, 90,265 on Saturday and 105,297 today for an overall total of 316,459.

We also had more than 10,000 students attend Student’s Day on the Thursday, and another successful Friday Night Racing program.

October 21 – 24

57 laps, Time – 1:46:45.941

1. Bruno Junqueira (Ford-Cosworth Lola)
2. Sebastien Bourdais (Ford-Cosworth Lola)
3. Mario Dominguez (Ford-Cosworth Lola)

Brazilian driver Bruno Junqueira made it 14 different winners in the 14 years of the Lexmark Indy 300 on the Gold Coast. His victory from fourth place on the grid was his second for the season and kept in the hunt for the overall championship honours with one round to go. Unfortunately for Junqueira, it was his Newman Haas Racing team mate Sebastien Bourdais who finished second on the Gold Coast that wrapped up the championship.

Junqueira met the checkered flag under safety car conditions following a late-race crash involving Canadian Patrick Carpentier (Forsythe Championship Racing). Whilst the Newman Haas Racing duo of Junqueira and Bourdais finished first and second, it was reigning Gold Coast champion Mario Dominguez (Herdez Competition) from Mexico that filled the podium.

Australian driver David Besnard backed by Wright Patton Shakespeare put in a great drive to finish seventh in his first ever Champ Car race, exciting the more than 100,000 spectators in attendance on the main Sunday race day. A record of 309,583 people attended the Lexmark Indy 300 over the full four days in glorious Queensland conditions.

October 23 – 26

47 laps, Time – 1:49:02.803

1. Ryan Hunter-Reay (Ford-Cosworth Reynard)
2. Darren Manning (Ford-Cosworth Reynard)
3. Jimmy Vasser (Ford-Cosworth Reynard)

For the second year in a row, a rookie won on the streets of Surfers Paradise in the Lexmark Indy 300. US driver Ryan Hunter-Reay (American Spirit Team Johansson) claimed his first ever Champ Car victory and became the first American rookie to win a Champ Car race since Danny Sullivan won in Miami in 1985, four years after Hunter-Reay was born.

Hunter-Reay started the sunny then stormy then sunny event in 12th position behind pole-sitter and fellow rookie Sebastian Bourdais (Newman/Haas Racing), and broke into the top six by the sixth lap of the shortened 47 lap race.

Hunter-Reay drove like a veteran as he avoided nine on-track incidents and brought his Reynard home in first position. It was a day for history as Hunter-Reay went from the fastest Reynard in qualifying to the fastest of the race. For the first time all year, the Reynard’s finished 1-2-3 and for the first time since 1983, rookies finished first and second.

England ’s Darren Manning took second place for Walker Racing – his first podium finish in his rookie year, while Hunter-Reay’s team mate Jimmy Vasser filled the podium in third.

October 24 – 27

40 laps, Time – 2:00:06.524

1. Mario Dominguez (Ford-Cosworth Lola)
2. Patrick Carpentier (Ford-Cosworth Reynard)
3. Paul Tracy (Honda Lola)

Mexican Mario Dominguez (Herdez Competition) won his first ever Champ Car race in a rain-soaked Honda Indy 300 on the Gold Coast over a shortened 40 laps because of the conditions. After enduring the worst drought in 94 years and beautiful and hot weather over the first three days of the carnival, the rain poured down on race Sunday.

A spectacular crash involving a nine car pile-up just after the green flag marred the start, causing a re-start. The race re-started with three laps of caution before the green flag was waved. On lap 10, the yellow flag was brought out and would remain until CART stewards determined the finish after 40 laps and two hours of racing. The cars were simply left to do laps in formation with the pit strategy the crucial factor in deciding the victor. Dominguez met the chequered flag and claimed his first career win and became the 12^th different winner of the Gold Coast race.

Canada ’s Patrick Carpentier (Player’s/Indeck) claimed second position which became crucial in his season-ending third place in the series while the ever-popular Paul Tracy (Team KOOL Green) placed third.

Cristiano da Matta (Newman/Haas Racing) was crowned the Champ Car series champion of 2002 with seven wins throughout the series. The Brazilian managed eighth place in his final appearance on the Gold Coast before embarking on Formula 1.

October 25 – 28

65 laps, Time - 1:51:47.260

1. Cristiano da Matta (Toyota Lola) 
2. Michael Andretti (Honda Reynard) 
3. Alex Tagliani (Ford-Cosworth Reynard)

Cristiano da Matta of Newman/Haas Racing drove to his second victory of the FedEx Championship Series season while Gil de Ferran of Marlboro Team Penske became the fourth back-to-back champion in CART history in the 2001 edition of the Honda Indy 300. Da Matta became the 11th different winner in as many CART events contested in Australia, dating back to 1991.

Da Matta (Texaco/Havoline/Kmart Toyota/Lola) earned his second victory of the campaign before an appreciative crowd of 110,187. He led the final 14 laps after getting by then-leader Roberto Moreno on the 52nd of 65 laps and went on to a 5.786-second victory over Michael Andretti of Team Motorola.

De Ferran (Marlboro Honda/Reynard) finished fourth to clinch his second consecutive FedEx Championship Series title and earn the prestigious Vanderbilt Cup symbolic of that accomplishment. De Ferran joined Rick Mears (1981-82), Bobby Rahal (1986-87) and Alex Zanardi (1997-98) as back-to-back CART champions.

Andretti (Motorola Honda/Reynard), meanwhile, collected his fifth podium result of the season. Third place went to Alex Tagliani (Player's/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Reynard) of Player's Forsythe Racing.

October 12 – 15

59 laps, Time - 2:01:14.605

1. Adrian Fernandez (Ford Reynard) 
2. Kenny Brack (Ford Reynard) 
3. Jimmy Vasser (Toyota Lola)

On a day when five of the top six contenders for the FedEx Championship Series went scoreless, Adrian Fernandez (Patrick/Ford/Reynard) of Patrick Racing collected 21 points to move within reach of the first championship of his eight-year career by winning the Honda Indy 300 before 107,785 enthusiastic fans on the Gold Coast.

Fernandez, who started 17^th, scored his second victory of the season, the seventh of his career and vaulted from fifth to second place in the championship standings. Kenny Brack (Shell/Ford/Reynard) of Team Rahal finished second, enhancing his championship hopes for the season, with Jimmy Vasser (Target/Toyota/Lola) finishing third, his second consecutive podium performance following a victory at Houston.

Fernandez had a 0.324-second win over Brack while averaging 81.607 miles per hour. The race was completed as a two-hour timed event as per CART rules, and as a result of multiple caution periods, was shortened to 59 laps from its originally scheduled 65-lap distance.

Series - Gil de Ferran (Marlboro/Honda/Reynard) took out the 2000 CART FedEx Championship Series title with his two wins, five pole positions and seven podium finishes putting him atop the standings.

65 laps, Time - 1:58:40.726

1. Dario Franchitti (Honda Reynard)
2. Max Papis (Ford Reynard)
3. Adrian Fernandez (Ford Reynard)

The heavyweight bout for the undisputed FedEx Championship Series title took a dramatic turn during the Honda Indy 300 as Dario Franchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard), of Team KOOL Green stormed to a victory from the pole to unseat rookie sensation Juan Montoya (Target Honda Reynard) of Target/Chip Ganassi Racing for the championship lead before a record crowd on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Franchitti, who gained a point on Saturday for pole position, registered 20 for the race win and another point for leading most laps en route to a 2.609-second margin over Team Rahal’s Max Papis (Miller Lite Ford Reynard). Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Ford Reynard) of Patrick Racing finished third.

The victory was Franchitti’s third of the season and sixth of his career, and made him the ninth different winner in the nine-year history of the event.

Series - Juan Montoya became only the second rookie to win the FedEx Championship Series in the closest battle in CART history. At 24 years, 1 month and 11 days, he also became the youngest champion ever. At the end of the season he was locked with Franchitti on 212 points but was awarded victory based on a greater number of race wins in the season.

October 15-18

62 laps, Time - 2:01.51.170 

1. Alex Zanardi (Reynard Honda) 
2. Dario Franchitti (Reynard Honda) 
3. Christian Fittipaldi (Swift Ford)

Alex Zanardi ended a six-race winless spell in the Honda Indy 300 to notch his seventh victory of the season, and become the eighth different champion in as many Gold Coast races, even though he had already clinched the FedEx Championship Series in Race 15 at the Molson Indy Vancouver.

Zanardi led for a race-high 49 laps on the Surfers Paradise street circuit in a race that finished under caution after a three-car incident on lap 60 of 62.

The back-to-back series champion took the chequered flag 0.322 second ahead of Team KOOL Green’s Dario Franchitti, who had put the Reynard Honda on pole.

Popular nephew of legendary driver Emerson Fittipaldi, Christian Fittipaldi scored a stirring third-place performance to finish on the podium, making a victorious return to the seaside venue. The Brazilian broke his leg in a horror crash only 18 months earlier on the second lap of the 1997 Gold Coast race.

April 3-6

62 laps, Time - 2:01.51.170

1. Scott Pruett (Reynard, Ford) 
2. Greg Moore (Reynard, Ford) 
3. Michael Andretti (Ford, Ford)

Runner up at the Gold Coast race the year before, Scott Pruett went one better in ’97 on the Surfers Paradise street circuit.

After a major collision which injured Christian Fittipaldi on the second lap, polesitter Alex Zanardi took the lead on the restart and held it for the first 18 laps before giving way to Paul Tracy.

Pruett in his teammate’s Brahma Reynard Ford, took the advantage when Zanardi and Tracy made contact, taking the lead on the 42^nd lap and holding it for the balance of the scheduled 65-lap event, which was shortened to 57 laps to meet the scheduled two-hour time limit.

Canadian Greg Moore finished second, with 1994 IndyCar Australia winner Michael Andretti third.

Series - Zanardi recovered from the incident with Tracy to finish fourth, and went on to win the championship, only the second driver in CART history to win the series’ rookie of the year award and the championship in his first two seasons.

March 29 – 31

65 laps, Time - 2:00.46.85 

1. Jimmy Vasser (Reynard, Honda) 
2. Scott Pruett (Lola, Ford) 
3. Greg Moore (Reynard, Mercedes)

There was very little Jimmy Vasser could do wrong over the three days of the 1996 IndyCarnival. Vasser snatched pole position on the last lap of qualifying from Scott Pruett on the Saturday and then led 60 of the 65 laps of the race.

It was the second win in three races for Vasser and helped lay the foundation for a season which did not include one DNF.

Pruett was the only driver able to pass Vasser during the race and he led the other five laps of the race before losing the lead during a caution period.

Canadian youngster Greg Moore finished third to give Firestone a clean sweep of the podium.

Series - Vasser won another two races for the year at Long Beach and in the US 500 at Michigan to become only the second driver to go on and win the championship after collecting the winner’s cheque in Australia.

March 16 – 19

65 laps, Time - 1:58.26.054 

1. Paul Tracy (Lola Ford) 
2. Bobby Rahal (Lola Mercedes) 
3. Scott Pruett (Lola Ford)

The 1994 Australian winner Michael Andretti dominated IndyCar Australia in 1995, but it was his Newman-Haas teammate Paul Tracy who took the chequered flag.

Andretti took pole for the race and led the first 41 laps before relinquishing the lead to

Stefan Johansson for six laps.

He took back the lead on lap 48 and looked to have the race won before transmission failure slowed his pace.

Andretti seemed as though he could help Newman-Haas to a 1-2 finish, but he crashed one lap from home while defending his spot from Bobby Rahal.

Scott Pruett was well rewarded for a consistent race with a podium finish.

Series - Eventual championship winner Jacques Villeneuve failed to score any points in Australia after gearbox problems on lap 38 of 65.

March 17 – 20

Reduced to 55 laps, Time - 1:44.58.169

1. Michael Andretti (Reynard Ford) 
2. Emerson Fittipaldi (Penske Ilmor) 
3. Mario Andretti (Lola Ford)

The start of the 1994 FAI IndyCar Grand Prix was one of the strangest and most controversial on record. Rain initially delayed the start and then it was further delayed when several cars became entangled on turn one of the parade lap.

The race finally got under way after six laps under the yellow flag and it was Michael Andretti who led a pack including Emerson Fittipaldi, Nigel Mansell and Robby Gordon. Andretti almost cost himself the race when he hit a tyre barrier on the beach chicane only half a lap into a re-start.

The race was reduced from 65 laps to 55 because of bad light – the first time in IndyCar history a race had been stopped short because of darkness.

Andretti took the race from Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti – the race was Andretti’s first IndyCar race back after a season in Formula One and the victory was the first for Chip Ganassi and the all-new Reynard Chassis.

Series - Michael Andretti won one more race for the year at Toronto and finished fourth in the championship behind the Marlboro-Penske trio of Al Unser Jr, Fittipaldi and Paul Tracy who won a remarkable 12 races between them.

March 18 – 21

65 laps, Time - 1:52.02.886

1. Nigel Mansell (Lola Cosworth)
2. Emerson Fittipaldi (Penske Chevy)
3. Robby Gordon (Lola Ford)

In 1993 the majority of the crowd and media had come to see just one man – and he did not let them down.

All the fuss was justified when Nigel Mansell became the first ever IndyCar rookie to take pole in his first race. He then became the first ever driver to win on debut since fellow Englishman Graham Hill won the Indy 500 in 1996.

Mansell led Fittipaldi to the line from young charge Robby Gordon who, apart from Mansell, was the talk of the race.

Series - The victory by Mansell set the foundation for a fantastic season for the Englishman who went on to claim four more victories, a third at Indianapolis and the championship.

March 19 – 22

65 laps, Time - 2:20.32.477

1. Emerson Fittipaldi (Penske Chevy)
2. Rick Mears (Penske Chevy)
3. Bobby Rahal (Lola Chevy)

The Australian IndyCar Grand Prix was again the first round of the championship and after a year to iron out the bugs, everything seemed to run a lot smoother.

A downpour of rain caused havoc with cars spinning out of control in wet slick tyres. At one stage of the race the southern end of the track was wet while the northern end was dry. Pace car conditions lasted for eight laps before a re-start on lap 58.

Emerson Fittipaldi was in fifth at the re-start, but showed amazing skills in the wet to pass the four cars (Mario Andretti, Danny Sullivan, Al Unser Jnr and team-mate Rick Mears) in front of him.

Fittipaldi took the chequered flag ahead of Mears to create a Marlboro-Penske 1-2 and Bobby Rahal finished third after a late charge of his own.

Series - Rahal went on to win four races in the season and collected the title ahead of Michael Andretti and Unser Jr. Fittipaldi won another three races and finished fourth in the title chase.

March 15 – 17

65 laps, Time - 2:12.54.820

1. John Andretti (Lola Chevy)
2. Bobby Rahal (Lola Chevy)
3. Rick Mears (Penske Chevy)

The opening round of the 1991 World Series was the first PPG IndyCar race to be held outside North America.

The race was a first for Australia and the PPG Series – it also provided the first victory for young John Andretti and the newly formed Hall-VDS Racing Team. Andretti only had to lead the final four laps to create history. Cousin Michael Andretti had dominated the event from the opening day and started from pole. He looked to have the race won when he faced brake failure eight laps from home.

Series - Although he failed to finish in Australia, Michael Andretti went on to win the championship from Bobby Rahal and Al Unser Jnr.