Gold Coast loses Indy
November 12, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
Queensland’s favourite motor sport event of the year has been axed after the State Government and Indy bosses couldn’t find a mutually beneficial agreement on the event’s future.
Indy’s governing body, the Indy Racing League, had suggested the race be moved from October to March given October clashes with the American Football Season, however that option was ruled out as the dates were too close to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne and the Clipsal V8 event in Adelaide.
Not to be completely disappointed, Indy will make way for a motor racing carnival featuring V8 Supercars and the A1 Grand Prix series.
You can read more about the A1 Grand Prix here.
“The A1GP is a world-class racing series with an action packed race calendar that includes Great Britain, China, Mexico, Portugal, Malaysia, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Africa and The Netherlands, as a result of this deal Queensland will now be a permanent fixture on the calendar as well.” Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said
Do you prefer the Indy or the A1 GP?
Print it: 
It’s sad to see Indy come to a end. But good to see we didn’t bow to the pressure from the Indy group. A1 will be a fantastic replacement, and are expected to lap approx 2-3 seconds quicker than Indy cars. Can’t thank Alan Jones enough for coming to the rescue. Would have been tragic if there was no event at all.
Only downside being we won’t be able to cheer for more than 1 Aussie in the race
F1 for me so i’m not bothered.
come to think if we lost F1 melbourne i wouldnt that bothered either just so long as bernie leaves monza & spa alone i’ll be happy.
actually, still thinking.
i’d even rather watch loeb & hirvonen head to head in finland or sardinia if push realy came to shove………
looking fwd to wrc australia’s return.
as for the V8s, you see those racing everyday picking up fares, hehe.
Well, i’ve been to Indy the past few years and I went to the A1GP when it was at Eastern creek, and I have to admit it the A1 cars are average.
But I havent seen any of this years races since they changed to Ferrari engines and components so it could be good.
I just hope loosing the actually Indy cars doesn’t change the way Indy event is, as far as crowd numbers and the atmosphere up and down the whole gold coast when its on!
I think A1 GP is far better than the IRL/CART any day. Its now a true internatioal event. The other is just a pumped up USA who cares show. Just like there cars really! Now we can really get behind a Aussie team. For someone who has who lives on the GC and been to all events, I had a restaurant in Main Beach, most people went for the V8’s anyway, thats why the changed the program to have the V8’s finish cos people just left after the last V8 race. IRL/CART who? This might be just what the A1 GP needs, well in Aust anyway?
Great to see the event continue. The V8s are really what local racing is all about but good to see an A1 GP.
WVB,
but it IS the V8’s that draw the crowds, at GC and all around the country, so just maybe your OPINION is out of line with most motor racing fans who vote with their feet (and wallets).
BTW I’m tipping that V8SC will actually become even less related to road cars, and more like nascar silohette cars, complete with more manufactures, maybe even a grown-up version of “Aussie race cars”.
The Gold Coast Indy 300 is one of the best party weekends all year it doesnt matter if the Indy cars wont be there, the race is irrelevat – fill the place up with beer and chicks and you would stil get a massive crowd. However, I will say the sound of roaring V8 engines, screeching tyres and the smell of fuel and burning rubber do add to the ambiance.
^brett, thats whats great about blogs. we can all have opinions 2 cents or otherwise..
i never said the V8s dont draw crowds i was just responding to CA’s Q
Do you prefer the Indy or the A1 GP?
In my case neither. eg, When you’ve followed FI since Alan Jones’s title its hard to walk away.
btw, you could be right with your V8SC crystal ball.
A1 will be great Especially seeing they will use ferrari engines, that sound alone would be awesome, BUT i heard on the news last night it is not in the bag.
Typical of anna bligh to stuff up another thing in qld, first it was the No boobs policy, what’s next…the mole she is…
I hope V8 Supercars dont become like NASCARS, those things look nothing like the road-going versions of the cars they are supposed to be! At least the V8s look like and have common body panels and parts of their respective namesakes.
And i do foresee Toyota entering the series at some stage in the future. They will throw so much money at AVESCO that they wont be able to resist, just like they did with NASCAR.
At least Qld gov has a backup plan, unlike the
NSW gov, who couldnt find their own a#ses if somebody kicked them!
Falcodore, It’s not Toyota slinging money at AVESCO. Toyota have been invited to offer a submission to enter, but they won’t front up with any commitment. Don’t expect toyota to be the next brand “in”.
My reference to Nascar was from a technical point of view. Personally I think in Australia we have a little more class and the V8SC’s will continue to look pretty much like the road going versions. However, underneath they will be even more standardised accross the brands – it’s all about keeping the costs contained.
most people wont even know the difference.
most people think it is the F1 cars that race here at surfers.
i love when they do the around the grounds with the microphone asking “who is your favourite driver”, and they get responses like “Michael Schumacher”
what will be interesting is if they keep the name “Indy”
surely they would have to……….
Cant comment on A1GP cause i havent seen it on the tv this year but F1 is just a corporate float proccession these days, i find it to be a yawn-a-thon.
Bret, with ford reducing their commitment to the V8s it probably wont be long before holden do the same,then in walks toyota flashin the cash while AVESCO’s yelling “SHOW ME THE MONEY!”
Just a theory.
Agree with you about the NASCAR thing though.
When Indy disappears form the Hold Coast.. I wonder if that means Qld will ose its second V8 Supercar round?
If so there is a chance for AVESCO to [extend the season a little bit more and] go to the UK either before or after they go to Bahrain.
I personally would like to see them drop Bahrain in favour of the UK as they would get more spectators [expats etc] than the 20 that were at Bahrain last weekend.
Because TC is determined to give V8s as much international exposure as possible and what a better place to go than the UK [and maybe on to Europe] where they have a similar Touring car series
They could fly extra parts etc for the UK round to the England at the same time the cars left for Bahrain
The thing is the vast majority of people at indy hardly notice there’s a race going on at all. So it won’t matter whose racing.
If i hear one more person go on about Taxi’s…. The fact that mercs, BMW’s and Audi’s are used as Taxi’s over in Germany seems to be forgotten by some people.
^glen, I’ll go on about taxis.
I think the V8s are so popular because obviously, most people can relate to the shape and dream/realise of owning such a thing if only in visual outline and not much else.
From a competition point of view they are compromised from the start. They’re like building a spaceship out of a washing machine, no matter what you do they’re still white goods. I guess my vice, wrc isn’t much different only they use shopping hacks as a foundation.
Btw, what do euro taxis have to do with our racing car manufacturer’s anyway? You’re right about mercs & bimmers for taxis in europe but they have a touring taxi championship aswell.
^falcondore, I reckon F1 this past season was no float procession. It had some serious and proper racing albeit at a budget that would still bankroll GM USA.
Hey, we’re all chalk & cheese here so don’t get too huffy.
F1 in the last 4 years has really become interesting again.
Though this year was one of the best seasons ever.
So many different race winners. Plus it was good to see BMW and Toro Rosso win their first races.
Then you have the Brazilian GP, the best end to a championship ever.
Next year’s going to be even better with the changes to Aero and slicks.
Hoping the Honda will get back in form, esp with Ross Brawn and am hoping the Seb Bourdais keeps his seat at Toro Rosso. I think he deserves another season, especially with his experience with Slick tyres he should excel next season.
Thank God this year’s Melbourne F1 race is delayed till 5 next year. This year the weather was just unbearable. Very disappointed to hear that “The Who” are the main post race attraction. No wonder the Melb GP suffers such big loses.
I would rather they have multiple big local and international band / dj’s playing which will cater to a wide audience and help attract a bigger local crowd.
Wheelnut,TC said at the Bahrain round of the V8s they are negotiating to do another round there, dont think it would be a good idea myself.
Yeah a UK round would be OK but personally i would like to see the boys and their cars tackle Leguna Seca, i think that would be awesome.
WVB, no huffiness here, just expressing an opinion and putting a few out there.
wheelnut,
the V8’s had already signed on for another 3 years at the gold coast, and signed with out being bothered if indy showed up or not.
QLD actually has 3 rounds next year all confirmed and will do for at least a few years.
Bahrain looks like getting a second round of the V8’s because they are begging AVESCO for another and it isproposed that singapore is dropped in on on the way there or the way home.
Gee, you musnt be following the news lately?????
i doubt we will see the V8’s hit the UK too soon.
I doubt the UK will fork out the dollars to get them there like the Bahrain government does.
the way i see it the UK has no benefit in splurging money out to get the V8’s there.
It would be like the australian government footing the bill to get Nascar,or the UK Touring car series here.
why would they want to??
sure it would be Mega to see our home grown V8’s get exposure in the UK, but you also have to be realistic about it.
if there is no business case, no matter how good the series is, it wont happen
^^^
i must have missed Falcadores post before i commented
I think that it’s not fair. I think the indy and the jets should still be up but because the government coudn’t come to an agreement they took away the indy cars and about 1 hour ago we had just had our last jet fly over from Queenland, Gold coast.
I really want the indy to keeep going
Who’s with me?????
Our aussie cars are great but it was just missing something…I agree get the indy cars back