~~The IndyCar Series won't be returning to the Gold Coast in 2009. Queensland Premier Ana Bligh announced at a Nov. 11 news conference in Brisbane, Australia, that event organizers - the Queensland government and entertainment/media giant IMG - and the Indy Racing League were unable to reach agreement on a long-term scheduling solution and financial terms.
The IndyCar Series made its debut on the streets of Surfers Paradise in late October as a non-points race won by Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske -- the first Australian to win in the event's 18 years (formerly sanctioned by CART and Champ Car). The Gold Coast event, along with the Edmonton race in July, was added to the schedule after the unification of North American open-wheel racing in February.
During Nikon Indy 300 race weekend meetings, officials of the sanctioning body presented date options to carnival organizers to either dovetail the event its annual trip to Twin Ring Motegi or shift it to March. The Indy Japan 300 on Sept. 19 will be the penultimate race on the 18-event IndyCar Series schedule -- preceding the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights championship weekend Oct. 9-10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 2009 season kicks off April 6 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
For the past 10 years, the Gold Coast race weekend has been held in late October to fit the schedule of the V8 Supercar Championship (an Australian-based stock car series that completed its 13-race campaign last weekend in Bahrain).
"They have an expanded series of events and our Indy clashes with the early part of the American football season," Queensland Minister of Sport Judy Spence said. "Moving our race to March as they had requested was not an option due to the clash with the F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne and the Clipsal V8 race in Adelaide. In addition, a March race would have involved track construction right in the middle of January school holidays and we would not tolerate Gold Coast residents being inconvenienced."
The Nikon Indy 300 featured a 24-driver starting grid that played to an announced race day crowd of 97,000 spectators lining the picturesque street circuit.
"We are disappointed that we could not find suitable solutions for both the IndyCar Series and Gold Coast Indy organizers, but it was not due to lack of effort," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division for the Indy Racing League. "Chairman Terry Mackenroth and general manager Greg Hooton rolled out the red carpet for the IndyCar Series last month and they are to be commended for their efforts in conjunction with the Queensland government.
"We appreciate the efforts and support of the organizers and the government to North American open-wheel racing dating back to its debut at Gold Coast in 1991, but we will move on offering our competitors one of the most diverse and challenging schedules in all of motorsports. The 2009 schedule features 10 oval races, three permanent road courses and five temporary circuits, including the debut of the IndyCar Series at Long Beach and Toronto."
Resolution of the Australian trip will present some long-term North American scheduling opportunities for the IndyCar Series.
"We're happy with '09, but what it does do give us flexibility for 2010," Angstadt said. "A Cleveland, a Portland - some of these venues that have real historical significance on the Champ Car calendar -- are very interested in holding a race."
Gold Coast race organizers will move forward with a five-year contract with the A1GP World Cup of Motorsports as the international open-wheel component to the October event weekend.
Mod's take........way to go, Mr. George. Not only do you lose one of open-wheel's biggest non-F1 events from the NA open-wheel calendar, but how do you think this looks in front of Audi, Porsche and other prospective engine suppliers? Smart thinking, dude!.......
