By
EWAN KENNEDY
16 October 2006
The big news from the Indy 300 race on the Gold Coast is that
two Australian drivers will compete in the Champ Car race on Sunday
October 22nd.
It has just been announced that Ryan Briscoe, fresh from
the disappointment of this year’s Bathurst 1000 where his Holden
Racing Team car was crashed before he even got into the driver’s seat,
plans to make a strong showing on the Surfers Paradise street circuit.
Driving for the Rusport Champ Car racing team, Briscoe
is replacing regular driver Cristiano de Matta who was injured when a
stray deer ran in front of his car at the Road America circuit. It’s
an ill-wind that blows nobody good…
Briscoe has considerable experience in the Indy Racing
League (IRL), including racing in the famed Indianapolis 500. He has
also tested Toyota Formula One cars, and driven for Australia in the A1
GP series, so is no stranger to high-level, open-wheel machinery.
Will Power (isn’t that a great name for a racing car
driver!) will compete in the Indy 300 for the second time in two years.
He's driving for Walker Racing and has already signed up to drive for
them next season as well.
Organisers are billing the two Indy 300 Aussies as
competing in a state of origin contest as Power hails from Queensland
and Briscoe from NSW!
There's plenty of other red-hot car racing of the
conventional type. Only two weeks after the big Bathurst bash the boys
with their V8 Supercar toys will be back for another battle.
There are plenty of other interesting on-course
contests. As an example, just after celebrating the 40th anniversary of
its stunning win at the Bathurst 500, a modern day Mini will take on the
big boys at Surfers Paradise.
In a demonstration of power, and handicapping, a 2006
Mini Cooper S fitted with the John Cooper Works performance kit will try
to beat a racing Porsche 911 and a Champ Car on a one-lap flying dash.
The Mini driver, Aussie Paul Stokell, will be given a
substantial head start on the other hot machines, which is where the
handicapping comes into the equation. It’s a real hoot and similar
comparisons have been popular in previous years.
There's a lot more to the Indy 300 racing weekend than
‘merely’ car racing. Multiple events, both official and unofficial
(some very unofficial!) take place over a full four days and nights of
entertainment, beginning on Thursday October 19 and running through to
Sunday the 22nd.
Get onto the official website at www.indy.com.au/ for
information on the race as well as other happy happenings.
