Power calls for IndyCar return to Surfers

UPDATE Just about everyone except the V8 Supercar bosses want the IndyCars back on the streets of Surfers Paradise. As you can see they are still even running the Miss Indy beauty contest around the race. The hang-up continues to be that the city wants the race this weekend in October but IndyCar wants to end their season earlier and in the USA in front of near empty grandstands at Fontana and miniscule USA TV ratings. A compromise might be to run the race in late October every year with the current year’s cars but have the points scored count towards next year's championship. Not an ideal scenario, but a compromise solution nonetheless.

10/16/12 IndyCar drivers Will Power and Sebastien Bourdais have called for the famous series to return to the Gold Coast.

More than 180,000 people are expected to attend three days of racing as Surfers Paradise plays host to the Gold Coast 600 round of the V8 Supercars Championship this weekend.

However, it is a far cry from the Indy days of old, when 300,000 enthusiasts flooded the Gold Coast to lap up the international atmosphere.

Indy's association with the Gold Coast ended suddenly in 2008 and has not returned.

Power, the Queenslander who finished second in this year's IndyCar series, and Bourdais will race at the GC600 as international co-drivers and the duo yesterday backed a return to the Gold Coast for Indy.

"I think everyone loved it when IndyCar came here. All the guys talked about it as the best race of the season," Power said. "I'd love to race an IndyCar here again.

"It's definitely a smaller event (now), there's no question about that.

"It's still cool to have a race on the water and on the streets of the Gold Coast.

"I think if you ask any IndyCar driver they would love to come back."

The Gold Coast-Indy relationship died due to excessive costs and bad timing.

Indy merged with the Champ Car series in 2008 to relieve the financial strain and the IndyCar championship is now well over before the Gold Coast 600 is run.

Bourdais, who will partner V8 championship leader Jamie Whincup this weekend, said the GC600 had struggled to make the transition without its marquee drawcard.

"The transition was a bit tough. It was a great combination for the event (having Indy and V8s)," he said.

"It's proven for IndyCars that it's very difficult to find a place for it, being so late in the season. The season has already been over for a month.

"It's just not easy. I wish we would be back because I really like this track.

"I've got great memories here. I clinched two championships here and it's a fun track.
"But it's not in our hands."

Whincup and Bourdais combined superbly last year to win one race and finish second in the other to claim the round victory. Herald Sun