RECORDS! Drivers who raced on the Gold Coast and in Adelaide

The Gold Coast followed in the footsteps of Adelaide by hosting an international open-wheel category on a city-based street circuit.

The North American-based IndyCar Series held its first race on the street of Surfers Paradise, in the heart of the Gold Coast, in 1991.

Overcoming controversy around whether the series could host a round outside of North America, which drew the ire of the world motorsport governing body the FIA and Formula 1 management, the event grew in popularity. This was particularly the case in 1993, when reigning Formula 1 world champion Nigel Mansell made his IndyCar debut on the Gold Coast and duly won.

The event continued following the split of IndyCar racing in 1996 by hosting what became known as CART/Champ Car. However, when reunification took place in 2008 the series opted to focus on North American events.

The short-lived A1 Grand Prix category was set to replace IndyCar on the Gold Coast but never arrived, folding in 2009. Supercars stepped up with an endurance event (the Gold Coast 600) from 2010, which included international co-drivers between 2010 and 2012.

These are the drivers who raced in an Adelaide Grand Prix and on the Gold Coast:

Gold Coast Indy:

–           Eddie Cheever (’91, ’92, ’93, ’95)

–           Nigel Mansell (’93, ’94)

–           Teo Fabi (’93, ’94, ’95)

–           Stefan Johansson (’93, ’94, ’95, ’96)

–           Andrea Montermini (’93, ’94, ’99)

–           Maurício Gugelmin (’94, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’99, ’00, ’01)

–           Christian Fittipaldi (’95, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’99, ’00, ’01, ’02)

–           Alessandro Zanardi (’96, ’97, ’98)

–           Roberto Moreno (’96, ’00, ’01, ’03)

–           Mark Blundell (’97, ’98, ’99, ’00)

–           JJ Lehto (’98)

–           Mika Salo (’03)

Gold Coast 600:

–           David Brabham (’10, ’12)

–           Mika Salo (’10, ’11, ’12)

–           Gianni Morbidelli (’10, ’11, ’12)

–           Emanuele Pirro (’11)