Surfers Paradise 1380

Surfers Paradise

Surfers Paradise is a fast temporary road course adjacent to Queensland's Gold Coast, which holds a V8 Supercar event each year.

Surfers Paradise is a fast temporary road course adjacent to Queensland's Gold Coast, which holds a V8 Supercar event each year. Its origins date back to 1991 and the first Champ Car race to be held outside the Americas – John Andretti scoring his only such victory that day. The Gold Coast Champ Car Grand Prix incurred the FIA’s wrath at the time and prompted a retrospective ruling from Paris that the series could only expand further on ovals. That ruling was later rescinded but the Champ Car World Series was eventually absorbed into the rival IndyCar championship after the 2007 season. V8 Supercars have been the headline act at Surfers Paradise ever since, star drivers imported for the popular event each year. The original circuit was essentially a series of long straights interrupted by chicanes; the proximity of concrete barriers has led to many incidents, including the 1997 crash in which Christian Fittipaldi broke his leg. The layout was cut in half in 2010 with the circuit now measuring 1.85 miles.

Circuit

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Type

Temporary street circuit

Length

1.839 (Miles)

Change

Southern section bypassed with the track now turning left after the first chicane

Type

Temporary street circuit

Length

2.795 (Miles)

Change

Chicane on Main Beach Parade modified. Re-measured in 1996, previously believed to be 2.804 miles

Fastest Race Lap

Graham Rahal (Panoz DP01-Cosworth), 1m31.093, 110.459 mph, Champ Cars, 2007

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Will Power (Panoz DP01-Cosworth), 1m30.054, 111.733 mph, Champ Cars, 2007

Type

Temporary street circuit

Length

2.794 (Miles)

Change

Original street circuit

Fastest Race Lap

Nigel Mansell (Lola T94/00-Ford), 1m37.487, 103.177 mph, Champ Cars, 1994

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Nigel Mansell (Lola T94/00-Ford), 1m34.877, 106.015 mph, Champ Cars, 1994

Latest Races

3,413

Championships

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19,330

Results

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25,216

Drivers

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14,546

Teams

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917

Circuits

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