MOTORSPORT: Pall over Gold Coast 600

The track, near the Nerang River and just a few kilometres inland from the Gold Coast's beaches, hosted rounds of the Tasman Series for openwheelers driven by many of the world's greats, touring cars, sports car enduros, international motorcycle racing and drags. Long ago swallowed by real estate development, SPIR was the kind of all-purpose motorsport facility that the Gold Coast desperately needs now.

Williams also built Adelaide International Raceway, subsequently sold to his mate Bob Jane, and for some years ran Brisbane's Lakeside. But he was better known to the broader public as the creator of the Gold Coast's Sea World and the developer of Hamilton and Daydream islands further north in the Whitsundays. More recently and most controversially he established Port Hinchinbrook at Cardwell between Townsville and Cairns.

Williams was labelled one of the original members of Queensland's "white shoe brigade" who backed -- and were supported by -- then National Party premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

While it was mega tourism developments that made Williams the bulk of his fortune, the former water ski champion always remained enormously proud of the Gold Coast racetrack across the road from his Surfers' Paradise Ski Gardens. "I loved building the racing circuit at Carrara," he often said. It was through that circuit that Williams forged enduring friendships with the likes of triple Formula One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart as well as Australia's greatest racers.

Dan Wheldon's death last Monday deprived the American-based Brit of partnering V8 Supercar champion James Courtney in a Holden Racing Team Commodore on the streets of Surfers' Paradise this weekend. Wheldon drove for Panther Racing in the final Indy on the Gold Coast in 2008, finishing 11th. He was famous for winning two Indianapolis 500s (including this year's in sensational circumstances), an Indy Racing League title and losing another on a countback, and as a charismatic extrovert.

Wheldon will be suitably mourned at the Gold Coast over the next few days, including a ceremony at the circuit on Saturday morning. Those gathered there ought also to remember the enormous part Keith Williams played in the history of Australian motor racing.

Northern Irishman Richard Lyons filled the vacancy with Mark Winterbottom in his Ford Performance Racing Falcon after Will Power's withdrawal because of a back injury he suffered in the 15-car Las Vegas pile-up. And fresh from his Bathurst podium alongside Greg Murphy, Dane Allan Simonsen has slotted into Jason Bargwanna's Commodore in place of Brazilian Tony Kanaan.

Three drivers from Monday's tragic IndyCar finale in Las Vegas -- Sydneysider Ryan Briscoe, Brazilian Helio Castroneves and Canadian Alex Tagliani -- have taken their places on the Gold Coast. Most of the 28 cars and driver combinations tested at Queensland Raceway on Wednesday.

The weekend's two 300km (102-lap) races will both be run on Dunlop's soft tyres for the first time. International co-drivers are required to drive at least one-third the distance in each.

Seventeen drivers in the field are making their first start on the Gold Coast, never having raced a V8 Supercar or Indy car on the temporary street circuit. Nine of the 18 international drivers who competed last year have returned.

Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi is the first active F1 driver to compete at the Gold Coast (he races for small Spanish team HRT as young Australian Daniel Ricciardo's teammate) but the weekend's field includes seven others with F1 experience.

Italian Emanuele Pirro is the only driver in the field to have won the Le Mans 24-Hour outright, and at 49 is the oldest racer in the 600, but several others have been class winners at the classic French sportscar race.

James Moffat is the only full-time V8 Supercars driver having his first start on the Gold Coast in the category, although he raced -- and won - on the circuit in the Porsche Carrera Cup in 2008.

HRT's Garth Tander has an outstanding record on the streets of Surfers' Paradise -- he has had seven wins and finished second three other times in his past 13 starts there.

Tander is now fourth in this season's V8 Supercars Championship; just 47 points behind third-placed Stone Brothers/Ford's Shane van Gisbergen, after his recent Bathurst 1000 victory with young Nick Percat.

While Holden has dominated this year's championship with 18 wins to Ford's two, Ford has won 21 of the 39 V8 Supercar races on the Gold Coast.

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