INDY: Lexmark Indy 300 expected to break new records
27/8/2003 17:22 (Press Release) -
The 2003 Lexmark Indy 300 on the Gold Coast is expected to attract more than 300,000 people, Premier Peter Beattie announced today.
Mr Beattie and the Deputy Premier, Treasurer, and Sports Minister Terry Mackenroth officially launched this year's Lexmark Indy 300 by unveiling a sand sculpture at Broadbeach.
The sculpture was developed by world champion Dennis Massoud over the past two weeks and depicts a Champ Car and V8 Supercar cutting through the ocean; it has been entitled 'Lexmark Indy 300 emerges from the Heatwaves'.
Mr Beattie said this year's Lexmark Indy 300, which will be run on the streets of Surfers Paradise from 23-26 October was on target for another record-breaking year.
"If the weather is kind to us this year, the event has the potential to draw over 300,000 people over the four days which will set a new attendance record," Mr Beattie said.
"The Lexmark Indy 300 has all of the elements to do this. There is nothing more exciting than seeing the Champ Cars and V8 Supercars going full throttle along one of the finest and highly regarded street circuits in the world.
"That's not to mention the support racing and entertainment that caters for people of all ages and interests."
Mr Beattie said preparations for the event are also expected to set a new record with construction of the track expected to take only 96 days, down from 102 days last year and 199 days in 1996.
Mr Beattie praised organisers for trying something different with the launch by securing a world champion sand sculptor to carve out an Indy masterpiece.
"Indy is all about colour, speed, excitement and performance. This sculpture has all of those ingredients and will be a wonderful showpiece right through the event.
"I congratulate Queensland's latest world champion Dennis Massoud on the result of two weeks of toil and precision artwork," Mr Beattie said.
Mr Mackenroth said the Lexmark Indy 300 would remain a vital component of Queensland's tourism and sport's industries for at least another five years.
"We are pleased to announce today that the V8 Supercars will be a headline act at the Lexmark Indy 300 for at least another three years, and moves are underway to guarantee an extremely exciting future for CART, the Champ Car organisers," said Mr Mackenroth.
"Crowds have consistently increased since 1995, and with that, the economic injection into the Gold Coast region has grown to more than $50 million per year.
"Then there is the added benefit of broadcasting the wonders of the Gold Coast and Queensland to a potential audience of more than 93 million homes and 250 million viewers in 54 countries. That can only mean great news for tourism."
Lexmark Indy 300 chairman John Cowley said 2003 was the start of a new chapter in the event's history.
"We have a great new naming rights sponsor in Lexmark, new branding around the slogan 'Indy Fever - Catch the Heatwaves', a host of new Champ Car teams and drivers, Ford taking the challenge up to Holden in the V8 Supercars, the circuit being constructed in a record number of days and an extensive off-track events calendar," Mr Cowley said.
Sand sculptor Dennis Massoud has been overwhelmed by the interest in his sculpture and the Indy since he began construction two weeks ago.
"The preparation of the sculpture has attracted a lot of interest, and I'm sure people will be impressed by the finished work. It is the first ever created of a Champ Car and a V8 Supercar," said Mr Massoud.
"This will be a great visual reminder that it is just around the corner, and I am privileged to have played an important part this year."
Lexmark managing director Henrik Stensfeldt said the global technology leader dedicated solely to printing solutions was anticipating a successful event in the first year of its naming rights sponsorship.
"Lexmark and the Lexmark Indy 300 both represent speed and performance," said Mr Stensfeldt. "We are both innovative and focussed on our goal to stay at the front of the field.
"The Lexmark Indy 300 has all of the ingredients to maintain its growth, and we look forward another wonderful year with all of action and entertainment both on and off the track."
Massoud, Australia's only full-time professional sand sculptor, won the World Sand Sculpting Championships in Denmark in June.
--Lexmark Indy 300 press release
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