INDY CARNIVAL - EVENT AND CORPORATE BACKGROUND 1990 to 1995.

Indy Carnival on March 16 to 19 will be the fifth annual IndyCar race on the 116,856 bytes. Gold Coast.

The Indy was mooted in the late 1980s and became the first project of the then-new Queensland events Corporation, which was formed by the Bjelke-Petersen Government to find other events to maintain the momentum of the successful World Expo 88.

Many of the workers of the first Indy in March 1991 were ex-employees of Expo, specialising in management, operations, marketing, merchandising and catering.

It was the first IndyCar championship round staged outside North America by Championship Auto racing Teams Inc - and remains the only one. Run as a rebel event without the sanction of national or international sport authorities, it created wide controversy. This was basically settled when CART agreed any future international expansion - into traditional Formula One territory - would be limited to six races only and only on traditional American-style oval tracks.

The project survived a change of government to Wayne Goss and Queensland labor in late 1990. It was the responsibility in the first years of Treasurer Keith de Lacy and from the 1994 event has been in the portfolio of Tourism, Sport and Recreation Minister Bob Gibbs.

Under this Minister, the event has a close relationship with the Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation, which uses it to promote Queensland and Gold Coast tourism throughout Australia and overseas.

The Indy has received a four year guarantee of support by the government and a similar contract by the IndyCar series organisers in America. Deals are in place up to and including the 1998 race, The contract is expected to be extended further by this time. Adelaide GP Event Manager Glen Jones was appointed Indy Chief Executive and International Marketing Group won a contract to supply marketing services.

Thus Indy, is only halfway through its initial "life" - four years down and four years to go.

The event has gone from strength to strength every year with attendance in 1994 topping 243,000 in four days making the Indy one of Australia's biggest and most spectacular sports and entertainment events.

Return to history of the IndyCar Australia.