Former open-wheel racer Scott Goodyear has admitted he is excited by the re-unification of the American open-wheel scene for the 2008 season.
The talented Canadian is probably best remembered for his 'closest ever finish' result at the Indy 500 in 1992 when he finished just 0.043 behind Al Unser Junior after starting last on the grid.
Goodyear, now an expert analyst for
ESPN, spent time on both sides of the open-wheel divide as, after driving his final CART race at Laguna Seca in 1996, he moved over to the IndyCar Series where he made 39 starts before being forced into retirement following an accident in the 2001 Indy 500.
"The IndyCar Series of the future will bring all the best open-wheel drivers together in the same series, on the same tracks, driving the same cars, making it easy for fans to understand what they are watching," he reflected. "We know we will bring all the die-hard fans together, either at the racetrack or in front of the television sets. For the casual fan, now there is no confusion about what series they are watching.
"Thankfully, it's the beginning of the revival of open-wheel racing. Now let's go have some fun."
In particular, Goodyear admitted he was excited by the prospect of the series heading to Australia for the Gold Coast Indy 300 with a deal having been reached for the new-look IndyCar Series to race at Surfers Paradise for at least the next six years.
"If Surfers Paradise is added to the schedule for 2008, I know this race will quickly become a favourite for all," he said. "For my first event there, my wife Leslie and I went down early so we could spend a week enjoying the beach and the outback.
"For me, the highlight of the season would be returning to Surfers Paradise. Even though I had a couple of adventures there, this is a very cool track and a great event. Sure it's a long haul to get over there, but as the final event of the season everyone will want to take some time to hang out and enjoy one of the prettiest places on Earth.
