Six-foot surfboard a mark of V8 supremacy.

They've taken longer to design than riding a wave on one of the renowned beaches of Queensland's Gold Coast, but the prized surfboards for this year's winner and placegetters in the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge at the Lexmark Indy 300 will take pride of place in anyone's trophy cabinet.

Today, V8 Supercar contenders, Jason Bargwanna [Larkham Motorsport], Paul Weel [Team Brock] and Paul Radisich [Team Betta Electrical] were riding a wave of excitement, during a visit to the Surfers Paradise Beach to road test the trophy boards in more familiar surrounds.

As last year's Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge winner, Bargwanna is excited at the prospect of adding another Queensland title and surfboard trophy to his list of achievements.

"Before last year's race I was probably one of the only people who thought I had a chance, but I made no mistakes and as others fell away we moved forward," said Bargwanna.

The 2002 Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge marked the start of the surfboard trophy tradition and also the first time that Championship points were up for grabs on the streets of Surfers Paradise.

That scenario made for some intense driving on the streets of the Gold Coast where Craig Lowndes [Ford Performance Racing] captured first race honours in the 2x100km format and Bargwanna the chequered flag in race two which ultimately secured the title.

More of the same can be expected during this year's Lexmark Indy 300 programme as drivers adjust to the tough closed street circuit.

"2002 was a story of contrasting races with fine sunny weather on the Saturday and then changeable conditions on the Sunday," Bargwanna added. "Both Craig and I made the most of the opportunity in the second race, staying on dry tyres while others gambled on wet tyres and fell back through the pack.

"It's a great place to win a race as the party atmosphere is always fun and the massive crowds really get behind the V8's."

There's a distinct Gold Coast feel to the production side of the spoils of victory in this year's Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge.

The handy work has been the culmination of expertise between designers TBD Group at West Burleigh and Internationally renowned surfboard shaper Nev Hyman.

During the preparation phase of producing a suitable ink that wouldn't bubble or delaminate and still allow the surfboards to be ridden, local professional surfers Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning and Luke Munro were tasked with the testing process.

Tickets for the Lexmark Indy 300 are available through Ticketek on www.ticketek.com or phone 1300 303 103, or visit the official event website at www.indy.com.au for further information.