V8 teams lock in co-drivers for Gold Coast

The full grid for the Armor All Gold Coast 600 has been released.

Twenty eight of the world’s best drivers – with backgrounds in Formula One, IndyCar, touring car and sportscar racing – will converge on the Gold Coast for the second-running of the international-flavoured race.

While the list of all of the drivers isn’t fresh news, the confirmation of the combinations is.

Triple Eight Race Engineering, currently running one-two in the V8 Supercars Championship, has also nominated Andy Priaulx to drive with title leader Craig Lowndes for the second year running. Former Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais will drive with Jamie Whincup.

While Priaulx has more V8 experience than most internationals, Bourdais was one of the stand-outs last year, driving with Jonathon Webb.

Garry Rogers Motorsport has also nominated its combinations, with Simon Pagenaud to drive with out-going team driver Lee Holdsworth. This leaves Michael Caruso to drive alongside former World Touring Car driver Augusto Farfus Jr.

Note – All teams will have until Friday afternoon after the final practice to nominate their final driver line-ups.

Some of the drivers who will score the lion’s share of the attention include Vitantonio Liuzzi, who will drive with Tony D’Alberto in the #3 Wilson Security Racing Falcon FG.

Liuzzi will become the first current F1 driver to race a V8 Supercar.

Before the drivers take to the Surfers Paradise track, the 28 internationals will test at Queensland Raceway on Wednesday.

Due to some of the overseas driver’s clashing commitments, some teams may test on Thursday morning, although it is expected that the majority will conduct their runs on Wednesday.

The Queensland Raceway tests are closed to public.

The Armor All Gold Coast 600 will be held on October 21-23.