After eight years as a support class of the Indy round on the Gold Coast, the V8 Supercars Championship played for points for the first time in 2002.
Since its first appearance on the Gold Coast street circuit in 1994, the since rebranded V8 Supercar Championship had boomed under the leadership of Tony Cochrane.
Cochrane had revolutionised the Australian Touring Car Championship since IMG took on the promotional rights in 1996.
At this stage, professionalism was growing at the height of its popularity leading to growth into New Zealand and a high-class field.
For 2002, a 13-round series was contested with the addition of a championship round on the Gold Coast where previously team’s raced in spare chassis or didn’t take it all that serious. This now stopped.
The move of Bathurst back to its regular scheduling also meant teams weren’t under the pump to effect repairs a couple of weeks before the Great Race.
The 2002 season was highlighted by Mark Skaife and the Holden Racing Team’s domination, but the Gold Coast provided an unlikely winner. Skaife held a remarkable 751-point margin back to teammate Jason Bright in the title standings.
Gold Coast featured a Top 10 Shootout for the first time as Greg Murphy for Kmart Racing won it on a 1m 50.073 to be 0.05s clear of John Bowe.
Two 22-lap races were held on the tight street circuit as the opener provided plenty of biff courtesy of Russell Ingall being aided into the wall and Bowe losing it into the tyres.
There was controversy on the Gold Coast surrounding kerb hopping, which dropped many drivers including Skaife out of contention.
Big movers in the opening race won by Murphy included Steven Richards up six into fourth and Jason Bargwanna moving from 14th to fifth.
The weather turned foul for Sunday’s race, with the Supercars skating around in the greasy conditions.
Craig Lowndes led the way early, but Murphy took advantage when the 00 Motorsport Falcon slid at the final corner, but it was Bargwanna charging.
It was Bargwanna in the second outlasting Lowndes in the second, but a penalty to the Ford driver left the duo equal on points for the round. The Garry Rogers Motorsport pilot got the round victory courtesy of his race win.
The 2002 season proved a disappointing one for Garry Rogers Motorsport after being title contenders in 2000, so the win was good morale boost for the team.