2003 Lexmark Indy 300

The 2003 Lexmark Indy 300 was the eighteenth round of the 2003 CART World Series season, held on 26 October 2003 on the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, Queensland, Australia. A hail storm 20 minutes into the race caused an hour long red flag period and shortened the race to 47 laps from the scheduled 65.

2003 Surfers Paradise

Race details
Race 18 of 19 in the 2003 CART season
Track map of the Surfers Paradise street circuit at Surfers Paradise, Australia.
Date	26 October, 2003
Official name	Lexmark Indy 300
Location	Surfers Paradise Street Circuit Queensland, Australia
Course	Temporary Street Circuit 2.795 mi / 4.498 km
Distance	47 laps 131.365 mi / 211.406 km
Weather	Thunderstorms with temperatures reaching up to 27.4 °C (81.3 °F)[1]
Pole position
Driver	Sébastien Bourdais (Newman/Haas Racing)
Time	1:31.718
Fastest lap
Driver	Roberto Moreno (Herdez Competition)
Time	1:35.561 (on lap 10 of 47)
Podium
First	Ryan Hunter-Reay (American Spirit Team Johansson)
Second	Darren Manning (Walker Racing)
Third	Jimmy Vasser (American Spirit Team Johansson)

Ryan Hunter-Reay won the race, his first victory in top-level American open wheel racing, and Reynard's final win in CART competition (sweeping the podium positions). Neither of the two drivers who could still win the season championship, leader Paul Tracy and second-place Bruno Junqueira, finished in the Top 12 points-paying positions (though Junqueira received two bonus points on the weekend: one for having the fastest lap in Friday qualifying, and the other for leading the most laps in the race), meaning Tracy had a big enough lead to clinch the championship with one race to go.[2]