It’s hot, it’s noisy, and there are thousands of men trolling the streets, looking for fast cars and fast times. Aging jet-fighters roar over-head, drowning out the hard-rock blasting in the background. V8s careen over chicanes and stunt drivers spin burn-outs, blinding the crowd with the acrid smoke from burning rubber. This is not some Mad Max sequel, but it might as well be.

Over a four-day period, the streets of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, becomes a racing track to host some of the finest cars and drivers around the globe.  Since 1991, the “Indy” has been one of Australia’s premier sporting events.

This year the city welcomed the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport to race next to Australia’s favorite V8 Supercars.  The event required a name change after the withdrawal of the Indy Cars. The V8 Supercars and the A1GP’s were combined to created the new name, SuperGP.

But just five days before the 2009 Nikon SuperGP was scheduled to begin, the contract for the A1GP series was terminated.  The cars were locked in a London warehouse due to debts of millions of dollars, resulting in the A1GP’s failure to fulfill their contractual obligations.

Regardless of the absence of the A1GP races, attendance was still high with approximately 200,000 spectators from across the country coming to watch the V8s, Aussie Racing Cars, Formula Fords, and the V8 Legends. Last year’s event drew a crowd of approximately 297,000.

During the events, crowds watch from rented high-rise balconies, draping rivaling Ford and Holden signs over the rails. Amongst the motor-industry paraphernalia, the occasional blow up doll is spotted.  Since the 2007 crackdown on female nudity, naked women on balconies have become a rare sight.

Off of the track, the tradition of female objectification is kept alive via the TW Steel Miss SuperGP competition. Women over the age of 18 years vie against each other for the over $40,000 in cash and prizes and the privilege to be crowned, Miss SuperGP.

The V8s keep spectators on the edge of their seats as the cars negotiate their way around the streets surrounding some of Surfers’ tallest high rises.  On and off the track spectators were kept entertained by numerous activities including live band performances, the Sea FM Air show’s high-speed Roulettes drift shows and Victor Brays drag car and possibly the last ever  F-111 dump and burn.

Photos by, Jerad Williams, Kelly McIlvenny, Elizabeth Walters, Nick Grant, Stephanie Mindorff, Laura Huinink, Mireille Merlet-Shaw.

Production by Katie Garvan, Text by Elizabeth Walters