Stars sign up for Surfers enduro
Scott Dixon is one of several star drivers to sign up for the V8 Supercar round at Surfers Paradise this October
The two-time IndyCar champion will join Todd and Rick Kelly's Jack Daniel's Racing team for the endurance event, which is two weeks after Bathurst.
Dixon's IndyCar rivals Ryan Briscoe, Dario Franchitti, Will Power and Alex Tagliani have also signed up for the Surfers race, as well as former grand prix drivers Sebastien Bourdais, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Mika Salo, Gianni Morbidelli and David Brabham, and former BTCC champion Fabrizio Giovanardi.
World Touring Car drivers Andy Priaulx, Yvan Muller, Alain Menu and Tiago Monteiro will also enter, provided a replacement date for the cancelled WTCC round in Mexico doesn't clash with Surfers.
Dixon has raced on the Gold Coast street circuit three times since moving to the US - twice in Champ Car and once in the non-championship IndyCar race in 2008 - and says it is his favourite track.
"Gold Coast as a race, for me, it was my favourite race," he said. "I'm probably a little biased because I can catch up with friends and family with it being so close to New Zealand. The fact that you have the party atmosphere, you have a big race going on, it's by the beach, you couldn't ask for anything more and it's definitely a standout.
"I'd say 90 per cent of the drivers always loved that race. It was the best race that we go to and everybody looked forward to it. Everybody would fly in a week before the race. A lot of the races in America you fly in the Thursday night before it starts on Friday.
"It's a shame that we're not back [at Surfers] in IndyCar but to go back in a V8 is going to be even cooler."
Although it will be his first time in a V8 Supercar, Dixon is still confident of a good result at Surfers.
"I'm definitely looking forward to it," he said. "To go back to the Gold Coast, it's a lot different to any of the other times I've run there. I think for me to go back to those roots and actually race in this series, which is a very big series down there, is going to be a lot of fun - and hopefully we can get a good result out of it."
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