Gold Coast 500

The Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 brings premier v8supercars racing to the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit for the 2026 season. This event serves as Round 12 of the Repco Supercars Championship and opens the Finals Series, where the top 10 drivers compete for the championship title. The temporary street circuit runs through Surfers Paradise, creating a unique racing environment where v8supercars navigate tight corners and fast sections along the beachside location.

Surfers Paradise Street Circuit

The Surfers Paradise Street Circuit measures 2.960 kilometers (1.839 miles) and features 15 turns. The circuit has an elevation change of 8 meters, which adds technical challenges for drivers. Two demanding chicanes test precision and car control throughout each lap. The track is constructed specifically for the Gold Coast 500 and then dismantled afterward, making it a temporary facility that transforms the city streets into a racing venue. Barriers line the circuit as v8supercars compete at speeds reaching 300 km/h. The layout provides multiple opportunities for overtaking, with both tight technical sections and faster straights.

Race Format

The 2026 Gold Coast 500 follows a three-day format. Friday features practice sessions for all teams. Saturday and Sunday each host a 250-kilometer race, with each race consisting of 85 laps of the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit. Qualifying sessions determine the starting grid for both races. Top ten shootouts decide pole position for Saturday and Sunday. All 24 cars participate in each race, including both championship finalists and non-finalists.

Finals Series Structure

As the opening round of the Supercars Finals Series, this event holds significant championship implications. The top 10 drivers in the standings compete for the title. After the Gold Coast 500 concludes, the three lowest-placed finalists exit championship contention. Points reset for the remaining drivers who advance to subsequent Finals rounds. Non-finalist drivers can still influence championship outcomes through their race performances.

2026 Teams and Drivers

The 2026 season introduces major changes to the v8supercars grid. Toyota joins the championship as a new manufacturer, with Walkinshaw Andretti United and Brad Jones Racing campaigning the Toyota GR Supra. Triple Eight Race Engineering returns to Ford with Mustang entries. Team 18 leads Chevrolet as the new homologation team.

Key Team Lineups

Red Bull Ampol Racing fields Ford Mustangs for Broc Feeney and Will Brown. Walkinshaw Andretti United runs Toyota GR Supras for Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood. Penrite Racing campaigns Ford Mustangs with Matt Payne and Kai Allen. Tickford Racing continues with Ford Mustangs for Cam Waters and Thomas Randle. Team 18 operates Chevrolet Camaros for Anton De Pasquale and David Reynolds.

Dick Johnson Racing enters Ford Mustangs for Brodie Kostecki and rookie Rylan Gray. Brad Jones Racing runs a three-car Toyota GR Supra program with André Heimgartner, Cameron Hill, and Macauley Jones. Matt Stone Racing fields Chevrolet Camaros for Jack Le Brocq and rookie Zach Bates. Erebus Motorsport campaigns Chevrolet Camaros with Cooper Murray and rookie Jobe Stewart. PremiAir Racing runs Chevrolet Camaros for rookies Jayden Ojeda and Declan Fraser. Blanchard Racing Team operates Ford Mustangs for Aaron Cameron and James Golding. SCT Motorsport, supported by Triple Eight Race Engineering, fields Ford Mustangs for rookie Jackson Walls.

Five rookies join the 2026 season: Rylan Gray, Zach Bates, Jobe Stewart, Jayden Ojeda, and Jackson Walls. Chaz Mostert enters as the defending Drivers' Champion. Broc Feeney holds the defending Sprint Cup title, while Triple Eight Race Engineering is the defending Teams' Champion.

Gen3 Technical Specifications

The 2026 season marks the fourth year of Gen3 regulations for v8supercars. These rules prioritize road relevance and technical parity across manufacturers. All cars feature V8 engines, front-engine layouts, and rear-wheel drive configurations. Gen3 cars share body components with their road-going equivalents, including doors, roofs, windows, and bonnets.

Manufacturer Specifications

The Ford Mustang GT S650 uses a 5.4-liter V8 engine. The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1-1LE runs a V8 powerplant. The Toyota GR Supra, debuting in 2026, employs a 5.2-liter V8 engine. Gen3 regulations reduced aerodynamic downforce by over 50% compared to previous generations, placing greater emphasis on driver skill.

All Gen3 v8supercars weigh 1350 kilograms. Fuel tank capacity is 121 liters for Finals rounds. The cars accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and reach top speeds of 300 km/h. These specifications create close racing and allow drivers to showcase their abilities on the demanding Surfers Paradise Street Circuit.

Event History

The Gold Coast 500 has been a regular fixture of the Supercars Championship since 2010. V8 Supercars competed for points at Surfers Paradise starting in 2002. From 1994 to 2008, V8 Supercars served as a support category to the Gold Coast Indy 300, which featured American Championship car racing. The circuit was shortened from its original 4.47-kilometer layout in 2010.

The event previously ran as the Gold Coast 600 with international co-drivers before becoming a single-driver 500-kilometer race. The 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the event returning in 2022. Sébastien Bourdais holds the distinction of winning at Surfers Paradise in both a Champ Car and a V8 Supercar.

Queensland's street party atmosphere combines high-speed v8supercars racing with beachside energy. Live music and off-track displays complement the on-track action throughout the weekend. The unique setting of the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit creates a festival environment where racing takes center stage against the coastal backdrop.