Roulettes make a hit in their return to Surfers skies as bumper crowds flock to Gold Coast 600

LOCALS and tourists stopped in their tracks and gathered on high-rise balconies to watch the Roulettes make an emphatic return to Gold Coast 600.

GC600

LOCALS and tourists were stopped in their tracks this afternoon while others rushed to their high-rise balconies to watch the Roulettes make an emphatic return to Gold Coast 600 weekend.

The planes performed incredible acrobatics, sweeping from south to north across Surfers Paradise and beyond.

Organisers are predicting strong crowd numbers after tens of thousands of people filed through the gates.

The normally quiet practise day was packed with V8 fans getting an early taste of the high-octane action.

The “no boobs on balconies’’ edict has lasted only hours as balcony shenanigans begin and thousands flock to the opening day of the GC600.

Thousands of fans packed high-rises and flocked to the Surfers Paradise street track for the opening day of the carnival.

The RAAF Roulettes take to the sky above Surfers Paradise as part of the Gold Coast 600 celebrations. Picture: David Clark

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Most people used the G: Link to get into the track and trams between Southport and Broadbeach were busy from 10am.

V8 Supercars boss James Warburton said he was “on top of the world”.

“This is a very special event and we are expecting a great race,” he said.

Spectators take advantage of G: Link trams to get to the track this morning Picture: David Clark

Those expectations were held up by the performances of V8 drivers in the day’s opening practice sessions.

Ford driver Scott Pye, of Wilson Security Racing, led the opening practice session with a best lap time of 1min 11.418sec in his Falcon FG, with his co-driver Steven Johnson posting the seventh best time in the first of the co-driver practices.

Scott Pye on his way to the fastest time in the opening driver practice session this morning. Picture: Glenn Hampson

But Craig Lowndes and Steve Richards set the pace overall, showing they are on track to replicate the win they took in last year’s opening race on the Gold Coast.

Gold Coaster Rick Kelly could be a dark horse though.

Craig Lowndes is on track to replicate last year’s Gold Coast 600 win after he and Steve Richards set the best practice times overall. Picture: Adam Head

After struggling with mechanical problems in his first year with Nissan last season, Kelly and David Russell showed they were very much on pace today and cannot be counted out at the weekend.

Championship leader Jamie Whincup was 12th, with his title rival Winterbottom 18th-fastest.

Both lead drivers and co-drivers will have another practice session this afternoon.

Thousands of fans have flocked to Surfers Paradise for the opening day of the Gold Coast 600.

There were plenty of police on duty keeping an eye on things and not everyone behaved themselves.

One overenthusiastic race fan who ignored the “no boobs on balconies’’ rule was captured by an amateur photographer.