Full Throttle

Good-day mate works for meeting someone in the land of Kangaroos and Vegemite, but how do you say good-by?

The “exiting salutation” is needed, according to several sources negotiations between the local Bligh government and IndyCar have been broken off.

After 18 years, the race will be replaced with the A1 Grand Prix series to take its place alongside the V8s next October, Premier Anna Bligh has told the Gold Coast Bulletin. (Note: The story isn’t posted, the latest online is reported as “indecision” over the weekend and thru Monday local time.)

Other reports state Queensland state Sports Minister Judy Spence said her government, which had financially backed the Gold Coast race, opposed the IRL’s request to move the event to March.

“They have an expanded series of events and our Indy clashes with the early part of the American football season,” Spence said. “Moving our race to March as they had requested was not an option.”

Premier Anna Bligh is quoted as saying a new five-year deal has been reached with the A1GP for the Gold Coast to join its race calendar that includes Australia, Great Britain, China, Mexico, Portugal, New Zealand, and fourteen other nations.

“We have reached in principle agreement with the A1GP and expect to finalise contractual arrangements within the next week,” she told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

“The A1GP is a world-class racing series with an action-packed race calendar.”

My resident Aussie commenter PeterG should be along any minute to provide the correct good-by salutation to Tony George and IndyCar.

I suspect it will be short, two words short, and start with the letters “F” and “O”. Or possibly, if feeling extra nationalistic today, “B” and “O” for Bugger Off!