2002 Honda Indy 300

Background

The Honda Indy 300 was added to the 2002 CART schedule in November 2001, serving as the 17th of 19 races. Held on October 27 at the 2.795-mile Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, it was the twelfth edition of the event. Cristiano da Matta was the defending winner. Over 300,000 attendees were expected, and new grandstands were built due to rising ticket demand.

Festivities began on October 20 with a pit road fan day. On October 24, CART and organizers announced a contract extension through 2008. Da Matta had already clinched the Drivers' Championship after his win at Miami, holding 212 points, 69 ahead of Bruno Junqueira. Dario Franchitti (129), Patrick Carpentier (115), and Christian Fittipaldi (114) rounded out the top five.

Lola had secured the Constructors' Championship after Junqueira's win at Denver, leading Reynard 335 to 193. Toyota led the Manufacturers' Championship with 287 points, 46 ahead of Honda; Ford was eliminated after Miami. Da Matta expressed relief at clinching his first title and focused on winning the remaining races. He donned the #1 on his car from Surfers Paradise onward. Several drivers praised the circuit and its fans.

Practice and qualifying

Two practice sessions preceded the race. Friday morning's 80-minute session ran under luminous skies above 80°F. Cristiano da Matta set the fastest lap at 1:32.977, ahead of Adrián Fernández. Jimmy Vasser, Paul Tracy, and Michel Jourdain Jr. completed the top five. Dario Franchitti managed only seven laps before clutch issues ended his session. Three red flags occurred: Tora Takagi spun early; da Matta lost power at turn three; and course officials checked turn one's surface. Saturday morning's 75-minute session saw sunny skies and 86°F. Da Matta again led with a 1:31.514 lap, followed by Kenny Bräck, Scott Dixon, Bruno Junqueira, and Fernández. Three stoppages included cones knocked over at turn six, Christian Fittipaldi's spin at turn one (extended for surface repairs), and Takagi entering the runoff at turn three without reverse gear.

Warm-up

The Sunday warm-up began at 10:00 local time under rain, so teams switched to rain tires. The wet track caused spins and crashes for Paul Tracy, Michel Jourdain Jr., Mario Domínguez, and Dario Franchitti. Some drivers went into runoff areas but kept going.

Race

The race broadcast began at 2:00 PM local time on Speed Channel, with Bob Varsha, Tommy Kendall, and Scott Pruett commentating. Rain worsened, air temperature dropped to 71°F, and 103,351 fans attended. CART mandated a single-file rolling start. The green flag waved at 2:05 PM; Junqueira passed da Matta for the lead. A massive crash erupted behind them, prompting a red flag. The crash started when Vasser contacted Fernández's rear as he slowed. Andretti hit Tagliani's car, launching upside-down; Domínguez T-boned Takagi and Carpentier. Involved drivers included Vasser, Jourdain Jr., Carpentier, Tagliani, Fernández, Andretti, Franchitti, Domínguez, and Takagi. Vasser and Takagi landed upside-down. Most were uninjured, but Fernández and Takagi were stretchered to Gold Coast Hospital; Takagi had precautionary X-rays for pelvic pain.