With the biggest field in seven years — 24 cars — and five former champions either driving or back as team owners, organizers of Sunday’s Indy 300 are hoping they haven’t saved their best for last.

With the Surfers Paradise race missing from the 2009 Indy Racing League schedule, there’s a possibility that the race, first held in 1991 and one of the most well-attended and popular on the old CART and then Champ Car series, might not be held again.

The IRL and local organizers are meeting this week to discuss the future of the race, and a decision is expected in about two weeks.

Scheduling in the regular late October race is the stumbling block — the mostly U.S.-based IRL wants its season finished before the start of the National Football League season, and Gold Coast organizers don’t want the race moved up because it will clash with Australia’s national football finals.

Regardless, Sunday’s race should go out with a bang — and maybe a few other mishaps along the way as the expanded field due to the IRL-Champ merger tries to find room on the tight 14-turn, 2.795-mile temporary beachside street course that winds its way around high-rise hotels and resort apartments.

The biggest test will come on the first turn — a tricky chicane that has been the scene of numerous accidents in the 17-year history of the race which, not surprisingly, has produced only one repeat winner — Sebastien Bourdais in 2005 and 2007.

“Coming down the front straight is where we reach the fastest speed, about 185 mph,” said Canadian Alex Tagliani, who has two third-place finishes in Australia in eight appearances on the course.

“Then we must brake hard for the first chicane in order to slow down to 90 mph. We have to be aggressive over the curbs and then reaccelerate … ”

The entry list includes three former Surfers Paradise champions — Dario Franchitti (1999), Bruno Lunqueira (2004) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (2003). Former drivers Michael Andretti (the 1994 winner) and Jimmy Vasser (1996) return as team owners.

Andretti and Bobby Rahal will watch their sons, Marco and Graham, respectively, from pit lane in Sunday’s race. A.J. Foyt IV, the grandson of four-time Indy 500 winner and son of 1992 Gold Coast race entrant and current IRL team owner, A.J. Foyt, will also be making his Australian debut.

The five former Indy 500 winners include reigning winner and IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, who was born in nearby Brisbane but was raised a New Zealander.

Danica Patrick, who became the first woman to win a major open-wheel event in Japan in April, is making her first trip to Australia.

“I’ve heard about this race for a number of years, and I’m looking forward to finally driving in it,” Patrick said Thursday at a drivers’ breakfast.

Franchitti will make his first start with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Vitor Meira will debut with A.J. Foyt Racing, Dan Wheldon moves to Panther Racing and Tagliani will attempt to cement a spot with Conquest Racing after driving for the team in the final two events of 2008.

Whether any of those drivers are back next year depends on continuing negotiations led by Indy 300 chairman Terry Mackenroth and Terry Angstadt, the IRL’s commercial division president.

Organizers want a five-year contract to continue running the event and the Queensland state government, which backs the race with about $8 million of funding each year, would prefer that the date stay in late October.

“We will be holding a number of meetings over the weekend. If an agreement can be reached, a binding contract will be signed within 14 days of the event,” Mackenroth said Thursday.

Angstadt, who arrived just several hours earlier from the IRL’s head office in Indianapolis, said three scheduling options were being discussed in an effort to keep the race in Australia.

“We want to make something work,” Angstadt said.

Hookscenter.com wire report.