The chaos of past Gold Coast Indys has champ car world series leader Paul Tracy planning to play it safe to avoid the carnage when the 2003 race gets underway on Sunday.

Starting third on the grid, Tracy can win the championship Vanderbilt Cup and a $US1 million ($A1.43 million) cash prize with a first or second place in Surfers Paradise.

The only other title contender is Brazil's Bruno Junqueira who is second on the grid alongside pole winner and Newman Haas team-mate Sebastian Bordais.

A normally aggressive racer, Tracy said his best chance to win the title was to finish the race.

He said crashes had marred many Gold Coast races which made the event one of the most unpredictable of the season.

Last year eight cars were destroyed in a horror pile up in the opening moments of the Indy during a rainstorm.

In 2000 front rowers Gil de Ferran and Juan Montoya collided on the first chicane knocking each other out of the race.

Rookie of the year Bordais of France was fastest in qualifying on Saturday and averaged 176.5 km/h around the 4.47 km track.

The Frenchman will be racing for his fourth victory of the season.

Tracy has won seven times this year.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP