A podium sweep, a first-time rookie winner and a team that had not existed until weeks before the first round breaking through against the category’s giants. There was no shortage of feel-good stories following American Spirit Team Johansson driver Ryan Hunter-Reay’s victory in what turned out to be the final CART race of 2003 at Surfers Paradise.
But a race that is today viewed as the end of an era as the 95th and final victory for Reynard in US open-wheel competition, at the same track Michael Andretti gave the company its customary debut win in 1994, went very much against the run of play for a year dominated by Lola.
