THE SIDELINES : Australia Plans 1991 Indy Race

Organizers decided to go ahead with plans to hold an Indy car race in Australia next March.

Queensland State Treasurer Keith de Lacy said today his government has agreed to provide financial backing for the race, which will be held on a street circuit at Surfers Paradise, 50 miles south of Brisbane.

The race will be the opening event of the 1991 Championship Auto Racing Teams series and will be the first CART event to be held outside North America.

The race originally was backed by the state’s National Party government, which was voted out of office two weeks after giving the go-ahead. The new Labor government initially withdrew its backing, then reconsidered.