Here's the successful game plan that has been sorted out over the last 10 years
Rock up to Coast at about 7am, so leave home at about 6. Park your car just over the Nerang River bridge, on the norther/Southport side, in one of the streets around that sad looking shopping center. Then it is a 10 minute hike over the bridge, and you can buy your ticket at the northern gate (at that time of the morning the queue isn't too long).
When inside, the best bet is to walk around for the morning and check out the support classes from as many different spots as possible.
I'd start out by walking down to the bridge on the main straight over to the hill. Then walk up Hill Parade, around past Conrod Jupiters Corner (we're going against the track direction here), up to the Fosters Chicane, and the first chicane on the beachside. Then you can cut back over to the chiacne on the main straight. Then you can wonder down to the V8 pits, or you could retrace your steps and go back towards the Fosters Chiacane, but vere left towards the Indy pits. By about this time the traffic is fairly heavy, and it might take 10 minutes to cross the bridge to the Indy pits. Have a gork around there, give me a phone call (
) then probably head back to the hill to watch the race. They've got a big screen there, and it is generally a lot of fun.
At the end of the race, don't fart around too much, but if you cna move with the flow of humans and can get back to your car in decent time, head for Smith Street, and you'll beat most of the chaos.