THE 30th anniversary Leyburn Sprints is set to be highlighted by the Night with the Stars, Under the Stars, featuring Dick Johnson, John Bowe, Bruce Allison, Charlie O’Brien, Kevin Bartlett, Colin Bond, Bap Romano and Steve Masterton.
The event, scheduled for Thursday, August 13, will be held at the 100-year-old Ellangowan Woolshed, owned by local farmer and rugby league legend Shane Webcke.
Weekend Australian motoring columnist and Historic Leyburn Sprints competitor John Connolly will be the special guest speaker.
The event, originally organised to celebrate the 1949 Australian Grand Prix, contested on a nearby RAAF landing strip, has since carved out its own special place on the motorsport calendar.
“We haven’t done anything like this before. It’s going to be a wonderful night of entertainment, great food and drinks and traditional Sprints camaraderie before the big weekend kicks off on Friday,” said Tricia Chant, Leyburn Sprints President.
“Two years ago, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the 1949 Leyburn Australian Grand Prix. This year we mark the foundation of the Sprints in 1996 by a committee of local people and the Historic Racing Car Club of Queensland.
“Who could imagine the Sprints would grow to what it has become today – an historic racing festival with its roots in an Australian Grand Prix, twice awarded Queensland Motorsport Event of the Year and renowned throughout the country for its unique spectacle and grassroots atmosphere.
“The Sprints also has attracted a prestigious inventory of sponsors, from State and local governments to many regional businesses. We’re graced every year also by a number of great drivers from past and present eras as our VIP guests.
“The weekend population of tiny Leyburn swells to around 18,000 people, including thousands of campers. They come to see the epic street sprints, while off-track, we’ve developed a wide range of attractions to entertain every visitor.”
The Leyburn Sprints will be held from August 15 to 16.
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