The award-winning Historic Leyburn Sprints is one of Queensland's biggest annual motorsport events and a mecca for enthusiasts of historic, classic and performance cars, from Fords to Ferraris, Cortinas to Cobras and Aston Martins to Vipers.

The Leyburn Sprints is steeped in history, this being the 30th anniversary of an event that commemorates the running of the 1949 Australian Grand Prix on a disused WW2 airfield just outside the former goldrush village on the southern Darling Downs. Two original cars from that 1949 AGP are on the entry list for this year’s sprints.

“Once again the historic racing community has entered an extraordinary number and variety of cars for the Historic Leyburn Sprints,” organising committee president Tricia Chant said.

“Spectators will see everything from a 1925 Austin – named Alfred and driven by 86-year-old Justin McCarthy – a 1925 Crossley and a 1926 Austin to a 300km/h Porsche GT3 and many other wonderful cars in between. We’ve got popular family cars like Holden, Ford and Chrysler and expensive exotics, plus father-and-daughter team Colin and Belinda Schiller are each driving MGs that raced in 1949 – highlighting our Australian Grand Prix heritage.

“There will be Le Mans-type sports cars represented by a Jaguar D-Type, Jaguar XJ13, Porsche 910, Lister “Knobbly” Jaguar and a Ford Shelby Daytona, while we have another hot line-up of outright challengers led by last year’s top three, Australian Hillclimb Champion Dean Amos (Gould GR55B V8), Warwick Hutchinson (OMS28) and Brett Bull (BB MHC). We’ve got touring car and open-wheel legend Charlie O’Brien competing in a Ford Escort shared with Dakar rally veteran Bruce Garland.

In addition to Charlie O’Brien, the VIP guest list boasts a heavyweight lineup that includes Dick Johnson, John Bowe, Kevin Bartlett, Bruce Allison, Steve Masterton, Andrew Miedecke, Charlie O’Brien, Colin Bond Bap Romano and visiting '70s New Zealand Formula 5000 racer Graeme Lawrence. During the event they’ll be signing autographs at the impressive new Shannons Super Rig 2.0, as well as featuring at several special events planned for the 30th anniversary, including a Night with the Stars, Under the Stars featuring nine prominent former drivers from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and ’90s. The Weekend Australian business motoring columnist John Connolly will be guest speaker at Night with the Stars.

While the Sprints run from 8am on Saturday and Sunday on Leyburn’s 1.0km closed-street course (with a continuous live video stream hosted on Speedcafe.com), organisers have ensured many other attractions for visitors, and in particular families.

The popular Vintage Van Village and Shannons Show ‘n’ Shine return and Motorsport Alley will have a display of exciting racers including the late Peter Brock’s Mobil 1 Ford Sierra and Munsters and Speed Racer movie cars.

Other activities will include country-style markets, a fun run, live music at three venues, and a Saturday night charity auction at the Royal Hotel coinciding with the climax of a Leyburn-exclusive Grays.com live on-line auction of a restored classic Ford Escort RS2000 racer.

Spectator tickets and campsite bookings are available to buy on the Sprints website. Adult tickets cost $30 for Saturday or Sunday, or $40 for the weekend; children under 14 enter free.

For more information visit the official website... https://www.leyburnmotorsprints.com.au/

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