August 18, 2022
Packed with fabulous racers, gleaming show cars, a veritable village of quaint vintage caravans and a car that was once the fastest in Australia, the 26th Historic Leyburn Sprints will celebrate almost 100 years of motoring.
Around 220 cars, the oldest from 1925 and the newest from 2020, will contest the round-the-houses Sprints on Saturday and Sunday to commemorate the running of the 1949 Australian Grand Prix just outside the little country town 200 kms west of Brisbane.
While the Sprints time-trials on a 1.0 kilometre course are the traditional highlight, one of the region’s biggest annual event will feature many more attractions. Vintage caravans, a Shannons Show ‘n’ Shine competition (Sunday only) market stalls, country-style food, a fun-run, charity auction, race-car ride raffles and even helicopter sightseeing flights promise an action-filled weekend for every visitor.
The presence of more than a thousand happy campers and a rollicking atmosphere with nightly live music in the Royal Hotel – first licensed in 1863 during a local goldrush and across the street from the Cobb & Co, depot – will add to the fun.
Interest will focus on Sprints competition in 59 classes covering historic, classic and performance open-wheel, sports and closed cars. The oldest entry is a 1925 Austin Seven Sports Special and the newest a 2020 machine called a DPQ Special, a purpose-built single-seater designed to capture the Fastest Outright trophy.
The coveted Col Furness Memorial Trophy will be contested by DPQ driver David Quelch and eight others all keen during their seven scheduled runs to crack the 39.79 second record held by returning six-time champion Dean Amos.
When floodwaters poured through Amos’s Lismore, NSW, auto workshop earlier this year, one of the things he saved was his British-built Gould GR55B-Judd racer and he’s keen to get back behind its wheel.
“I haven’t been able attend Leyburn since 2019. I can’t wait to get back there – the atmosphere is fantastic,” he said.
“We’ll be camped on the road verge in Warwick Street where people can come along and view the car, then when it’s our turn on track I’ll go out and give it a real crack – I won’t be able to help myself!”
Others celebrating their return to Leyburn will include Matthew Devitt and Barry Smith, the only surviving drivers to have contested every Sprints event since its inception in 1996. And Neil Lewis will drive the only car to have run every year, his 1964 Ford Cortina.
“It’s a nice little car, fun to drive, and over the years I’ve taken home a few rocks and bits of wood (Leyburn’s renowned home-made trophies). I started racing at Leyburn in 1999 and it’s the spirit of the event I love – it’s magic,” said Lewis.
Emphasising the link to the Leyburn 1949 Australian Grand Prix, Darling Downs farmer Colin Schiller will drive one of the few survivors of that race, a 1936 MG TB.
All the Sprints action will be covered by live video streaming – with an Optus giant screen at turn one - and live results, accessible from the event website.
The oldest cars at Leyburn will make only a cameo appearance on track, but will be displayed all weekend. Subjects of the recent book Car Wars Down Under, the 1916 Studebaker Six of Gavin Mutton and 1912 Willys Overland of Graham Crittenden will be seen in public together for the first time in almost 106 years, since they raced each other on Christmas Day 1916 for the inaugural Australian Land Speed Record (the Studebaker won by a bumper bar with a speed of 137 kmh).
Sprints President Tricia Chant said this year’s event promised to be a bumper celebration, after Covid-19 forced a cancellation in 2020 and three-week postponement last year.
“Everyone is busting to get back. We have a capacity entry list of wonderful cars, many other great attractions and the weather is promising to be warm and dry.
“It will be a great weekend in the county celebrating Leyburn’s unique motorsport heritage.”
