July 22, 2024
Two of Australia’s most successful international drivers of the 1970s, Warwick Brown and Bruce Allison, will be guests-of-honour when the Historic Leyburn Sprints celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Leyburn Australian Grand Prix.
Both drivers, now retired, have strong connections to Australia’s premier motor-race and promise to bring extra excitement to the Leyburn celebrations.
The 75th commemoration will be the highlight of the annual Sprints, which were founded in 1996 to keep alive the unique grand prix heritage of the tiny Darling Downs town.
Organisers have accepted a record 243 entries of historic, classic and performance cars across 64 classes for the round-the-houses time trials. A host of off-track activities, including a vintage caravan display, Show ‘n’ Shine competition, racing car displays, charity auction, fun run and live music, will add to the attractions.
The Australian Grand Prix was staged at Leyburn on 18 September 1949. Almost 28 years later, Brown won the 42nd Australian Grand Prix at Oran Park, New South Wales, on 6 February 1977, amid the heydays of the nation’s greatest open-wheel racing era.
Starting in a Brabham at age 19 in 1969, Brown had a relatively short but highly successful career, retiring at just 30 to focus on business interests. During that time he won the Australian Grand Prix (1977), New Zealand Grand Prix (1975), Tasman Series (1975) and Rothmans International Series/Australian National Formula 1 (1977, 1978).
He was the only Australian driver to win the Tasman Series, a prestigious summer competition which ran between 1964 and 1975 and attracted many Formula 1 drivers during their off-season.
In between domestic competition, Brown raced extensively in the United States with many of the world’s best drivers, including Mario Andretti, James Hunt, Al Unser, Sam Posey and Vern Schuppan.
For most of his career, he raced versions of the fearsomely-powerful Lola Formula 5000 car, but in 1976 made a sole Formula 1 appearance at the United States Grand Prix, driving a Wolf-Williams and finishing 14th. In 1978, he finished second in the American Can-Am series in a Lola sports car.
Queenslander Bruce Allison started racing in a Ford Escort at Lakeside in 1970, but almost never again drove a tin-top during a stellar career. Like Brown, he raced Lola F5000 cars widely in Australia and the United States. He took pole position for the 1975 Australian Grand Prix and appeared again in the race in 1976 and 1981.
After a year in the American F5000 series, Allison headed to the United Kingdom, immediately showing his talent aboard a Chevron B37 F5000 in the 14-round Shellsport International series for Formula 1, F5000, Formula 2 and Formula Atlantic cars.
Finishing the series seventh overall with four podium placings and three pole positions, the climax came for Allison when he was given the coveted Grovewood Award – presented by Stirling Moss – as the most promising Commonwealth driver.
The 25-year-old returned to England in 1977 for the Aurora AFX British F1 Championship, taking victory at Mallory Park in a Formula 1 March-Cosworth. Allison then turned his back on motorsport for two seasons after declining a Formula 1 opportunity, but returned in 1981 to win the Formula Pacific Series in Australia and the Shah Alam Grand Prix in Malaysia.
Sprints President Tricia Chant said the Sprints organisers were honoured Brown and Allison had accepted invitations to next month’s event.
“It’s absolutely wonderful to be having two of Australia’s greatest 70s-era drivers, one of them an Australian Grand Prix winner, to join the 75th anniversary celebrations for our 1949 grand prix,” she said.
“The present-day Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne can trace its lineage back to Leyburn. No other pre-Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix is celebrated like Leyburn’s and we’re thrilled Warwick Brown and Bruce Allison will be with us this year.
“There are still more attractions to come, too. We’ll have further announcements soon about other VIP driver guests and historic racing car displays. Combine those with a record Sprints entry and I can say it’s going to be an unforgettable weekend.”
