On August 23-24, the classics will be up on Motorsport Alley, just inside the main spectator gat on MacIntyre Street.
Included in the display will be three original cars from the 1949 Leyburn Australian Grand Prix. There will also be cars driven by Formula 1 World Champions Sir Jack Brabham and Nelson Piquet.
Others expected to be on show will be a Le Mans-type sports cars from Ferrari and Jaguar, classic Bathurst contenders and a rare example of Queensland’s own supercar, the Giocattolo Group B.
“Leyburn has never had such a big display of exciting cars, and I think our visitors are going to love Motorsport Alley,” said Sprints committee president Tricia Chant.
“There’s something for everybody and the chance to see up-close a Le Mans Ferrari or Jaguar, a Formula 1 Cooper or some legendary Australian Group C and Group A touring cars is something many enthusiasts otherwise would not have in a lifetime.”
The grand prix cars are the ex-John Nind 1938 MG TB Special, Dick Cobden’s 1946 MG TC Special and 1939 GK Ford Special of Ross Gray. All are in top running order and expected to complete demonstration runs during the Saturday and Sunday lunch breaks in the hands of their current owners, Colin Schiller, Evan Redman and Chris Hughes respectively.
The GK Ford Special has not been seen or run in 20 years and will be making its first appearance at Leyburn since 1949. A 1958 Cooper Climax Mk III driven by Sir Jack Brabham will be shown alongside the Ralt RT4 in which Brazilian Nelson Piquet finished second in the 1981 Australian Grand Prix.
Australian champion driver Kevin Bartlett will be reunited with the 1964 Brabham BT11A Repco Brabham Climax in which he set the historic first 100 mph (160 kmh) lap of Mount Panorama in 1967.
The display will also feature a 1924 Amilcar C4, a 1925 Austin Seven Sports Special, 1925 Crossley 15/30 Roadster, 1928 Austin Seven, 1952 Jaguar XK120 Robinson Special and 1955 Jaguar D-Type Replica.
More modern race cars have not been forgotten with the ex-Garry Willmington Ford Falcon XD (ex-Willmington), the ex-Berklee Exhauts 1982 Mazda RX7, the ex-Lansvale Smash Repairs Group A Holden Commodore VL and the ex-Gibson Motorsport Nissan Skyline HR31 GTR.
As well as Motorsport Alley, this year’s Historic Leyburn Sprints will present the new Vintage Van Village, Shannons Show ‘n’ Shine, VIP driver autographs, live music at three venues. There will be a charity auction at the Royal Hotel (built in 1863) on Saturday night, a fun run, market stalls, race car rides and plenty of country-style food and refreshments.
Adult tickets to the Historic Leyburn Sprints cost $30 per day or $40 for the weekend. Accompanied children under 14 enter free.
The Historic Leyburn Sprints is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and the Southern Downs Regional Council, which provide financial assistance to help promote the Sprints and attract visitors to the Southern Downs region.
Proceeds from the community-run event assist local organisations and projects through the Historic Leyburn Sprints Community Benefit Fund.
The event is also supported by Platinum Sponsors – JMC Performance, Boral, Loaders R Us, Speedcafe.com, Collins Hay, Shannons Insurance and Tait Freight.
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