MEDIA RELEASE || Tuesday 26 July 2011

TOP V8 Supercar drivers from present and past will face off in an exciting new Ford-powered contest at next month’s Leyburn Sprints on the Queensland Darling Downs.

Official “Queensland icon” Dick Johnson and his son Stephen will be among those contesting the V8 Supercar Drivers Challenge around Leyburn’s 1.1 kilometre street course on 27-28 August.

The names of other young V8 Supercar drivers will be announced soon. Adult tickets to the Leyburn Sprints cost $15 per day and $25 for the weekend and can be bought on-line now at www.leyburnmotorsprints.com.au.

of the latest Ford Falcon V8 Supercars from Jim Beam Racing or other teams, V8 Supercar Driver Challenge entrants will line up in three very different Fords from past eras – a 1934 Indy-style single-seat racer with a flathead V8 engine, a 1971 Ford Escort Mark 1 and a 1971 Ford Falcon XY GT HO with a ground-shaking NASCAR race engine.

“The V8 Supercar Drivers Challenge is going to sort out whether the most versatile driver is Dick Johnson or one of the young contenders,” said Race Director Dennis Brown.

“Since Dick is the only one ever to have raced a GT HO in its heyday, don’t expect Stephen or one of the other young guns is necessarily going to beat him.

“Dick has also been coming to the Leyburn Sprints and driving the Falcon and Escort for several years and that could give him a further advantage.

“Whoever wins, the V8 Supercar Drivers Challenge is going to be a great new attraction for spectators at this year’s Leyburn Sprints. The V8 drivers are highly competitive and whether they’re pushing a wheelbarrow or a Bathurst Falcon they always go out to win.”

Around 210 entries are expected for the 16th annual Sprints, which celebrates the running of the 1949 Australian Grand Prix on a nearby ex-wartime airstrip.

With its country atmosphere and mix of cars from the 1920s to modern-day, the round-the-houses time trial attracts thousands of spectators from throughout south-east Queensland and beyond.

Proceeds from the not-for-profit event benefit community organisations and projects.

The Leyburn Sprints is benefiting from funding under the Events Queensland Regional Development Program (EQRDP).

The EQRDP is an investment program designed to extend the flow of economic and social benefits of events to regional Queensland.

A State-wide initiative, the program is committed to enhancing existing events in regional Queensland, as well as assisting in the establishment of new events.

Since the EQRDP began in 2001, more than $17.5 million has been invested in 815 regional events, an indicator of the important role these events play in their communities and wider Queensland.

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For further media information and assistance:

Ann Collins
President
Mob. (0428) 959 101
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Nixon
Media Manager
Leyburn Sprints
Ph: 0418 759 417
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www.leyburnmotorsprints.com.au