MEDIA RELEASE || Saturday 27 August 2011

A LAST-minute entry for the Leyburn Sprints has come down literally from a great height – one of the highest motorsport tracks in the world – to compete in the 16th annual time trials starting today on the Darling Downs.

Driver Jim Hodgson from Burpengary near Brisbane will race a Ford Mustang in which he contested the famous Pike’s Peak International Hillclimb in Colorado in June.

The 156-turn, 20 kilometre course on gravel and tarmac surfaces has its finish line at 4300 metres.

Hodgson had already entered another Mustang, a 1964 Shelby GT350, but after clearing the Pike’s Peak car through Customs this week obtained permission to run it at Leyburn.

“It will still be tuned for the high altitude so I don’t expect it to run at its best, but I think it will be a very interesting car for spectators to see – from the most famous and demanding hillclimb in the world direct to the Leyburn Sprints,” Hodgson said.

Competition starts at 8am today and tomorrow, with up to 210 historic, classic and high performance cars competing on a 1.1 km closed street course in the tiny township.

Adult tickets are $15 a day or $25 for the weekend and can be bought on-line and downloaded for printing at home on www.leyburnmotorsprints.com.au.

Attractions at the event include the V8 Supercar Drivers Challenge, in which veteran Dick Johnson and young gun Alex Davison will go head-to-head in three classic racing cars, a Show n’ Shine display tomorrow, food stalls and country markets.

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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Chris Nixon
Media Manager
Leyburn Sprints
Ph: 0418 759 417
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www.leyburnmotorsprints.com.au