Wit and Wisdom from Guest Speaker John Connolly
Wit and wisdom are on the menu when renowned motoring commentator John Connolly is guest speaker at our Night with the Stars, Under the Stars 30th anniversary celebration on Thursday night 13 August.
Connolly’s column has been a popular back page feature of The Weekend Australian’s business section for almost 20 years. There he opines with humour and perceptive authority on topics from Formula 1 to auto industry customer service, classic-car auctions and his dislike of EVs, plus occasionally his own motorsport exploits.
He speaks from experience on motorsport, having contested the Historic Leyburn Sprints for the past several years with co-driver Michael McMichael in their 1999 BMW 325i. It’s no doubt a welcome diversion from the responsibilities of his Sydney-based international strategic relations consultancy.
But we asked for John’s own words about himself –
“John Connolly has written a motoring column for The Weekend Australian for nearly 20 years. In that time he has built his audience up to 20 readers (including only one family member). He is Australia’s most unsuccessful car racing competitor despite racing in an MX-5 very regularly. He and his much-maligned co driver, Michael McMichael, compete in open competition in rallying where their success rate rivals their Leyburn success rate. Over the past 10 years he has run a passionate campaign to get Norm Beechey back on track and helped start the Tarmac Rally Competitors Association of Australia.”
John Connolly will be just one of the stars of a wonderful night’s entertainment at the restored historic Ellangowan Woolshed, operated by retired rugby league star, Leyburn farmer and enthusiastic Sprints sponsor Shane Webcke.
This year’s VIP driver guests Dick Johnson, John Bowe, Bruce Allison, Kevin Bartlett, Colin Bond, Steve Masterton, Charlie O’Brien, Andrew Miedecke and Bap Romano are due to attend and will be interviewed by Sprints course commentator David Paterson and well-known motorsport reporter Gary O’Brien.
With a superb food and drinks package from 5.30pm and free shuttle from the Sprints precinct, the Night with the Stars, Under the Stars will be an unmissable highlight to kick off our 30th anniversary weekend.
Cars are the stars as Sprints entries roll in
Entries for the Sprints competition at Leyburn closed on 3 July and promises a stunning variety of cars to see.
Is there another event in Queensland that offers such a mouth-watering spectacle? We think not.
The final list of acceptances, to be published shortly, is expected to run to more than 230 cars, from 100 years old to modern-day.
The former include David Chisholm’s 1925 Crossley Roadster, returning from Sydney after its inaugural 2025 appearance. Want something faster? Look out for Roger Garcia’s V8 McLaren 540C.
A battle of the Le Mans 24 Hour legends is in store between a Lister Jaguar “Knobbly”, a D-Type Jaguar, Jaguar XJ13 and Porsche 910. All are accurate replicas yet no less exciting than the originals that dominated international endurance racing in the 1950s and 1960s.
Many entries have great stories to tell from long track careers, but surely none more than Colin and Belinda Schiller, the father-and-daughter team fielding two MG TB Specials that contested the 1949 Australian Grand Prix at Leyburn.
Queensland motorsport identity Brett Bull will field a more modern single-seater, the self-built BBMHC in which he hopes finally to crack fastest time. He was third outright in 2025, behind Warwick Hutchinson V8.
Between all these exotics are dozens of more everyday production-based sports cars and sedans from many eras. “Dad had one of those” will be heard along the fences and in the competitors paddock many times.
Shannons Super Rig 2.0 lands at Leyburn
The Historic Leyburn Sprints organisers are excited to announce that the spectacular Shannons Super Rig 2.0 will make its first appearance at this year’s event.
Sprints visitors will be among the first in Australia to see the Rig, which was launched only in June. It will be located in the MacIntyre Street spectator area, opposite the starting line.
This huge unit will be a must-see attraction – and it will be free to climb aboard.
Super Rig 2.0 is a 20-metre-long, 22-wheeled mobile hub equipped with a giant video screen, racing simulators, DJ capability and a rooftop viewing platform. It serves as a mobile hub, attending major motoring and community events nationwide, connecting enthusiasts with Shannons experts and motorsport athletes.
Built in Queensland, Super Rig 2.0 replaces the original Shannons Super Rig, which was a fixture at major motoring events around the country, including the Historic Leyburn Sprints, for more than 16 years.
Shannons Event Partnership & Engagement Lead Andrew Adamson says the new Super Rig is a significant investment in the specialist insurer’s relationship with the motoring enthusiast community: “The Super Rig has always been more than a truck, it’s a meeting place for people who live and breathe motoring.”
Popular Vintage Vans and Show ‘n’ Shine are Turn One attractions
Some innovations will make the Vintage Van Village and Shannons Show ‘n’ Shine even more popular attractions in 2026.
We’re expecting a bumper line-up of beautiful vans for the display’s 12th year. They’re on-site all weekend on the outside of Turn One, a location offering a great view of the on-track action, live music and ready access to food and drink outlets, including the Golden Fleece bar.
The vans will be judged in several classes with prizes announced around 4pm on Saturday.
The area beside the vans will feature the Shannons Show ‘n’ Shine on Sunday (only), while Saturday will be open to car club members, a new feature for owners and spectators.
The Show ‘n’ Shine, organised by Toowoomba’s Aces and Eights car club, has moved from its former site in the St Matthews church grounds. Again, a big and colourful array of cars and bikes is expected following last year’s near-record display of more than 80 vehicles. Class winners will take home generous prizes donated by Bowden’s Own.
Entries for both events can be made on this website
PLUS – Don’t forget to enter the traditional campsite competition if you’re one of those thousands of visitors who stay the weekend in their tent, caravan or motorhome. The campsite competition encourages people to get into the true spirit of the Sprints. It’s a chance to get creative with set-ups, displays and outfits. Judging and presentations take place on Friday afternoon and there are prizes to be won.
1996 Inaugural Sprints record “unbeaten”
As we celebrate the Sprints’ 30th anniversary, here’s a timely reminder of the first event, held on 24-25 August 1996.
It was won in a Formula 3 Chevron B34 driven by international airline pilot Peter Boel. He clocked a fastest time of 39.0 sec., which has never been beaten because the configuration of the street course was lengthened in later years.
A fascinating photo shows Peter's yellow Chevron in front of the Royal Hotel, looking very different to today’s renovated version.
The Auto Action report of the event listed an Aston Martin DB6, Alfa Romeo Montreal, Ferrari F355 and Giocattolo among the 175-plus entries, with the oldest being a 1912 Buick driven by Mike Collins.
Attendance was reported as 8000.
The Historic Leyburn Sprints is a Signature Event in the Southern Downs event calendar. It is supported by the Southern Downs Regional Council and Tourism and Events Queensland to help promote the Sprints and attract visitors to the Southern Downs region. Assistance also is received from the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF), a partnership between the Queensland Government and Southern Downs Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland. Proceeds from the community-run event assist local organisations and projects through the Historic Leyburn Sprints Community Benefit Fund.
