31/05/2026
HISTORIC LEYBURN SPRINTS ANNOUNCES A NIGHT WITH THE
STARS, UNDER THE STARS TO CELEBRATE 30TH ANNIVERSARY
LEYBURN (Qld) - An exclusive Night With the Stars, Under the Stars in an authentic bush setting will open a long-weekend of 30thanniversary celebrations at the annual Historic Leyburn Sprints in August.
Sprints President Tricia Chant announced some of Australia’s greatest racing drivers of past eras including Dick Johnson, John Bowe, Bruce Allison Charlie O’Brien, Kevin Bartlett, Colin Bond, Bap Romano and Steve Masterton would be special guests at the night, to be held on Thursday 13 August in the 100-year-old Ellangowan Woolshed owned by local farmer and rugby league legend Shane Webcke. (*)
Weekend Australian motoring columnist and Historic Leyburn Sprints competitor John Connolly will be special guest speaker.
Mrs Chant said A Night With the Stars, Under the Stars would be a one-off celebration of Leyburn’s Australian Grand Prix heritage, launching a weekend of special activities.
“We haven’t done anything like this before. It’s going to be a wonderful night of entertainment, great food and drinks and traditional Sprints camaraderie before the big weekend kicks off on Friday,” she said.
“Two years ago we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the 1949 Leyburn Australian Grand Prix. This year we mark the foundation of the Sprints in 1996 by a committee of local people and the Historic Racing Car Club of Queensland.
“Who could imagine the Sprints would grow to what it has become today – an historic racing festival with its roots in an Australian Grand Prix, twice awarded Queensland Motorsport Event of the Year and renowned throughout the country for its unique spectacle and grassroots atmosphere.
“The Sprints also has attracted a prestigious inventory of sponsors, from State and local governments to many regional businesses. We’re graced every year also by a number of great drivers from past and present eras as our VIP guests.
“The weekend population of tiny Leyburn swells to around 18,000 people, including thousands of campers. They come to see the epic street sprints, while off-track we’ve developed a wide range of attractions to entertain every visitor.
“And this year that line-up will include our very special Night With the Stars, Under the Stars, where everyone will be welcome.”
A ticket to A Night With the Stars, Under the Stars will offer a 4 ½ hour package of gourmet food and quality beverages in the bush setting of the historic Ellangowan Woolshed, presented by Shane Webcke, a major Sprints supporter. A free shuttle bus will transport guests for the 10-minute journey between Leyburn and Ellangowan.
Guest speaker John Connolly is a regular Sprints entrant with co-driver Michael McMichael in their BMW 325i, while thousands of readers around the country follow his witty and authoritative motoring columns on the back page of The Weekend Australian newspaper’s business section.
Tickets are on sale now at https://events.humanitix.com/historic-leyburn-sprints-night-with-the-stars-under-the-stars, but numbers are strictly limited.
