18/08/2026
AMOS TAKES 11TH WIN AT LEYBURN'S BIG 30TH CELEBRATIONS
Dean Amos has continued an unbeaten run at the Historic Leyburn Sprints, racing his Gould GR55B open-wheel car to an 11th outright win at the 30th anniversary weekend on the Queensland Southern Downs.
The three-time Australian Hillclimb Champion set a best time of 40.584 seconds in an explosive run around Leyburn’s 1.0 km closed-street course, but missed bettering his 2019 record by just 0.79 sec.
“I set the time on one of my runs this (Sunday) morning, but made a slight mistake on another run, so who knows if that could have been the record. This is such a tight, short course there’s no room for mistakes in 40 seconds,” Amos said.
Warwick Hutchinson finished 3.16sec. behind Amos in an OMS 28 and Brett Bull third, 3.56sec. off the lead, in his self-built BB MHC car.
In the Historic classes, Matthew Clift won in a Mazda R100 coupe with a fastest time of 53.34sec., fractionally slower than his 2025 winning time.
The slowest of all entries was the 1925 Austin Seven Sports of Justin McCarthy, although there was no shame in the time of 1min. 41.13sec considering the car – named Alfred – was 102 years old and its life-long owner, 86.
Amos, Hutchinson and Bull, the three regular rivals for the Col Furness Memorial Trophy for outright honours, were merely the fastest in an extraordinary field of 240 cars that celebrated the Sprints 30thanniversary and the 77th anniversary of the 1949 Leyburn Australian Grand Prix, which it commemorates.
From a 1924 Crossley to a 2019 Porsche GT3 and everything in between from family cars to sports cars and thoroughbred racers, there was non-stop action for a crowd organisers hope will top the current 18,000 weekend attendance record when counting is completed.
Sprints President Tricia Chant said it was the best event yet hosted by the town of around 350 residents and its community volunteers.
“The crowd just poured in from early Saturday morning – the precinct was packed. Queues started at the merchandise stand at 8am and popular souvenirs like shirts, hats and jackets sold out within hours,” she said.
“More than 40 market stalls and 15 food and drink outlets were busy throughout both days, their thirst no doubt driven by the perfect sunny Queensland winter weather we enjoyed all weekend.”
Apart from the Sprints competition, the attendance as special VIP guests of 10 legendary drivers from past racing eras – Dick Johnson, John Bowe, Colin Bond, Kevin Bartlett, Bap Romano, Steve Masterton, Charlie O’Brien, Graeme Lawrence, Bruce Allison and Andrew Miedecke - attracted hundreds of spectators to three autograph sessions.
First-time visitors Lawrence, Miedecke and Masterton were surprised at the size of the event.
“I’m gobsmacked. I can’t believe the number of people here,” said Miedecke, who brought his ex-Peter Brock Mobil 1 Ford Sierra and 1986 Mercedes-Benz Group A German touring car to display in Motorsport Alley.
The VIP drivers also visited the memorial cairn for the 1949 Australian Grand Prix, just outside Leyburn, and attended a Night with the Stars, Under the Stars 30th anniversary celebration at a restored 102-year-old woolshed owned by retired rugby league legend and local farmer Shane Webcke.
Other off-track activities were a big part of Leyburn’s entertainment program.
Car of the Show in the Shannons Show ‘n’ Shine competition – 86 cars and motorcycles were entered - was Peter McCormick’s 1964 Lotus Cortina with aluminium bodywork and a Stage 2 twin-cam Lotus engine.
The Vintage Van Village featured a colourful display of 24 vans and tow vehicles. The People’s Choice prize went to last-minute entrants Gordon and Gay Gregory, from Kiama, NSW, and their restored 1967 red, white and blue Olympia Riveria.
The restored 1979 Ford Es**rt RS2000 auctioned on Grays.com to support the Sprints community programs was unsold, but negotiations are continuing with high bidders.
Drivers Barry Smith and Matthew Devitt received special awards for contesting every event since the Sprints founding in 1996.
RESULTS:
• Fastest Outright (Col Furness Memorial Trophy): Dean Amos (Gould GR55B) 40.584 sec.
• Fastest Historic (Hayden Betts Memorial Trophy): Matthew Clift (Mazda R100) 53.341sec.
• Junior Driver (Mike and Ann Collins Memorial Trophy): Joseph Clift (Honda Civic)
• Rookie of the Year (John Mellon Award): Joshua Kronk (1962 Valiant S Series)
• Volunteer Award (Alan Wickham Memorial Trophy): Courtney Young
• Spirit of the Event (John Butterfield Memorial Trophy): Simon Boss-Walker
• Ken Freeburn Perpetual Trophy, Group N: Michael Roza (Ford Cortina Mk I)
• Gordon Lepp Memorial Trophy, Men Behaving Badly: Ivan Voevodin (1973 Mazda RX3)
• Historic Car People’s Choice: Ricky Dewsnap (1966 Ford Cortina Mk I)
• Jack Read Memorial, Fastest Front Wheel Drive Sedan: Junior driver Jordan Spiteri (1989 Suzuki GTi, 54.610 sec)
• 30-Year Participation Award: Barry Smith, Matthew Devitt
• Hall of Fame 25-Year Awards: Alan Greenbury, Brad Stratton, Jamie Chant, Tricia Chant
• Shannons Show ‘n’ Shine, Car of the Show (Barry Hallam Award): Peter McCormick (1964 Lotus Ford Consul Cortina)
• Vintage Vans, People’s Choice: Gordon and Gay Gregory (1967 Olympic Riviera)
