Veteran Australian touring car and open-wheel racer Charlie O’Brien will make a special guest appearance at the Historic Leyburn Sprints on 17-18 August, joining a host of motorsport legends celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Leyburn Australian Grand Prix.
O’Brien contested the Australian Grand Prix in 1981-82-83, but spent most of his long career in tin-tops including stints with the Holden Dealer Team, Dick Johnson Racing and Allan Moffat Racing
At Leyburn, the Queenslander will appear alongside Formula 5000 and fellow grand prix competitors Warwick Brown, John Bowe and Bruce Allison, Bowe’s long-time team leader Dick Johnson and motorsport identities Ron Harrop and Brian Gelding.
The group will join the Sprints official opening and 75th commemoration ceremony on Saturday 17 August and attend other activities including fan meet-and-greet sessions.
“Charlie O’Brien has had an amazing career and will be well remembered by many motorsport fans attending the Sprints,” Sprints President Tricia Chant said.
“He’s done everything from racing in the Australian Grand Prix to touring cars, sports cars and even NASCAR. We’re grateful he has been able to join us for what will be an historic weekend at Leyburn in more than the usual sense and know he’ll be welcomed enthusiastically by the Sprints patrons.”
O’Brien joined the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1976 and had almost immediate success in a Holden Torana SLR5000. At Amaroo Park Raceway, at age 21, he became the youngest winner in touring car records, a distinction held until 2003.
He won the 1982 National Panasonic Series driving an Australian Formula 1 Ralt RT4 and the 1987 New Zealand National Touring Car Series in his own BMW 635CSi.
Other drives were in Super Touring, Porsche Carrera Cup, V8 Utes, GT3, Touring Car Masters, GT Production and Australian NASCAR.
The Sprints competition starts at 8am on Saturday and Sunday. Adult tickets are available on-line or at the gate for $25 a day or $35 for the weekend, with children under 14 free. On-street parking is free. The event also is holding a raffle to win a Bathurst 1000 weekend for two valued at more than $11,000 or five $500 Supercheap Auto vouchers. Tickets can be bought on the website.
