WILLOWBANK IS HOME FOR ALL NEW AUTOSPECTACULAR
3 August 2010
Willowbank Raceway will team up with the Buick Car Club of Australia (Qld.) from April 2011 to hold the all-new Queensland Autospectacular at Willowbank.
The Buick Car Club initiated and was responsible for the highly successful Cleveland Autospectacular for the previous ten years. The all new Queensland Autospectacular event will take place at Willowbank Raceway on the 10th of April, 2011.
With the closure of the Cleveland Autospectacular through urban and other pressures the Buick Club saw this as the perfect opportunity to team with the Willowbank management team to create an all new show for 2011.
Along with the new name and venue will come a number of other new features, including the chance for show car entrants, traders and sponsors to race their cars on the Ipswich drag strip during the event in a Test ‘n’ Tune scenario.
Willowbank Raceway Managing Director, Steve Bettes, said the increase in space for the show is also set to see an increase in show attractions and the number of cars and traders that can be accommodated.
“The Queensland Autospectacular will retain everything that has made the Autospectacular concept so immensely popular over its ten years of operation, while adding more space, more attractions, more displays and live drag racing into the mix,” said Bettes.
“This event is such a perfect fit for our venue, and with the re-worked calendar for 2010/2011 opening up the month of April, it was an easy decision to bring the new Queensland Autospectacular to Willowbank.
“I know we are excited and the event organisers are excited as well – they just can’t wait to get into that extra space after struggling in recent years to pack everything they had on offer in!”
Queensland Autospectacular Event Director, John Forster, said 2011’s event is set to host in excess of 900 show and display cars and 300 traders when it takes to Willowbank Raceway.
“Unlike other venues in South East Quensland, Willowbank provides near unlimited space for expansion of the new Queensland Autospectacular,” said Forster.
“We are really excited to be coming to Willowbank Raceway from 2011.
“The opportunity for our entrants, traders and sponsors to race at our event while participating in everything at the Autospectacular is just fantastic, and to have all that extra space will mean we can add in extra displays and attractions for the attending public.
“The Autospectacular was arguably the largest car show in Queensland, and with the new Queensland Autospectacular at Willowbank Raceway we expect it to grow to the largest car show of its type in Australia.”
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale said the Ipswich Motorsport Precinct, which includes Willowbank Raceway, is the ideal venue for this new and improved event.
“The city is renowned for staging big motorsport events. We have protected the future for motorsport fans by maintaining a residential development exclusion area around the precinct," Cr Pisasale said.
“Ipswich is proud to host such events and we look forward to welcoming fans in 2011."
The first Queensland Autospectacular will take place at Willowbank Raceway on the 10th April 2011 during the Ipswich Festival, two weeks after the Australian Top Fuel Championships – featuring racing from the ANDRA Pro Series brackets of Top Fuel, Top Bike and Pro Stock Bike – take to the track over March 25 and 26.
Willowbank Raceway is Queensland’s premier drag racing facility and hosts four major drag racing events each year - the two-round New Year Series in January, the Australian Top Fuel Championships in March and the Castrol EDGE Winternationals in June. The Queen’s Birthday event is the largest drag racing event outside of the US and is the season finale for the ANDRA Pro Series calendar.
For more information on the Queensland Autospectacular please visit www.willowbankraceway.com.au or www.queenslandautospectacular.com.au