AUSF3: UTE: Queensland Raceway preview

Fabulous Cars, Spectacular Entertainment in Store for PROCAR Series at Queensland Raceway

UP TO 150 cars, from Ferrari coupes to Falcon utes to Formula 3, are expected to compete in one of Queensland's biggest motor racing events of the year, the 2001 PROCAR Series, at Queensland Raceway on 20-22 July.

The circuit near Ipswich will host rounds of six national motorsport championships, plus a wide variety of non-racing family entertainment.

And the excitement won't be limited to the track, with fans invited to meet the drivers and see the cars close-up in special appearances in Brisbane, Ipswich and Toowoomba from next Sunday.

Activities start on Sunday with around 30 cars and drivers, plus dancers, cabaret performers and musicians in the Pink Ribbon Parade of Horsepower in Brisbane's Park Road, Milton, which will be closed to traffic for five hours from midday.

Drivers and cars also will turn out on Thursday evening 19 July at Booval Fair, Ipswich, and Village Fair, Toowoomba.

On raceday, Sunday 22 July, the entertainment highlights will include a huge trackside ute muster organised for fans of the V8 BRute Muster racing series.

Other attractions will be the appearance of an ex-Michael Schumacher Formula 1 Ferrari, 10 "hot lap" racing car rides for ticket holders and parades by 50 classic Jaguars and three generations of racing Ford Mustangs.

"This promises to be a fantastic event for people who love racing, people who love cars of all kinds and families wanting an entertaining day out in the sunshine," said one of Australia's best-known drivers, six-time Bathurst 1000 winner Jim Richards, who will bring his $250,000 Porsche GT3 from Melbourne for the Megamantis.com Australian Nations Cup Championship.

Richards is the current champion and leads the 2001 pointscore going into the Queensland Raceway round, but faces stiff competition from a multi-million dollar field of exotic sports cars.

"We expect to be racing against several other Porsches, up to five Ferraris, at least one Lamborghini, three Chrysler Vipers and a few other very formidable machines. That will be a fantastic spectacle for the fans, but on the track it will be a very hard day's work," he said.

PROCAR Series organiser Ross Palmer says the Queensland Raceway event has been planned to provide maximum entertainment value for patrons, following the record-breaking success of a PROCAR round in Goulburn, New South Wales, in May.

"There will be something happening on or off the track virtually every minute of the day and people will find a very friendly atmosphere at a PROCAR Series event. It's easy to see the cars up-close and the drivers are highly approachable," he said.

"We used the same formula when we went to Wakefield Park at Goulburn and the result was the biggest crowd ever seen there. We'd love to attract a similar crowd at Queensland Raceway."

2001 PROCAR Series, Friday 20 July - Sunday 22 July
Queensland Raceway, off Cunningham Highway, Willowbank, near Ipswich

RACE PROGRAM

Megamantis.com Australian Nations Cup Championship (Rd 4) - Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Viper

Century Batteries GT Performance Series (Rd 4) - Mustang Cobra, HSV, Lancer Evo, Subaru STi

Century Batteries GT Production Series (Rd 4) - Ford XR8, Commodore SS, Magna, Camry, Proton

V8 BRute Muster (Rd 2) - V8-powered Commodore SS and Falcon XR8 utes Australian Formula 3 Championship - International open-wheelers

Toyo Mitsubishi Mirage Series - One-make championship

Improved Production Cars - Popular local racers

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS (Sunday)

Ute Muster - Utes on display; prizes for Best Ute, etc; ute grand parade on track

10 Hot Lap racing car rides to be won by ticket holders

Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 Ferrari on display

Special appearance - Pete Geoghegan and Allan Moffat Mustangs on track with 2001 Mustang Cobra

50 Classic and historic Jaguars on parade

TICKETS (On sale at gate)

Saturday: Adult $15, Concession (pensioners, 15-18 years) $10, Paddock $5

Sunday: Adult $25, Concession $15, Paddock $10, ute drivers free with one paying adult

Weekend: Adult $35. Children 12 and under free all days

WHERE TO SEE DRIVERS AND CARS BEFORE THE RACE

Brisbane: Park Road, Milton. Sun. 15 July, 12 midday - 5 pm - F1 Ferrari, 30 cars, free entertainment

Ipswich: Booval Fair, Brisbane Road. Thurs. 19 July, 6.30 pm - 7.30 pm - Nat. Cup, GTP, V8 BRutes

Toowoomba: Village Fair, Margaret Street. Thurs. 19 July, 5.30 pm - 7.30 pm - F1 Ferrari, ute muster

FURTHER INFORMATION

Queensland Raceway, (07) 5461 9100
PROCAR Australia, www.procar.com.au

-Procar