Last night (November 13/98) Willowbank Raceway received the top accolade of the 1998 Ipswich Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Awards when the raceway was presented with the "President's Award".

Presented in front of a packed audience including the Deputy Premier of Queensland, Jim Elder and the State Treasurer, David Hamill, the President's Award is the top honour of the evening presented to the business or organisation judged to have made the most outstanding contribution to business in the Region during the year.

Making the presentation, the Chamber of Commerce President, Mark Edwards related Willowbank Raceway's incredible growth from an idea conceived by a small group of drag racing enthusiasts to the current, world standard facility valued at $16,000,000. He also emphasized the $4,000,000 of economic activity generated by the 1998 Konica Winternationals.

Accepting the award on behalf of Willowbank Raceway, the track's Marketing Manager, Rob Oberg paid tribute to the dedication and contribution of the raceway's original directors, many of whom still serve on the board of management, who put their own homes up as collateral to get the raceway built in the mid eighties.

He stated that motorsport in general and drag racing at Willowbank Raceway in particular, would continue to be one of the growth indsutries for the region. He said "Willowbank Raceway has turned the national motor sport spotlight onto the Ipswich Region. Willowbank has been built on ambition. Our next goal is to firmly establish Willowbank Raceway and Ipswich on the world scene by bringing international events to the area."

Willowbank Raceway won the prestigious award ahead of very strong opposition. Raceway General Manager, Dennis Syrmis stated "This is an incredible achievement for Willowbank and drag racing. To receive this award against businesses like Australia's largest building society and other companies employing hundreds of staff speaks highly of how we are seen by the corporate world.

This must be the highest honour ever awarded to an Australian drag racing track. An indication of the magnitude of the achievement is the fact that last year's President's Award went to the Amberley Airforce base which employs over two thousand people in Ipswich."

The award caps off a red letter year for Willowbank Raceway with the 1997 Konica Winternationals awarded the "Community Event of the Year" trophy by the Ipswich City Council at its Australia Day awards in January and news coming through yesterday that the joint spectator and economic impact survey conducted at the 1998 Konica Winternationals by the raceway and Ipswich City Council's Economic Development Department had won a national public service award for innovation and excellence.