The Queensland bus industry’s annual race day has staked its place as a clear winner
By David Goeldner | December 18, 2012
Fast turning out to be the must-attend event of the year, the Queensland Bus Industry Council (QBIC) held its annual race day at Ipswich Turf Club mid-December with a sold-out crowd of 130 industry representatives frocking-up for the big day out.
While the tote played against punting form this year, the card was no less strong featuring sponsored races by bus industry suppliers King Long, Higer, Fry’s Spares and OAMPS.
The big winners were both on and off the track as Zupps-Higer representative Tony Coccetti presented Mandy Mitchell with one of two lucky door prizes, and King Long’s Chris Jones did the honours with door prize number two going to Cooper Grace Ward legal partner Peter Dwyer.
And there were worthy winners in the fashion stakes with Brisbane Transport General Manager Alan Warren, again in the news this time winning the OAMPS sponsored $500 gift basket for best dressed ‘stud’, and Maria Capati also winning a prize pack for best dressed filly.
The fashion bar was raised this year as race goers from across Queensland and interstate set a classy scene organised by QBIC administration officer Rochelle Wallace who kept the event running smoothly.
QBIC Executive Director David Tape paid tribute to Wallace and the QBIC executive committee for their hard work in 2012.
And thanks too, to national bus industry identity and, as it so happens, Ipswich Turf Club chairman Wayne Patch for his continued support in hosting the race day event.
Tape also took the opportunity to cap off 2012 and head into 2013 with the Ipswich racecourse launch of an iPad and iPhone calendar app, tuned to the Queensland bus industry featuring state and national event date claimers, links to sponsors and critical information in just a few swift clicks – anytime, anywhere.
The QBIC calendar app is smart, classy and now available from the App store found under ‘Australian Association Application’, which Tape says ensures the app is easily accessible for anyone to use, regardless of whether the user is a QBIC member.
“The interactive nature of the app allows you to drill down further into events showing location, contact details and so forth,” Tape says.
“The app provides additional benefits for QBIC’s partner advertisers as it provides direct phone, email and website connection from the app.
“If you want to be connected and across what is happening in our industry in Queensland, download the app and you are there,” he says.
Tape says an Android version of the app will be available from mid-January.
He says the calendar app project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of a long list of supporters, including ABCU, Hino, Iveco, Scania, Trapeze, Hopwood Integrated Training, Heritage, Heavy Vehicles Australia, WMC-Higer and Bus and Coach Sales Australia.
And 2013 is shaping as another big year for Australia’s northern state, with bus contract reform entering a critical phase, with much to discuss at the upcoming QBIC conference being held at Hamilton Island from April 5-7.
And if you want to know when the next QBIC race day is on, check the calendar app, or just make a note – Friday December 6, 2013 – a sure thing to sell out, so in racing parlance, keep the date safe.
* All the glitz and glamour from QBIC’s annual race day features in the January issue of Australasian Bus and Coach –
order your copies now.