IT’S a safe bet to say the founders of Willowbank Raceway didn’t have hosting the biggest country music festival outside the US in any of their plans when it opened in 1985.
As luck would have it, the location lends itself to non-motorsport activities that also make a lot of noise.
Attracting events to bring in more income at the raceway helps sustain drag racing.
CMC Rocks was the brainchild of music industry giants the late Rob Potts and Michael Chugg.
The festival initially began in Thredbo. After three years it moved to the Hunter Valley, and by 2015 it needed a much bigger venue, preferably close to a capital city.
In 2014, Potts was searching for a permanent home for the festival. Ipswich and Willowbank Raceway came into sharp focus after he inspected several locations in the region.
Queenslanders also made up a significant number of fans at the southern venues, so this helped confirm Ipswich as the right choice.
The logistics behind such a massive three-day event are mind-blowing. One example of a local flow-on effect is how the in-field and carparks of nearby Queensland Raceway become one giant campground.
It was a bit hard to miss the cowboy hats at Yamanto and Riverlink last week as tens of thousands of fans arrived in the city.
I love CMC Rocks. It’s back again in March 2026.
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