ROCKYNATS 6
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Flying into Rockhampton, I was transfixed by the contrast of the rolling green fields and forests split by the Fitzroy River. Our Qantas flight was still high enough to see that the city of 80,000 people was just 25km from the Queensland coast – which seemed odd for a place known as the Beef Capital of Australia.
First published in the June 2026 issue of Street Machine
The plane banked sharply and pitched nose down, and I wondered briefly if the pilot had forgotten he was no longer flying an F-18 – were we landing, or making an attack run on the city? It seemed Rockynats was off to an exciting start before I’d even arrived!
As a Rockynats virgin, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I knew it was going to be hot, so my suitcase was full of T-shirts and shorts. At ground level, Mt Archer and the Berserker Range provide a lovely backdrop to the city, which at any other time of year would provide a peaceful and picturesque view over the river, interrupted only by the calls of cockatoos. However, this weekend was all about noise of a different kind, with the sixth edition of Rockynats attracting more than 1900 entrants, making it the largest turnout in the event’s history.
Many had wondered how rising fuel costs and cost-of-living pressures would affect the event, but on the streets, nobody was talking about fuel – other than how to get the most power out of it. Day and night, engines were roaring, whether on the dyno, down along the riverfront at the popular Street Drags, or across the river at the burnouts. It was an interesting experience; as a Summernats veteran, I’m used to leaving all that behind once I exit the venue, but at Rockynats, the city itself is the venue!
The Rockhampton Showgrounds was our starting point on Friday morning, as we checked out the cars forming up for the Street Parade, and even this early in the weekend, I had to keep re-evaluating my expectations. At Summernats, the City Cruise is limited to 200-300 entrants, but at Rockynats, more than 1300 cars hit the cruise route, and it felt like the whole city came out to watch. Outside the showgrounds, the cars were stacked four rows deep, with more lined up inside, and at the fire-up signal, they started to converge on the city.
With temperatures in the low 30s, cooling systems were put to the test, but the entrants didn’t seem to mind and overheating cars were few and far between. No one misbehaved; there was no aggro – just street machining at its finest.
With the cruise complete, we swung back to the showgrounds to check out the dyno and the Elite show cars.
In the dyno hall, I was surprised to see Barra after Barra reel off 1200rwhp and more. In fact, there were more than the usual amount of tough Fords everywhere over the course of the weekend. Classic Cortinas and Falcons mixed it up with the late-model Barra Falcons and tough Commodores, along with a light sprinkling of Mopars.
After so many boosted Barras, the crowd was happy to see Phil Pascoe’s VF VIP Valiant bolted to the hubs and push out 676rwhp, and the scream of that supercharged, 6.2-litre Hellcat engine certainly drew plenty of appreciation.
However, along came Lee Povey and kerb-stomped the lot of them. As a former Summernats Horsepower Heroes winner, Lee’s twin-turbo 427ci VL Calais has the reputation of being one of the toughest true street cars in Queensland. It’s gone 7.40@193mph and has frequently featured in the winner’s circle at events like Kenda, Red CentreNATS and Jamboree. Everyone was expecting something big on the Insane Performance dyno, and Lee didn’t disappoint, with a new Rockynats record of 2034.6hp on the hubs. Drag Challenge regular Chris Kaarsberg did try and spoil the party with a pair of new turbos, and his green Torana made 1916hp, which was close enough to make things interesting.
“I was running pump E85 and full pipes,” Chris admitted later. “I should have put the dumps on, but I left them at home.”
Over in the show hall, it was wall-to-wall premium paint and panel as the latest rides to be unveiled battled it out for trophies. That’s not to say that some of the slightly older builds weren’t in the running as well, and the judges agreed, with Peter Lewis’s Astill-built BOSSXC taking away seven trophies, including Top Judged Elite.
Some sprintcar speedway action on the centre oval rounded out the night before it was time for a much-needed rest.
The following morning, we headed straight to the riverfront for some drifting action and the Quay Street show ’n’ shine. Wandering through the tree-lined show ’n’ shine area highlighted one of the truly special aspects of Rockynats. The riverfront setting, with its heritage-listed buildings and shady parking spots, made for a fantastic atmosphere, and we could check out the cars and chat to entrants and spectators without getting cooked.
Those looking for more excitement could head across the river to the Buddy’s Fire Burnout Precinct, where entrants had the opportunity to sample Skid Row on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, before the site was converted into full burnout mode for Saturday-night qualifying and the Sunday finals. On Saturday evening, the burnout grandstand was full to the brim and the grass areas were 20-deep as punters attempted to get a glimpse of the action. Even from the other side of the river, we could hear blown V8s singing and see exactly where the action was happening due the towering pillar of tyre smoke.
Sunday saw the Rockynats Champion contenders lining up early for a tilt at the eighth-mile street track on Quay Street, before competition got underway in the Street Drags finals.
Then it was back across the river for the burnout finals, where Kyle O’Neill in the TUNNAFUN HZ took the win in the Open class ahead of Tom Goodall in SINNRR VE Commodore and the VT of Jarrod Hayward. In the Pro class, Rob Cottrell reigned supreme with his 4DH8RS XD Falcon, followed by Jamie Cairney’s BIG PAPA Torana and Kev Davis’s VZ Commodore, EPAWHO.
After a quick rush to the airport, I was back on the bomber heading south before the trophies were handed out, and that gave me plenty of time to sit back and think about the weekend and what a cool event Rockynats is. They say pressure creates diamonds, but it can also create problems, but having the event spread out over the city just made everything so relaxed. If you haven’t been, book a ticket next year, or even better, load your car up and head north with the family for a couple of weeks; you’ll love it!
QUAY ST COMMANDOS: STREET DRAGS
The premier event at Rockynats has to be the Street Drags. Thousands of spectators line the eighth-mile stretch of Quay Street asphalt to watch Queensland’s toughest true street cars go head-to-head for trophies and the street cred that goes with it.
Paul Butler’s SR20-powered Gemini, NANA (SM, Jun ’24), has dominated the event for the past three years and was the favourite to win this year, but there were many others keen to snatch the title.
Saturday testing saw 500 cars nominated for the drag racing, with at least 400 showing up to take a hit on the unprepped track. Racers entered their cars into one of three index classes: 9.00 Street, 8.00 Super Street, or the big-boy 6.50 Pro Street class. Now, 6.50sec over the eighth-mile usually equates to a low 10 on the quarter, which might not seem that quick, but that’s without taking the rules into account: DOT-only tyres, no burnouts, and a totally unprepped track.
We saw everything from gassers to a rotary-powered Suzuki Sierra, which popped a wheelstand in front of an appreciative crowd that was five-deep. Most of the spectators were sequestered in the area in front of the Heritage Hotel, but the balconies of the historic buildings lining the entire waterfront also offered prime real estate from which to take in the action.
The quickest cars in testing were in the 6.50-6.60sec zone, with Ben Wood from The Skid Factory leading the charge in his 2JZ-powered VS Commodore. The VS has done well in no-prep racing in the past, and with a stack of weight bolted in the boot, the Toyota-powered Holden topped the Rockynats qualifying list.
Sunday brought the straight-up eliminations, with racers needing both good reaction times and the right balance of acceleration and traction to get the job done. In the Street class, Josh Kele’s HX Kingswood took the win against Justin Vaughn’s VF Commodore, while the Super Street class saw Mark Peachey’s HX Statesman defeat Brad Smith’s 318ci small-block V8 Centura.
But all eyes were on the 6.50 Pro Street class, and many were shocked to see Paul Butler’s NANA Gemini red-light halfway through proceedings. David Bell’s blue BMW M3 Competition sedan and the wheelstanding red Sierra of Alan Cornick both looked tough to beat, but both cars fell to John Vesnaver’s twin-turbo HR ute on the run to the finals.
John’s HR faced off against Woody’s VS Commodore in the final showdown. John had cut better lights on the way to the final round, but Woody’s Commodore was the quicker car, so it was looking to be a great match-up – until Vesnaver red-lit by 0.005sec, handing Woody the automatic win.
Woody credited his victory to Kye Knight from Knight Family Motorsport. “Kye is a king on the laptop,” he said. “The weight bars were my cheat code, but Kye had me dialled straight off the trailer.”
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. After blowing away the crowds at the Summernats 38 unveils, Anna Povey unleashed her Duramax-powered VL for the first time at Rockynats, competing in the Champion driving events. Built for drag-and-drive duty, the VL is a show stunner as well, taking out Top 20 Street, Top Competition, Top Post-1980 Modified, and Runner-up Top Interior.
2. Kev Cross’s evil, jet-black XB Fairmont is packing a turbocharged iron-block LS combo and tucking 275s on 15x10in rims out back. The build was entirely done in Kev’s shed, including the paint. The XB got through to round four of the drags in Super Street, running high sevens.
3. Last year John Vesnaver came runner-up in the drags, and he was looking to improve on that position this year in his twin-turbo LS HR ute. Unfortunately, a red light in the final against Woody in the Commodore saw him in the bridesmaid spot once again.
4. Paul Butler’s NANA Gemini has dominated the Rockynats Street Drags for the past three years, and everyone was wondering he’d make it four in a row. Sadly, his 2026 campaign was over when he red-lighted in round two of eliminations, but the SR20-powered Gem retained bragging rights for the quickest car on the property.
5. In the Super Street 8.00 class, Mark Peachey’s LS1-powered HX Statesman defeated a massive group of contenders to take home the winner’s trophy. In the final, Mark ran 8.004 against Brad Smith’s Chrysler Centura with an 8.025.
6. Mark Biffen’s Kawasaki Green, 422ci HK Prem takes on Ryan Biffen’s 6.0L LS-powered VH in some family-feud grudge racing. Ryan made it through to round three of Super Street, while Mark went out in the third round of Pro Street against the eventual class winner, Ben Wood.
7. Alan Cornick’s Suzuki Sierra was a crowd favourite with its very loud turbo 13B rotary and incredible no-prep wheelstands. Alan got close to the Pro Street final but was taken out by eventual runner-up John Vesnaver in the HR ute.
8. The Street Drags is one of the most popular events at Rockynats, with hundreds of entrants vying for a shot. This year, Ben Wood of Skid Factory fame dominated with his 2JZ-powered VS Commodore, top-qualifying during Saturday’s practice session and then winning the Pro Street class on Sunday.
9. Purists will love to hate Greg Hay’s Barra-powered Torana, but he doesn’t care. It started life as a rusty four-cylinder car, but Greg sliced the whole front off and replaced it with a six-cylinder front end, along with a full rollcage and a triangulated four-link. Rockynats was the first time out for the 1000hp beast, and Greg had difficulty getting it down the unprepped track.
10. Cutting an amazing 0.029sec light, Jarrod Smith’s VG Valiant hardtop was on a charge against David Bell’s stealthy M3 Competition sedan, but Bell pulled back two-tenths by the 60-foot mark and charged past to run 6.77 against the Valiant’s 7.26.
Street Drags Gallery:
THE CHAMP IS HERE: ROCKYNATS 6 CHAMPION AWARD
The Gold Coast’s Grant Pollard has etched his name into Rockynats history, taking out the Rockynats 6 Champion award, only 48 hours after unveiling his show-and-go VC Commodore.
Despite having almost zero minutes behind the wheel, Grant piloted the stunning drag-and-drive weapon with confidence in the famous Quay Street drags and on the challenging motorkhana/go-to-whoa course on the burnout pad.
It was a tight victory though, with the VC finishing in front of reigning Red CentreNATS Champion Jim McLaren in his ENVIE HQ Monaro by a single point!
The field was stacked with toughies, including Jason Behan’s turbo LS-powered Valiant ute, Jason Brisenden’s SPAZMS Torana and Jason Holt’s stunning VH SL/E Commodore.
The VB has been built as a four-seater drag-and-drive car for Grant and his mates to enjoy, and will be teched down to 8.0 for Drag Challenge competition. It even runs air con!
FRESH METAL: ROCKYNATS UNVEILS
JASON BRISENDEN – LH Torana
Jason Brisenden of the Fossil Fuelers Car Club already has a tough, Harrop-blown LS-powered Torana in his fleet, but the desire for more led him to build another car from scratch, with everything turned up to 11.
Decked out in eyeball-searing Suzuki Swift Champion Yellow, SPAZMS is as tidy as they come, with a detailed undercarriage and a beautifully minimalist interior that you don’t often see on cars destined for the 8sec zone.
Powering the beast is a Warspeed-built, 427ci Dart-based LS making 1200rwhp, topped by a Harrop 2650 blower.
BRAD JENKINS – XA Falcon hardtop
Brad Jenkins bought his Top 10 Elite-placing Wild Violet XA hardtop 16 years ago before the muscle car boom really went crazy, but soon discovered that his dream XA needed massive amounts of work if it was ever going to meet his standards.
He set to work repairing the rust and getting the body straight, before getting Pat’s Pro Restos to handle the paintjob.
Under the bonnet is a 410ci Arrow-blocked Clevo fitted with an F-1R ProCharger, backed by a Paul Rogers TH400.
MUSCLE CAR RESTORATIONS – 1965 Ford Mustang fastback
Anton Duval of Muscle Car Restorations is no stranger to a Rockynats unveiling, but the SIXTY5 Mustang he presented this year had a rockier road than most.
The ’65 was a US import that fell far short of the owner’s expectations when it arrived in Oz. How far short? Let’s just say the seatbelts were fastened onto the roof skin with silicone!
The solution was to strip the car to its jocks, unpick most of the panels and put things to rights. The Mustang took home a Top 20 Street trophy.
ALLEN WHITE – VW Beetle van
Allen White grafted a Kombi rear onto an unsuspecting Beetle to create this incredibly distinctive van. Bodywork includes the handmade roof, widened bodykit, deleted Kombi side door, relocated tailgate bubble, lifted tail-lights and custom door handles.
Inside is a wonder of diamond stitching, with a pressed sheet-metal parcel shelf, wild rooflining and padded dash delete.
While the 1600cc flat-four is nothing special, Allen has ensured the Beetle sits tough with 2.5in drop spindles, a front disc brake conversion and 17×10 B45 Simmons rims all ’round.
GARY GIBONS – Boss Hoss Sierra trike
What we are looking at here is a Boss Hoss Sierra trike, powered by a twin Vortech-blown 502ci big-block and running Holley Sniper EFI. Shifting duties are handled by a Powerglide.
Owner Gary Gibons imported the bike two years ago, stripped it down and went to town on a killer Joker-themed custom paintjob that is a riot of fuchsia and lime green. He blew everyone’s minds at Rockynats by caning the bike on the drag strip, smoking the tyres on each run.
PETER & KIM MIFSUD – XA Falcon hardtop
Peter and Kim Mifsud’s K-code XA Falcon coupe was sold new in the Central Queensland town of Clermont, where it remained when Peter purchased it a decade ago.
The concept for the build is a car that looks stock at a glance – even when you open the bonnet – but with some key improvements including a 427 stroker Cleveland, T56 Tremec gearbox, 9in with Truetrac and an RRS rack conversion.
For the visuals, Peter and Kim stuck with the factory Wild Plum duco but changed the Saddle interior trim to Off White, and also added a GS grille with spotlights, colour-coded bars, a front spoiler and rear louvres. The XA strolled away with the highly coveted People’s Choice award.
PETER HARDING – 1934 Chevrolet
True to its name, Peter Harding’s MIW4Y ’34 Chev delivery is as individualistic as they come, with Peter handling every aspect of the build bar the trim, including creating the fibreglass body!
Peter has put his own spin on the shape, treating it to a chop and channel, converting the rear panels to a windowless configuration, and reversing the rear door opening.
The driveline is just as unusual, with Peter opting for a Holden 202 backed by a column-shift Trimatic and Jag IRS.
With plenty of road trips on the horizon towing a teardrop trailer, the ’34 boasts extra comforts like air conditioning and fast glass, and it nabbed a Top 10 Elite spot come judging time.
OTHER ROCKYNATS 6 HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Lee Povey took home both the Dyno Champ and Torque Titan trophies in the dyno comp, with his twin-turbo VL Calais making 2034rwhp, ahead of Chris Kaarsberg’s Drag Challenge Torana, which produced 1916rwhp.
2. Craig Avenell’s T-bucket looks an exciting ride with a Toyota 2JZ, a massive GT47R turbo and absolutely no roll-over protection, abetted by a transbraked Powerglide, 5000rpm stall and FuelTech ECU. Craig reckoned the aim is 1hp per kilogram, and we reckon he’s nuts!
3. Adam Sommerville has given his hard-driven HJ a big birthday and landed a spot in the Street Top 20 – and gave the Rockynats Champion title a red-hot go for good measure.
4. Rockhampton local Andrew Smith was out cruising with the family all weekend in his SS wagon, but he brought his blown VK sedan down to the show ’n’ shine to park up near the riverfront. Up front, it’s packing a 6/71-supercharged 355ci Holden with a pair of E85-spec Holley carbs.
5. Bruce Tranent’s 1962 E-Type Jag used to be a South Australian hillclimb car. Bruce only got the car going two weeks before Rockynats, swapping out a 327ci SBC for a 6.0L LS and a 6L80 six-speed auto.
6. After a near-miraculous recovery from a coma, Adam Jones had to learn how to walk again, but he didn’t let that stop him building this Mazda 808 in just 10 weeks for Rockynats. The little sedan runs a 12A rotary with a 3/71 GM blower and single Holley carb.
7. Sporting patina paint and a massive rear wing, Luke Schmith’s ’64 Beetle caught our attention. The rear wing holds the radiator and oil cooler for the 13B turbo tucked into the back end, and because the car was originally 6-volt, Luke converted the whole thing to 12V using a Haltech R5 to control everything from the engine to the blinkers and headlights.
8. Local legend Davo Tennyson has won a stack of trophies at Rockynats, and this year he took out the Top Judged Street gong in his super-fat FJ. COOL54 has 55mm pumped into each guard, with the bumpers and grille widened to match. Under the bonnet is a triple-carbed and highly chromed 202.
9. Rob Cottrell is having a ripper year in 4DH8RS, taking out Burnanza at Sydney Dragway and then coming up trumps at Rockyants to be the Pro Class winner and score an invite to the big dance at Summernats 39. Rob dedicated his win to the late Dave Vearing of VANMAN fame.
10. Rachel Azzopardi and her husband Warren Core were strutting their stuff in this super-cool 1925 Dodge roadster, which in fact started life as two ’25 tourers! The beast is packing a 413ci Max Wedge big-block with a rare 300H cross-ram intake and twin AFB 635 Carters.
11. Travis Fahlstrom’s LS-powered 1962 Austin 245F was originally built by United Speed Shop. Ryan and the crew started with just a bare truck cab, before adding a full custom chassis, LS-based running gear and rear van body. Travis is completing the build and putting his own spin on it, including new trim. The Austin took out the Top Custom gong in the street judging.
12. Kevin Jones came all the way from WA in his Grabber Blue ’35 Chev ute, powered by a stout 302 Windsor. Kev gave the ute a fair hiding in the Rockynats Champion chase. “The ute has a Ford motor, Jag rear end and VW door handles, so I call it The Bitza!” Kev said.
13. Tim French and his partner Kelly Fay-Leigh Clarke got engaged in the line-up for Skid Row on Friday, before Tim’s RB25-powered Bluebird ripped one of the top skids of the night.
14. Bobbie Stevens from Townsville made the Pro Class burnout finals in DAT’SON, with the blown L98-powered 120Y turning around its run of bad luck to put on some great displays.
15. Peter Lewis’s Howard Astill-built XC won Top Judged and a stack of other tinware, including Top Paint, Top Engineered, Top Undercarriage/Driveline, Top Restomod, Runner-Up Interior and a Superstars invite.
16. Stuart Smith’s HAVE4GO ’67 Mercury Cougar recently scored a massive birthday, with the old black paint scheme giving way to a wild shade of Violet Pasifae thanks to a bare-metal respray by Anton and the crew at Muscle Car Restorations. The Merc runs a 6/71-blown 393 Clevo.
17. Jamie Cairney came all the way from Wollongong to nail second place in the Pro-class burnouts in his BIG PAPA Torana. Jamie is another Rockynats performer having a good year, having also won the Pro class at the Good Fryday Burnouts at Sydney Dragway.
18. With the bonnet down, Andrew Larsen’s ’75 Mercedes 230 sedan is a great sleeper, but the cheeky air cleaner poking through hints at something more. Sure enough, underneath is a big-block Chev and Powerglide combo to get things going. “It’s an old motor out of a drag car,” Andrew said. “We only just got it going, so we’re just cruising this weekend.”
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