BURNOUT GODS SHINE AT BRASHERNATS 2017

The burnout gods saw fit to shine down a little on Sydney Dragway for one of the key events on the Burnout Masters calendar

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Photographers: Tim McCormack

Sydney had been lashed with heavy storms in the week leading up to Brashernats 2017, but the burnout gods saw fit to shine down a little on Sydney Dragway for one of the key events on the Burnout Masters calendar.

While the left-hand side of the entry chute was under a few millimeters of water, and there was a slight drop of rain here and there during the day, the big skids continued largely uninterrupted throughout the ten-hour smoke show.

It was a day of thrills, maybe a few too many liquid spills, smoke and fire and mayhem. Shawn Karn was forced to make a quick exit from his KARNAGE Commodore after flames engulfed the cabin and licked up his seat. The twin-turboed OVERKILL Cortina sputtered upon entry and fell in a heap. The children’s champion, Mark Gibbons’s MATER tow truck, cooked its third motor this year. Andrew Lynch came in a little too hot and smacked his LYNCHY Corolla into the wall. All in all, it added up to a great day’s entertainment for the fans packing the stands.

The 30-car final was a high-quality affair, which made it tough for the judges, as did the lack of a breeze to clear away the smoke, which hung over the pad for longer periods as the night wore on.

Tim Brown in his CEMBLO VK Calais took first place, edging out Matt Power in the T4TUFF One Tonner. Graham Rowe was impressive in his well-presented GAMBLE XE panel van and snatched third ahead of Scott Yates in his YATESZ VT Commodore, who won the NA Class in a canter. Fifth was Jack Seaman in his LOOSEQ One Tonner.

Brashernats 2017You could have sworn Shawn Karn had an ejector seat installed in his blown 400-cube Dart-powered KARNAGE VS Commodore, considering the speed with which he got out when the biggest fireball of the day infiltrated the cockpit and ran up the back of his hoodie. See the KARNAGE burnout fire video here.

Brashernats 2017Popular in the pits for its 6/71-blown 393ci Cleveland with monster twin GT45 turbo set-up, Ben Bolton’s OVERKILL Cortina made good smoke down the entry chute but fizzed when it hit the pad.

Brashernats 2017Coming in hotter than hot, cult hero Andrew Lynch left mouths agape when he swung the LYNCHY Corolla in so hard he flew straight into the opposing concrete barrier, then drove out of it to put on his usual dizzying display.

Brashernats 2017Winner Tim Brown ticked every box possible in his blown 400-cube CEMBLO VK Calais, churning out smoke, jumping all over the pad, narrowly avoiding walls, and banging the treads bang on time.

Brashernats 2017Matt Power put in two thoroughly hectic skids in his always angry T4TUFF HQ One Tonner to claim a well-deserved second-place. He smashed one tyre so hard in the final that the tray lifted noticeably upon impact.

Brashernats 2017Third-placed Graham Rowe’s blown 351-cube Windsor-powered XE Falcon van cut a stunning figure in the final, its well-presented blue finish just barely visible amid plumes of yellow smoke.

Brashernats 2017Event organiser Mick Brasher was not competing, but he did open the whole show in his much-loved ULEGAL Corolla.

Brashernats 2017There’s surely nothing crazier than a SMURF on meth. Chuckle all you like, no-one will hear you over the sound of Corey Hathoway’s blown 6L LS beast. Yes, this car is a Charade, but there’s no doubt it’s also the real friggin’ deal.

Brashernats 2017One big name who missed the finals was two-time Brashernats winner Steve Loader, his wicked UCSMOKE machine coming to a premature stop mid qualifying. However, he came back to perform a demo skid after the final had been run, where he put on a typically hateful display, the HT Prem shooting brimstone from the huge rear pipes as it thrashed its way to ultimate redemption.

Brashernats 2017The now blown and injected MATER tow truck appeared to be taking care of business just fine when a gearbox fire melted some wiring and cooked another engine, its third this year. Needless to say, the tow truck bills are piling up.

Brashernats 2017Clayton Barbara’s freshly blown and also renamed UP4WAR [formerly CNTFCE] VU SS ute performed a fire dance that had the savages on their feet.

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