The 2024 edition of the Haltech Horsepower Heroes dyno comp at Street Machine Summernats 36 was one for the ages, with new records set, tight competition and tough cars aplenty.

As predicted, the Maatouks Racing-built VL Commodore, MAKDDY, took home the top prize. Its record-breaking 2504hp run from yesterday’s qualifying was backed up with an easy 2365hp single run today, cementing its top spot overall as well as the Boosted Six-Cylinder class trophy and the Boost Demon award for the mammoth 79psi it ran during the 2504hp run. 

Second place for the Boosted Six-Cylinder class went to Lachlan Gow’s freshly built FG XR6 Turbo. A built Barra, Pulsar G45 turbo and 12 injectors yielded a best of 1061hp – very impressive for a car that’d never seen a dyno before the ’Nats, having copped a last-minute road tune on New Year’s Eve. 

Third place in Boosted Six was awarded to Jason Waye’s FOXSAKE Mustang, which astounded us all when it smashed out 907hp during qualifying from the virtually stock Barra turbo engine. Humid air during the finals took power down to 856hp, but word is that this thing will be getting a much spicier mill very soon.

Second place overall went to Summernats 35 Haltech Horsepower Heroes champion Cody Hunt and his HSV E-Series wagon. The AFG Motorsports-built machine spun up a best of 1747hp from the twin-turbo LS combo, securing the win in the Boosted V8 class. 

Jason Botterill’s VY Maloo finished second in class with 1331hp, followed by Luke Furse’s VFJET Commodore that hit four figures at 1015hp.

The Aspirated V8 class was building up to be a really tight old-school Ford fight. Shadi Tobaji’s RAW TC Cortina and Jacob Farrugia’s Mustang were gearing up for an angry Windsor showdown, the Cortina having qualified with 701hp to the ’Stang’s 709hp.

The Cortina threw a nasty 728hp punch, and Jacob got some of the hardest luck we’ve seen when his Mustang cooked the trans outside the dyno cell moments after arriving. As a result, he couldn’t run, so second place was taken by Denis Vidovic’s XB GT, which made 617hp with another tough Windsor.

Aspirated Six-Cylinder top honours went to Jason Kosis and a standard FG XR6 Falcon, which made 221hp. Second went to Rick Yates’s neat LJ Torana, packing an old-school, 235ci stroker 202 with triple Strombergs; it put out 120hp. Third was taken by another classic Holden six, the 202 in Nadine Dodd’s WB ute. The 89hp it made during the finals was well down on the 139hp it made the day prior.

Other awards included the Best Engineered, which was given out by dyno operator and MPW Performance bossman Adam Rogash. His pick this year was Lee Murray’s stunning ProCharged Holden V8-powered WEPN LJ Torana. “It is a super-impressive machine, so well built and a thoroughly deserved winner,” Adam said. 

Ellis ‘Spike’ Dickson’s aspirated, 13B rotary-swapped Suzuki Mighty Boy screamed to a win for the Rev Monster award, clocking 12,000rpm to be the highest-revving machine recorded on the dyno during the weekend.