FOR the past six years the guys and girls from Gippsland Tuff Streeters have paired up with the Drouin Rotary Club to put on Lardner Park Motorfest. It’s an interesting relationship, with the ‘hoons’ from GTS coming together with the more respectable Rotarians, but one that obviously works, as together they raise about $50,000 for charity each year.

Hundreds of cars, and thousands of spectators, congregated at Lardner Park for this year’s two-day Motorfest, to let loose in a safe, fun and family-friendly environment. Aside from the ever-popular burnout competition, there’s the go-to-whoa, stampede and show ’n’ shine. But most were keen to check out Australia’s toughest cars burning rubber, and there were lots of them – and more than a little carnage.

During qualifying on Saturday it was cool to see Michael Schena’s show-quality INTENSE HQ Monaro out on the pad tearing it up, and he rounded out the Top 20 overall.

John Williams was clearly having a ball in DATSMAD, and nabbed seventh spot overall. In a field full of blown big-block and LS-based powerplants, DATSMAD waved the flag for the humble Holden V8, packing a 530hp 355ci mill on alcohol, thanks to Powerhouse.

They came from all over for a shot at the $6000 first prize, and this year there was an additional $2000 available to the winner of the Top 10 Shootout on Saturday. Mick Hughes took home the two grand on Saturday night, and he’ll certainly need the extra cash, as his blown 406ci small-block Chev put a couple of rods out on Sunday during the finals.

Sunday saw the Top 50 from the previous day’s qualifying battle it out for the big bucks, and there were some heavy-hitters in the field. Steve Edsall (ROGUE), Paul Cook (BLWNVC), Mick Cleary (GMHAZD), Peter Grmusa (ATRISK) and current Street Machine Summernats Burnout Master Andrew Pool (IBLOWN) were just some of the mega-horsepower machines in the running.

But it was Ross Heasley in MRBADQ that showed them all how it was done for the second year in a row. He took home the big trophy and cheque, along with a Burnout Masters ticket for Summernats 30.

In the show ’n’ shine, Joel Lambert’s killer HG Monaro took out the top spot.

Lardner Park Motorfest is one of the best ‘little’ shows in the country. It’s a picturesque location and not too far from Melbourne, so if you haven’t been yet, check it out next year and help the guys raise even more money for charity.

The 2017 Summernats Burnout Masters field so far:

Andrew Poole IBLOWN

Brett Battersby BLWNLUX

Jake Myers SICKO

Peter Grmusa ATRISK

Ryan Pearson HOLDON

Darren Bromage SMOKINU

Matthew Cowan ONIT

Domenic Luci LITMUP

Andrew Lynch LYNCHY

Justen Brown STRUGLIN

Colin Byrne SEWERSIDE

Ross Heasley MRBADQ

The remaining Burnout Masters qualifying events are:

BURNOUT KING WA, 25 March

STREET MACHINE SUPERNATS, 23 April

BRASHERNATS SYDNEY, 12 June

TROPICAL MELTDOWN, 13 August

BURNOUT OUTLAWS, 20 August

RED CENTRE NATS, 2-4 September

TREAD CEMETERY, 15 November

STREET MACHINE SUMMERNATS, 5-8 Jan