First published in the April 2008 issue of Street Machine

The end of 2007 was a tough time for Supernats promoter Ahmets ‘the mad Turk’ Sirhiligis. Despite postponing the November event to December due to the weather, the rain date became just that — wet.

The weather looked like putting the kybosh on the event again but with the unfailing optimism and enthusiasm that street machiners possess, the show went ahead at Western Sydney International Dragway.

Around 300 cars braved grey skies and rain for the only Pro Street race meeting on the Sydney calendar. Major sponsor Groundcorp/AN Racing was keen to make a big impression and the pits were full of restored GT Falcons and muscle cars that had rolled through the repair shop.

Laurie Seguna’s purple and orange Gemini and Adam Barbaresco’s black HK Monaro between them took 12 of the 33 trophies on offer, though otherwise the number and quality of elite cars was a little down this year.

Mohammad Ibrahim’s candy red turbocharged Ferrari was a massive hit though the talk of the town in the muscle car fraternity was Brett Woods’s super-sharp HG Holden wagon (PROWGN) sporting an injected big-block and an enormous set of rear sneakers.

Supernats was the first Pro Street meeting to be run in Sydney under the auspices of the ASPA (Australian Pro Street Association) and some big hitters turned up. Most racers were like caged animals. They’d put in a lot of effort to get their cars on song for the meeting, only to find the weather getting worse by the minute.

Victorian Carmine Larusso had been confident of upping the Modified Street Aspirated record in his LC Torana but never got the opportunity. Mick Voase reclaimed the Modified Street Blown record in his 572ci hatch from Simon Kryger with an 8.15@172mph in the first — and only — qualifying session of the day.

A handful of Queensland racers made the long haul down too, including John Wilson with his immaculate Bathurst Monaro and Michael Gilbert and his Camaro.

Mick Voase’s LX narrowly beat Craig Hewitt’s big-block VL Commodore in the go-to-whoa and Hewitt’s fellow Team Big-Block members were all chasing the $3000 prize for Show ’n’ Go Champion. The top three spots went to Hewitt, Rob Godfrey’s Holden one-tonner and Mark Hayes in the seven-second LC coupe respectively.

Despite non-stop drizzle in the afternoon, the burnout brigade made the best of the conditions. Tony D’Oliveira was the man to beat in his alcohol-fuelled, supercharged, big block-powered Corolla. With no shortage of ponies on tap, cool weather and big revs, Tony made short work of his competition despite some big performances.

Joe Pagano was second by a whisker, turning his blown VR ute inside-out during the finals, ahead of Tim Grueber’s hard-charging XW Falcon in third. Mark Yardy once again had moments of brilliance and arguably the biggest smoke show of the day but it ended in tears after getting lost in his own smoke.

At half-past four, with the rain still bucketing from the skies, the officials called it quits for another year. Yet another Sydney event tarnished by rain.

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Aleksandar Ninovic’s unique Whipple-blown XY Falcon gets tougher and tougher with every outing. Recent burnout performances at the Supernats and Summernats are cementing his place as a burnout stalwart.

2. Up from Wagga Wagga were Clinton Rowley and his Clevo-powered TE Cortina. While he didn’t bag any cash or tinware, he did bag ’em up in fine style for the crowd.

3. It’s rare to see Mark Hayes on the burnout pad but with $3000 up for grabs he didn’t mind cleaning the cobwebs out of the seven-second LC.

4. Looking to beat a 7.80, Michael Gilbert leaves on another pass in the turbo big-block ’69 Camaro.

5. Phil Armitage, owner of Street Neat Welding on the NSW Central Coast, certainly turned a few heads with his awesome HK Monaro that should run into the eights once he gets a handle on the big-block Chevy combination under the hood.

6. One of the toughest cars on the pad was this Suzuki carry van, TOASTR, powered by a blown small-block Chev. Punching out 550hp at the treads the smoke show was a mere formality, even in the rain.

7. Chris Martin brought his nitrous 468ci big-block Capri from Qld but didn’t make a pass. The beast has since run an 8.98 in Modified Street Blown at Willowbank.

8. Queenslander Michael Cross and his tough VK Commodore. Although he only managed a low nine in qualifying, the dry-sumped, blown and injected 350 Chev-powered VK has run 8.90s.

9. Winner of Street Machine Choice was Stuart Henry’s HT Holden. Blower, billets, bags — what else you could want?

10. Proud as punch — local mechanic Greg Hall debuts his super-smooth HJ Holden after five years in the build. The blown small-block Chev makes a hefty 650 neddies and Greg plans to drive the wheels off it.

11. Eenie, meenie, miney, mo, which Holley jet will make it go? Tony D’Oliveira looks for a tune-up for his alcohol-fuelled, burnout-winning Corolla.