THE fifth West Coast Nats happened late last month, attracting plenty of top tyre-shredders for a seriously impressive show at the Perth Motorplex.
Organiser Peter Flint said the Nats’ genesis could be traced back to a meeting with fellow event organiser Chris Orchard: “He wanted to do something a bit bigger, so he approached me and asked if I wanted to team up.” The first Nats took place at Collie Motorplex, former home of the now-cancelled Gazzanats WA. The event then shifted to Supercars venue Barbagallo Raceway, but scheduling issues and lacklustre spectator space meant another move was on the cards.
“I’ve always wanted to run a show at Perth Motorplex; we managed to get a meeting with them about mid-year, after they’d released their calendar,” Peter said.
Despite a period of just eight weeks between being greenlit and kicking off, the fifth West Coast Nats featured almost 130 entrants, including some heroes of the sport. Highlights included Andrew Lynch’s crowd-pleasing Corolla, Darryl Ferguson’s unique SMOKNRAT truck, and Wayne Daw’s blown and injected SLYLUX ute. Peter’s own XC Falcon ute, OLDHOON, also made an appearance after a lengthy makeover.
The lack of a circuit at the Motorplex prompted Peter and his team to get creative with the weekend’s activities. “We ended up running burnout demos all day using the drag strip’s return road,” he said.
The high calibre of the Motorplex team allowed participants to push the envelope, making big smoke in a controlled environment. “It’s really something that sets the West Coast Nats apart from other events,” Peter said. “There was a bit of work making sure it was safe for everyone, but the Motorplex folks were really good to deal with; I have 110 per cent faith in their safety crew.”
In fact, many first-time interstate visitors found themselves running out of tyres, having underestimated the amount of action on offer throughout the day.
This year’s Nats also reflected the size and enthusiasm of the WA burnout scene. “The scene here is really big, and it has been for a number of years,” Peter said. “Even country comps will now get 60, 70 or 80 entries.”
Darryl Ferguson took home the Best Tip-In award in SMOKNRAT. Top Powerskid was awarded to Mick Hamon’s WIDE OPEN ClubSport, while the Open class gong went to Jason Tanian in his XD Falcon ute, KENOATH. Ryan Pearson’s HOLDON snared the Blown class win, while Best Six-Cylinder Burnout went to Levi Taylor in his FALCONSTEIN EF.
Photos by Taliah White! Check our her Facebook page here.
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