How competitors earn points in Rare Spares Rockynats burnouts

How burnout competitors score and lose points as they spin their tyres at Rare Spares Rockynats.

Toowoomba's Wal Gersekowski is keen to take out the first ever burnout title at the inaugural Rare Spares Rockynats in Rockhampton this weekend. Photo: Simon Freeman

The burnouts are set to be one of the premier attractions at the inaugural Rare Spares Rockynats, but the competitors aren’t just hoons you see on TV – for them the competition is very serious.

Vehicles entering can vary from four-cylinder grocery-getters, to 1200 horsepower plus purpose-built supercharged V8s, which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Rare Spares Rockynats burnout competition is located behind the Callaghan Park Racecourse, on Reaney Street.

The Rare Spares Rockynats burnout pad at Callaghan Park Racecourse, on Reaney Street. Picture: Rodney Stevens

Reigning Red CentreNATS Burnout Masters titleholder Wal Gersekowski will pilot his purple “1 TUF HG” purple Holden ute at Rockynats.

“It’s a brand-new event at an all-new location and to have so much horsepower unleashed in the inner city will be absolutely amazing,” he said.

“You have to keep moving fast and use every inch of the burnout pad, even if you can’t see where you are going through all the smoke.

“To take out the first ever Rockynats Burnout Masters title would be unbelievable.”

The competition has two categories for competitors, the burnout championship and the burnout masters, plus classes based on engine configuration.

The aim of the burnouts is to produce as much smoke as possible from the cars tyres, while negotiating a confined space and not touching the barriers, stopping, or having to reverse.

Up to 100 points are awarded on instant, constant smoke, driving skill avoiding the barriers, blowing the tyres and the time, or duration of the burnout.

Drivers are deducted points if they hit the barriers, use reverse gear, for stopping or stalling, if they fail to blow one or both tyres, if the car catches fire and if they fail to drive off the burnout pad.

Entrants in the burnout championship comprise most of the competitors, while the heavy-hitting masters competitors are professionals who compete for entry into the Summernats Burnout Masters competition, where the national winner is crowned.

Grandstands line one side of the Rare Spares Rockynats burnout pad at Callaghan Park Racecourse, on Reaney Street. Picture: Rodney Stevens

Strict safety rules govern the burnout competition, including compulsory fire suits for drivers and passengers, closed in shoes, Australian standard helmets, plus all vehicles must have a minimum of a 1kg fire extinguisher securely installed within.

All competitors must have a driver’s licence, are breath tested before competing and must register 0.000 blood alcohol content or they are excluded.