Rockynats 2023: Steve Robson prepares to burn rubber on burnouts pad

With the burnouts field wide open for someone new to take the crown, one entrant has revealed what goes into getting his car ready for the event.

Steve and Helen Robson with Burson Auto Parts Store Manager Kim Saunders.

Thousands of people and cars will hit the streets of Rockhampton on the Easter weekend with Rockynats returning for its third consecutive year.

The event will see competitors, car enthusiasts and spectators from across the country fill their tanks with three days of high octane fun for the whole family.

Steve Robson has travelled to Rockhampton all the way from Cairns with his 1957 Chevrolet burnout car, where he will be competing in the masters burnout event.

Mr Robson, with his wife Helen as his co-pilot, will be just one of the many entrants burning rubber on the burnout pad, one of the most popular events at Rockynats.

Getting ready for the event takes a lot of preparation, with Mr Robson going through his car with a fine tooth comb.

“It takes a lot of patience, a lot of skill and of course lots of money,” he said.

“First off we change all the fluids, new transmission oil, new engine oil, pull all the carbies apart and clean them up, we run an E85 fuel.

“We go through the whole car and make sure there’s no loose bolts and nothing dangerous and make sure nothing can hurt us or hurt other people and we make sure we have all brand new tyres and that they’re all at the correct air pressure and there’s no wheel weights.

“Then we just go out and have some fun.”

With last year’s burnouts winner not competing this year the field is wide open for someone to take the burnouts champion crown.

The goal of the burnout competition is for competitors to last more than two minutes, blow both tyres and then drive off the pad.

But for Mr Robson, it’s not about the winning.

“We’re just hoping to have some fun, that’s what it’s about,” he said.

“Me and my wife, we do it together, she’s my co-pilot.

“There’s nothing better than us going out on the pad and seeing 10,000 people just cheering you on, it’s just in another world and makes it all worthwhile.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into preparing the cars and to see their faces and the smiles on their faces, it’s just unbelievable.”

Mr Robson said they also enjoyed people from the crowd being able to look at the cars when the event was finished.

Advance Rockhampton executive manager Greg Bowden said attendance numbers for this year’s event would be high.

“Overall we’re looking to have about 50,000 people attend this event over the weekend,” he said.

“From an event point of view the city is alive, and this is what Rockynats is all about - this is about bringing Rockhampton to life over an Easter Weekend where it was once very quiet.”