Red CentreNATS celebrates 10 year milestone with Father’s Day burnouts and more
Big burnouts, bigger smoke clouds, and cold beers on a hot day at 2024 Red CentreNATS have made Father’s Day extra special. Did we snap you? Peep the gallery to see.
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Cold beer, hot weather, and plenty of smoke from burnouts made Father’s Day extra special in the Red Centre, as the “ultimate festival of wheels” celebrated its 10 year milestone – with plenty of Red Centre locals taking out awards at the event.
The final day of this year’s Red CentreNATS – the 10th edition of the motor festival – fell on Father’s Day, Sunday, September 1, with dozens of families descending on the Alice Springs Inland Dragway.
For some of the 803 entrants, such as the Blackleys from NSW, the event was a family affair – made even more special by it falling on dad’s special day.
The family of four travelled from Bathurst to take part, with mum and dad Kevin and Jodie behind the wheel of the “LS Tonka”.
Shaped like a Tonka truck, the “LS Tonka” began its life a Ford Courier, before Mr Blackley turned it into a burnout machine by putting a LS1 engine into it.
“We’ve got about 320 to 340 horsepower or something – it’s enough to spin the wheels and destroy some tyres,” Mr Blackley said.
“We’re just backyard mechanics and love cars.
“We don’t care about winning and stuff.”
The “LS Tonka” is a black sheep for the the Blackley family, who said they’re die hard Holden fans.
Their two sons, Andrew and Martin, were in the top 20 for the burnouts, with one competing in a Torana and another in a HZ one-tonner.
For two-time Red CentreNATS champion Brent Murray, the day was also a family affair.
Coming up from Portland, Victoria, all but one of the Murray clan was there to cheer their dad on in the competition.
“We come up here so we make it a bit of a holiday,” he said.
“(The) families here for the first time, I’ve got all my kids except for one, one didn’t come, but we’ll catch up with him.”
The Open Burnout category was won by Justin McKinnis, while the Pro Burnout category was taken by Christopher Smallmon.
David McAdam, from Alice Springs, took out the 4-wheel drive course in the touring category in his 1995 Toyota HiLux.
In the motorcycle category, Alice locals Jet Thompson, Jon Paton, and Tony Smith all took out best in show, best street bike, and best vintage bike.
Alice local, Joe Harris, won the tarmac time trial in his 1999 Subaru Impreza, and came second in the slalom, while Casey Hiscox – also from Alice – won the judges choice with their 1986 Ford XR sedan.
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Originally published as Red CentreNATS celebrates 10 year milestone with Father’s Day burnouts and more
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