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Go to: SUMMERNATS 2 (1989) | 3 (1990) | 4 (1991) |5 (1992) | 6 (1993) | 7 (1994) |
8 (1995) | 9 (1996) | 10 (1997)
Have you ever got home from shopping for a barbecue at your place and wondered if you’ve bought too many snags? Sure, 30 people have said on Facebook that they’re coming, but how many will actually turn up? If you’ve ever felt that pang of pre-party anxiety, imagine how Chic Henry must have felt the night before the very first Street Machine Summernats back in 1988.
Chic invested big-time in that first event, but it paid off handsomely, with almost 2000 entrants storming the nation’s capital to be a part of that first ‘Nats.
And they’ve been coming in droves ever since. The event has changed with the times – as it must – but it’s hard not to look back on the early days with some nostalgia. So with that in mind, we’ve dug through the archives to give you a taste of the first 10 years of Street Machine Summernats.
1988
Summernats 1
What a way to start. Over 2000 entrants, a brand-new burnout pad and 50,000 punters. The results list saw Rex Webster’s FJ and the Queensland pro street Commodores of Rob Beauchamp and Greg Carlson fighting it out for the top gongs.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. How cool it was to see the world’s best pro streeter lead the Supercruise down Northbourne Avenue! All the way from the USA, Rick Dobbertin’s Pontiac J2000 boasted a flip-top body, two superchargers, twin turbos and 10 nitrous kits!
2. Greg Thomson may have hit the wall a couple of times, but he was stoked to become the first-ever Summernats burnout champion in his 454 Chev-powered Capri.
3. Graham Cowley’s iconic HR ute was a hot contender in the burnout comp.
4. Marty Brennan’s MADNES gave the burnout comp a red-hot go (having won the title at the Street Machine Nationals the previous year) – and took out Top Wild Custom at judging time.
5. Mark Sgaravizzi’s 88NATS may not have taken out the burnout comp, but the fuel-injected, 340-cube XD Falcon, clad in Phase V kit, remains one of the most talked-about cars in Summernats history.
6. Three of the best pro street cars on earth in 1988 – Greg Carlson’s VK, Rick Dobbertin’s Pontiac and Rob Beauchamp’s VL.
7. Rex Webster’s immortal FJ was the winner of the first-ever Top Judged gong.
1989
SUMMERNATS 2
Robbie Beauchamp dominated the judging charts again at ‘Nats ’89, but a bloke by the name of Howard Astill was making his presence felt, with his ‘Rock Solid’ Falcon scoring a swag of tinware including Top Engineering and Entrants’ Choice. Young Scott McLachlan won Top Judged in his super-sano WB ute, and Todd D’Elboux’s Gemini proved that four-pots could score with the best of ’em.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Liz Smith won the go-to-whoa in her uber-cool, 202-powered pink Ford Anglia.
2. Future Grand Champ Peter Fitzptrick and his Broomstick Brougham made the finals of the first go-to-whoa.
3. Howard Astill and Mark Sanders put Rock Solid through its paces in the spear-a-spud. And the sheepskin? Straight out of the pram!
4. Mark Sgaravizzi returned to the ‘Nats with a pro street XE Falcon in ’89, this time powered by a big-block Chev. It had too much traction to work on the burnout pad, but looked killer in the Supecruise.
5. Glenn Rogers’s 460-powered, Owen Webb-painted XC ute was crowned the second Summernats burnout champ, seeing off the likes of defending champ Greg Thompson and the soon-to-be-legendary duo of Chris Christou and his HO775 XY.
6. Rob Beauchamp’s VL took out Top Street Machine Overall for the second year running – the forerunner to the Grand Champion prize. Strong performances in the driving events and completing the Supercruise were essential to the win.
7. The much-missed Canberra Dragway wasn’t officially part of the ‘Nats program in ’89, but you wouldn’t have known it by the number of entrants testing their mettle down the eighth-mile.
1990
SUMMERNATS 3
Rob Beauchamp nailed Top Street Machine Overall for the third straight year, but he had to contend with an incredible newcomer in the form of Ron Barclay’s HQ Holden. The mild but incredibly detailed ute offered an intriguing alternative to the pro street formula.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Chris Christou sealed the first of his Burnout Championship wins at ‘Nats 3 in his stick shift-equipped XY.
2. Frank Aliberti’s ‘Terminator’ VL picked up second place in the burnout comp.
3. SM editor Tim Britten hands the goodies to Ron Barlcay, who took out Top Judged, Entrants’ Choice and a stack of other awards in his mega-influential HQ ute.
4. You’d weep tears to think of the classic metal that has been crushed, crashed or blown up for the crowd’s entertainment at Summernats over the years! Here we see the ‘Aussie Battler’ monster truck make short work of a hapless P76.
5. Now decked out in burgundy duco for Summernats 3, Robbie Beauchamp’s VL proved its streetability time and again at the ‘Nats.
6. Long-time Summernats stalward Mark Yardy and his YUMMIE ute always put on a spectacular show.
1991
SUMMERNATS 4
Howard Astill returned to Summernats with his XA Falcon revamed as ‘Rock 3’, complete with outrageous Ralfus graphics. The rebuild was rewarded with both Top Judged and Top Street Machine Overall – the first time such a feat had been achieved, and it wouldn’t be repeated until Darrell Leemhuis did the double in 2009!
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Mark Sanders’s innovative, P76-powered LH Torana took out Top Pro Street and Top Engineered Pro Street.
2. Wheels scribe, the late Paul Cockburn, won the motorkhana and gave the spear-a-spud a fair shake in his daily-driven E-Type Jag.
3. Graham Oldfield’s blown, 454-powered FX placed in the Top 10, grabbed Top Engineered Street Machine and then blew the hides off on the pad.
4. The all-conquering Rock 3 had its SM feature shoot in a quarry outside Canberrra on the Monday after the ‘Nats. Howard Astill and Chic Henry eventually did a deal for the car to become the giveaway prize for Summernats 5.
5. Chris Christou accepts his second burnout first-place trophy.
6. Rex Webster’s genre-busting VW Karmann Ghia.
7. Victor Bray mows the lawn in his ’57. Victor was joined by fellow Wild Buncher Allen ‘Captain Cusso’ Boughen at the ‘Nats for a double act that was talked about for years.
1992
SUMMERNATS 5
Howard Astill did it again in ’92, debuting a ‘64 Compact Fairlane that was built in nine months as a Street Machine project car. Howard strolled away with Top Street Machine Overall, while Ron Barlcay’s evergreen HQ ute took out its second Top Judged award. Once the Fairlane’s show career was done, we gave it away to a lucky Street Machine reader, Patrick Smithers.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Street Machine cover shotos don’t get much more iconic than this cracker. Jason Fitzallen’s fluoro LC Torana is front and centre.
2. Wayne Jones took out Top Pro Street in the Motorcraft EA Falcon.
3. Reighning SMOTY winner Craig Parker hanging out of TUFFXY mid-Supercruise.
4. ‘Nats legend and SM scribe Steve Titcumb jumps on the picks in his CRITTA HQ wagon. The pair had a good year, winning the spear-a-spud.
5. The Cardboard Fantasy parade was a ‘Nats highlight for years. These days, blowers are so common that we don’t need the cardboard variety!
6. Wayne Doherty’s FATVAN broke the drought for the Holden fans by taking out the first GM win on the burnout pad.
7. Ron Barclay accepts Bill Jones’s Judge’s Choice award.
1993
SUMMERNATS 6
Despite being held in the middle of a recession, Summernats 6 was healthy-as, with 1900 entrants and 90,000 punters through the gates! On the downside, some ratbag behaviour during the Supercruise saw that most excellent part of the ‘Nats canned – only to return many years later as the daytime-only City Cruise. This was also the year that pyrotechnics guru Steve Courtney blew up a Volvo on New Year’s Eve to the delight of the crowd – some of whom were inspired to vandalise more Swedish Taxis outside the event!
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Mark Cannon’s ‘Agent Orange’ HR must be one of the most photographed cars in the ‘Nats history – this is just one of literally hundreds of shots of it we found in the archives.
2. Peter Collier’s heavy-hitting ’56 Chev pick-up won Top Judged and a stack of other awards in the judging.
3. Howard Astill won Top Engineered Pro Street in the Street Machine giveaway Compact Fairlane.
4. Craig Parker and John Hatton brought the mobile party machine ‘Baby Cup’ HQ, built on a One Tonner chassis for just $1500!
5. Peter Fitzpatrick claimed the first-ever Grand Champion award in 1993 – the first of many he would win.
6. Mark Beehag give the spear-a-spud a stab in his tough HZ ute.
7. Gary Myers takes out his first burnout crown.
1994
SUMMERNATS 7
A real test for Summernats: for 1994, the Supercruise on Northbourne was no more, instead relocated inside Exhibition Park to run around the trotting track. There were those who thought the top cars wouldn’t want to cruise on a dusty dirt surface and that the magic of the event would be lost. That, combined with a reduction in entrant numbers (though to be a knock-on effect of a recent BYO booze ban), gave Chic some headaches, but the revamped Supercruise proved popular and entrant numbers soon recovered.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. The Supercruise was brought inside EPIC for 1994 and has remained there ever since.
2. Gary Myers on his way to his second Summernats burnout title.
3. To keep the crowds entertained, Chic revved up the post-Supercruise spectacle with a Mad Max-meets Apocalypse Now pyrotechnics and fireworks show.
4. Brian Willis’s HK Monaro stormed the results sheets, winning Grand Champion, Top Super Street, Top Interior and Judge’s Personal Choice.
5. Ahmet the Mad Turk swapped his trusty HD ute for this wild, roofless HK Monaro.
6. Like most of Norm Longfield’s builds, his blown Hemi-powered Willys was a next-level deal. It took out Top Pro Modified, Top Engineered Pro Modified, Top Custom Paint, Top Competition Interior and Top Judged Elite.
7. SMOTY holder Frank Rejtano won Top Judged Street Machine, Top Undercarriage, Top Engine Bay and Top Coupe with his wild ’64 Corvette.
8. Burnout runner-up was Ron Clark in his HQ One Tonner.
9. Gai Hills was the first woman to ever pull a burnout at Summernats, and she took out the women’s burnout title in 1994. Not bad for a car that was the family’s only form on transport for the weekend!
1995
SUMMERNATS 8
Entrant numbers were back up for ‘Nats 8, and the quality at the sharp end of the show-car field was through the roof. Taking on Grand Champion Dennis Laing’s Galaxie was a who’s-who of street machining royalty, including Mark Sanders in his new, oh-so-tasteful HK Monaro, Paul Bennett in his insane ’68 Camaro, Howard Astill’s ‘Race Rock’ XC coupe, and a trio of killer FJ Holdens thanks to Colin Townsend, Darryl McBeth and Russell Tronc.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Anthony Fabris writes himself into Commodore folklore, torching the hides on his genuine Walky.
2. The drags were extra special for ’95, with a group of touring US Wild Bunch racers taking on local heroes Victor Bray and Greg Thompson.
3. Paul Cundy steals the Supercruise show in his blown Corolla.
4. Stuntman Fireball Campbell was lucky to escape from his attempt to jump a line of exploding cars in a hapless XY GT.
5. Dennis Laing gave his ’64 Ford Galaxie a massive birthday prior to the ‘Nats and was rewarded with Grand Champion, Top Pro Stret, Top Engineered Pro Street, Top Interior and Top Undercarriage.
6. Mark Sanders continued his trend-setting ways with his ‘Heatseeker’ HK Monaro.
7. Gary Myers and GM176 continued their winning streak, taking their third ‘Nats burnout title.
1996
SUMMERNATS 9
Summernats 9 was a quiet year in terms of Elite debuts – something that would bounce back in a big way for ‘Nats 10 with John Portelli’s ’32 and John Riskas’s ’55 Chev being the big two new cars on the scene.
The Grand Champion driving events were a sight to behold, with heavy hitters like Howard Astill in the Pioneer XA coupe, Darryl McBeth in his FJ and Mark Sanders’s HK all having a red-hot shot at the sword.
But Peter Fitzpatrick won the day with his FC Holden, aided by a superb third outright performance in the motorkhana.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Russell Hampton’s Land Rover 101 used LPG-fuelled small-block Chev power to put on a hell of a show on the burnout pad.
2. Early days for the Peter Gray‘s Camaro, still street-driven and running an aspirated big-block.
3. Another legend in the making – Tristan Ockers and MINCER took home the Best Overall Performance trophy.
4. Peter Fitzpatrick nailed his second Grand Champion award in his FC.
5. Mark Dall’acqua took home the burnout cherries in his DMT351 Escort.
6. The very first Horsepower Heroes competition was won by Anthony Fabris in his genuine VL Walkinshaw, to the tune of 325rwhp.
7. Paul Cundy’s Fairlane would have to be one of the most epic Summernats cruisers of all time! The beast won the Krazy Kustom award and nabbed second in Special Effects Paint.
1997
SUMMERNATS 10
The 10th anniversary of Street Machine Summernats was a monster, with over 100,000 punters through the gates and entrant numbers capped at a record-breaking 1970. A bevy of new Elite cars made the event one to remember – as did a massive array of special feature events that were capped off by Lawrence Legend’s (eventually) successful attempt to jump 10 buses on a dirt bike.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. John and Rhonda Zelukovic’s 392 Hemi-powered Studebaker rocked the establishment with its innovation and scored a heap of trophies, including People’s Choice.
2. Gary Myers finished second in the burnouts in ’97, but he didn’t miss in the go-to-whoa, taking out the event with a record time.
3. Howard Astill nabbed his third Grand Champion win (his first two when the prize was subbed Top Street Machine Overall).
4. Future SMOTY winner Ed Brodie was propelled into super-stardom when he debuted his revamped MRHJ. The car claimed a swag of awards, including Top Engineered Street Machine, and won the hearts of Holden fans everywhere with Ed’s next-level take on the retrotech concept.
5. Tony DeOliveira took the burnout win in his blown, 400-cube Toyota Corolla, ahead of Gary Myers and a young Mark Arblaster!
6. 1987 500cc World Champion Wayne Gardner was on hand at the ‘Nats to promote his line of WGR Commodores. The Wollongong Whiz spanked his road car in the driving events and blew the smithereens out of a Yamaha V-Max clutch on the burnout pad.
7. The second Horsepower Heroes crown was won by Matt Burton’s 454-powered HQ van, with a best of 372.5hp on the rolling road.
8. Anthony Fabris came third in Horsepower Heroes in ’97, a fraction of a horsepower out of second place. On the burnout pad, the Walkinshaw was as spectacular as ever.
9. Another high-profile newcomber was Bill Murfin’s HT Monaro, BILLIT, which went on to take out the 1997 Street Machine of the Year award.