Street Machine Summernats 38 was a whirlwind for Michael and Matt Ellard and their Image Vehicle Manufacturing crew, with the covers coming off Matt’s insane Toyota Celica (below) on Thursday night and several customer cars entered across the Top 60 and Street class. Michael Ellard’s own BEAMS-powered Toyota Corolla wagon did particularly well in the…
Read MoreStreet Machine Summernats 38 concluded yesterday with cooler weather ushering in a chilled, but action-packed atmosphere. In the Open Class burnouts, Brett Battersby in BLWNLUX took home the chocolates. MORE All Summernats stories Jono Kelly was stoked to take out the Pro Burnouts Redemption Round in his VK. A record-breaking year to remember in the…
Read MoreA record-breaking year to remember in the Haltech Horsepower Heroes has come to a close, with Darren Portelli’s HQ Holden romping home to victory with a best run in the finals today of 3697hp. It backs up his original record-breaking run on Thursday of 3513hp, a run that’d already broken the previous year’s record set…
Read MoreStreet Champion is an opportunity for genuine and regularly street driven vehicles to get their name in lights at Summernats 38. Unlike Grand Champion where the scene’s most expertly detailed and refined vehicles vie for the top gong, Street Champion is more relatable to the average punter and the field at Summernats 38 was incredibly…
Read MoreTHE Meguiar’s Pavilion is the place to be at Summernats if high end custom cars are your thing. In recent years we’ve noticed a shift away from dedicated showcars built for the sole purpose of winning trophies, in favour of cars that are engineered to be driven once their show days are done, and that…
Read MoreOz’s biggest horsepower party has partnered with a veteran Kiwi promoter to extend the smoke show’s international reach It’s been a whirlwind few months for the Summernats family, announcing their first ever venture off Australian shores with Summernats USA happening at Cleetus McFarland’s Freedom Factory March 12-14, 2026. In front of a packed grandstand in…
Read MoreThe Saturday of Street Machine Summernats is always the most hectic, with a sellout crowed, jam-packed schedule and history to be made. Before we got to the evenings awards, daytime hours saw the Haltech Horsepower Heroes dyno record fall once again, Dan Szabolics twin turbo, big-block Chev HQ Monaro thumping out a scorching 3786hp! He’s…
Read MoreWhat makes the Grand Champion award at Street Machine Summernats different from all others is the driving component and very often they are the deciding factor in the hunt for the sword, and that was certainly the case this year. With Johnny Tosevski’s gorgeous twin-turbo VL Calais judging in the Elite Top 10 and scoring…
Read MoreWest Australian Chris Orchard is your 2026 Pro Burnout series champion, his BALLISTIC VL Holden taking out the top honours and $50,000 prize money in the top 10 final here in Canberra on Saturday afternoon. “It feels like a long time coming, and after finishing second, coming second sucks! I put a lot of work…
Read MoreEthan Guymer of Pat’s Pro Restos wins the 2026 Laurie Starling Memorial Scholarship For over a decade, the Laurie Starling Memorial Scholarship has been recognising and fosteringtalented young car builders – an enduring tribute to the late Laurie Starling, whose fabricationtalents earned him a spot on the Summernats judging team as the event’s youngest everjudge.…
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