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Summernats 38
Go to: Meguiar’s Great Uncover | Elite Top 60 | Grand Champion | Horsepower Heroes | Pro Burnout Series | Open-Class Burnouts
The greatest show on Earth
Words: Liam Quirk & Kian Heagney
Photos: Chris Thorogood, Ashleigh Wilson, Michelle Porobic & Tim McCormack
By nearly every conceivable metric, Street Machine Summernats 38 was a record-buster. There were more entrants than ever before, enjoyed by a crowd of 130,000 people, and fierce competition seeing new champions crowned on the burnout pad, in the dyno cell and in the show judging. And that’s overlooking the heatwave that gripped Canberra and the entire east coast of Australia for the first three days of the event!
Summernats continues to evolve to cope with its seemingly unstoppable growth, which this year saw several new additions to improve the punters’ experience. To ease congestion, three huge pedestrian bridges were erected over the cruise route so spectators could cross quickly and safely. And just off Tuff Street, the ever-popular Skid Row grew an extra lane and extra shaded marquee seating for spectators, and was a hive of activity shrouded in plumes of tyre smoke all weekend.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve the experience Summernats punters have, and as a result of thorough post-event analysis, we knew that keeping the cruise route flowing was a big focus for 2026,” said Summernats frontman Andy Lopez. “It eases the pressure on the sides of the cruise route, and on the cruise route itself. So, the introduction of the pedestrian bridges was a huge focus for us, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
“The Skid Row addition wasn’t as calculated – if some is good, more is better, and the overwhelming feedback is that a two-lane Skid Row is here to stay!”
It didn’t take long once the gates opened on Thursday for electricity to fill the air, as entrants and spectators who’d patiently waited 12 months for their Summernats fix went looking for a dose of horsepower, and just a dash of chaos.
The Haltech Horsepower Heroes dyno comp was one of the first events to make any noise on Thursday, and it wasn’t long before Darren Portelli’s 540-cube, twin-turbo HQ had desecrated the previous dyno record, eclipsing the 2504hp set by the MAKDDY VL Turbo at Summernats 36 by over 1000hp, with a stonking 3513hp at the hubs.
The Meguiar’s Great Uncover had the Top 60 Hall packed to the brim on Thursday evening as the covers came off 23 stunning new builds. They were surrounded by dozens more of the event’s best cars, marking out one of the most diverse Top 60 line-ups in recent memory as Aussie builders continue to push the boundaries of colours, textures and technology.
“I’m aware that I can’t keep saying that the quality improves year on year, but I also can’t ignore the fact either!” said Summernats chief steward Owen Webb. “I don’t think we’ve ever had the variety of cars – look at how different Anna Povey’s diesel-powered VL drag car is, and it’s sitting right alongside Peter Liversidge’s diesel-powered HG wagon show car! We had four or five hot rods – everything from Mick Sammut’s Chevy bomber through to the most beautiful ’32 coupe you’ve ever seen. Then two of the best Celicas ever built in the country, and Andrew McCartney’s Camaro. The diversity just blew my mind.”
So big has the Summernats machine grown that it continues to find new parts of Canberra to take over, and Thursday evening saw two off-site activations – the Braddon Fringe Festival bringing all of the noise and colour of Summernats to Canberra streets for the public to enjoy, and the invite-only Street Machine of the Year VIP Party at the George Harcourt Inn in Nicholls, headlined by current SMOTY champion Martin Pecotich’s sublime HTKO Monaro parked in pole position outside the pub!
The mercury offered little relief on an action-packed Friday, headlined by the qualifying for both the Pro Series and Open burnouts in the afternoon, set against a backdrop of a lively and well-used cruise route to the enjoyment of an increasingly sunburnt crowd. An all-Aussie live music line-up ushered in the weekend in the evening, with Killing Heidi opening up for The Screaming Jets, before The Living End rocked the giant stage in the middle of the oval to the adulation of the massive crowd.
Saturday’s format copped a ground-up rebuild, and from the moment the flag dropped at 9am, it was non-stop action! Where in previous years judging and competition event finals have run over until Sunday, 2026 saw all of the Top 60 and Grand Champion judging done on Saturday, including the Grand Champion driving events, allowing the 2026 Grand Champ – Adam Bickerstaff’s ’56 F100 – to be crowned in front of the crowd assembled around the oval for the Supercruise, before lapping the oval with the sword triumphantly raised out the window.
The 2025 season finale of the Castlemaine Rod Shop Pro Burnout Series was also wrapped up on Saturday, with Chris Orchard’s BALLISTIC VL Calais heading home with a whopping $50,000 cheque after a fiercely competitive series. Chris’s commitment to the sport cannot be understated, and to finally be awarded the biggest accolade in burnouts on the biggest stage will surely be a memory he and his team will cherish forever.
That’s not to say that Sunday was left lacking though, with the Haltech Horsepower Heroes finals making plenty of noise in the dyno cell. The MPW crew had a cavalcade of high-horsepower monsters lined up all weekend, treating the packed dyno hall to daily 3000hp runs from Adam’s own Capri, Dan Szabolics’s HQ Monaro, and Darren Portelli’s new twin-turbo big-block Quey, breaking each other’s records and reclaiming them several times over the weekend. Adam’s Capri would wow the crowd to a 3616hp ear-bashing, with Daniel’s HQ laying down a 3697hp best and Dan making an earth-shattering 3786hp at the hubs.
But it wasn’t just boosted big-blocks that came ready to party, with the MACKED RB-powered R34 Skyline GT-R reeling off 2054hp, and JT Performance’s black Capri producing an ear-splitting 1093hp from its BK Race Engines-built, naturally aspirated 645ci big-block Ford.
High rpm was the order of the day on the Summernats burnout pad on Sunday, kicking off with the Pro Burnout Series Ultimate Redemption Round to get the 2026 season underway, before the Open class sang for their supper in the finals.
With the final tyre smashed and as the smoke cleared, Brett Battersby in BLWNLUX was crowned the Open Champion for Summernats 38, pipping Britt and Brad Kilby for second and third in HAMMERTIME and HAMMERD respectively, with ’Nats burnout legend Steven Loader narrowing missing out on the podium in UCSMOKE.
But as big and beaut as the 38th edition of Summernats was, that was only the beginning, as the ’Nats is set to head overseas for the first time in 2026, and then again in 2027!
STREET CHAMPION
The Street Champion award is an opportunity for genuine and regularly street-driven vehicles to get their name in lights at Summernats. The 10 finalists in this year’s Street Champ race hit the burnout pad on Saturday morning for the driving events, which saw Canberra local Dave Darcy’s HJ Premier emerge victorious.
Dave shows the car regularly and isn’t afraid to drive it hard. It’s also dripping with a stack of good bits, including paint and panel by Exclusive Customs, an L77 engine swap, six-speed manual, and a trick coil-over suspension and big brake combo.
“I’m an old-school guy and I love steel-bodied cars, but I wanted this to drive as well as a daily driver,” Dave said.
“I don’t mind flicking the car around and putting it through its paces. When we only got one run on Saturday here at the ’Nats, I think that’s where the car and I excelled, because we do the driving events at nearly every show, and plenty of street cruising too.”
MULLETFEST
For years, hundreds of glorious mullets had flowed spectacularly and freely about the ’Nats grounds but had gone completely unrewarded, so the introduction of the Summernats Mulletfest in 2019 was a cheeky way to celebrate this much-loved follicular tradition.
This year, Migelly Shaw was crowned the Grand Mullet Champion for 2026, and his magnificent mane wasn’t just for show – Migelly used his Mulletfest campaign to raise money for the Mark Hughes Foundation to aid research and support for brain cancer patients.
JOHN TAVERNA MASTER CRAFTSMAN AWARD
Michael and Matt Ellard of Image Vehicle Manufacturing capped a hugely successful ’Nats with Michael winning the John Taverna Master Craftsman Award, named in honour of the legendary drag racer and car builder who passed away in 2013.
“Winning it was unreal,” said Michael. “Everything I’ve learned about building cars I got from my late father Ray and my brother Matthew. The award means so much to me, because I know my dad would be proud.”
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Before the Pro Burnout Series awards were handed out, there were five inductees into the John Peterson Burnout Hall of Fame. Honourary jackets were presented to Mick Brasher, Warren ‘Wal’ Gersekowski, Liz Gracie, Ryan Gracie and Geoff Holder (pictured above).
2. There has been much confusion around the ‘new’ MINCER Capri that Tristan Ockers debuted at ’Nats 38, but it’s actually his original Capri, which he first owned from 1992 until 1996. He bought it back a couple of years ago and had ProFlo Performance revive it with a howling 860hp tunnel-rammed Windsor.
3. The driving events often bring about a huge swing in the hunt for the Grand Champion sword, and Ben Fink’s extremely well-sorted pro touring first-gen Camaro proved it was engineered to been driven hard, climbing the rankings to finish in the Grand Champion final three.
4. Richie Vegara may not have figured in the Grand Champion final three in his blown LS-powered ’39 Ford pick-up, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of throttle application during the driving events. Richie hoiked the Top 20 truck around the pad with reckless abandon and plumes of tyre smoke pumping out the guards, and it was a joy to behold.
5. Jay Duca’s latest last-minute build for the ’Nats is his wildest yet, a V8 LX hatch that has had its floor cut out, replaced with Nissan 180SX towers and suspension. Power now comes from a 600hp Mercedes OM606 diesel inline six, and he built the whole thing from a shell in just eight weeks!
6. Adrian Richardson had been building his blown ’76 Charger 770 for 10 years, debuting it at the ’Nats last year. It harbours a 360 small-block Mopar stroked to 408 cubes, topped off with a TBS blower. Adrian finally got to cruise trouble-free this year, even blazing a set on Precision International Skid Row.
7. We debuted our V8-powered ’73 LJ Torana GTR giveaway car at ’Nats 38, which has since found a new owner. Punters flocked to the little LJ all week, and keep an eye out for future giveaways, because this is just the start!
8. It was great to see Rod Hadfield and his ‘Grandma Duck’ twin-supercharged, Boss 429-powered Model T in the Meguiar’s Pavilion, still holding its own amongst the newest crop of elite show metal.
9. Not for the first time, it was Adam Povey’s three-wheeled Peel P50 that was a real head-turner amongst all the thumping V8s at ’Nats 38. Given the P50 is the smallest road-legal car in Australia, Adam was able to take part in the City Cruise, and punters loved seeing it on the Aeroflow Cruise Route all weekend.
10. Jake Spokes from Jake’s Chop Shop undertook a mammoth four-month build on his 1970 Holden HG GTS Monaro for the ’Nats, fabricating a new floor and chassis to sack the GTS on the ground with some massive rear meats. Up front is a carby fed, TBS 8/71-blown LS combo, with a trick set of headers for the 1000hp mill to thump out of.
11. Rob Kassouf’s 1946 Chevy bus is no replica – she’s the real-deal! “My uncle dug it out of the mud in Nevada; we think it’s the only original American school bus on the road in Australia,” he said. It now uses a blown 383 small-block, and is now a 16-seater with U-shaped seats and a playtime pole in the middle. “We hire it out for events all the time; it’s our most popular booking,” Rob said.
12. We first met Bobbie Stevens and her Datsun 120Y when it was turbo Barra, but for ’Nats 38 she debuted a new BDS 6/71-blown L98 combo! “We did two runs down Skid Row, but after we fuelled up for the Pro Burnout qualifying, it died on us,” she said. “We tried to sort it for the Redemption Round on Sunday, but it happened again! I was devastated, but that’s cars.”
13. The CAMPFIRE XP wagon of WA’s Tim Nelson was a four-day Easter project build that we covered in the mag a few years ago. The gutted shell now sits atop a modified HiLux chassis, and the ’bagged Falcon laid sets on Precision International Skid Row with its 8/71-blown, methanol-injected 393 Clevo.
14. Canberra local Jayden Craft hit the pad for the first time at the ’Nats in his WARZONE VF ute, rocking a Warspeed Industries-built blown, injected 1221hp 427 LS. “My first time hitting the pad with WARZONE and I got lost in the smoke and missed out on finals with a stacked class,” said Jayden. The VF wears a unique shade of Toyota Sandy Taupe, normally found on 79-series LandCruisers.
15. Josh Rendall’s EK wagon overcomes its fear of heights with a set of ’bags under all four corners, and a flat floor with a raised transmission tunnel and a set of tubs. The original grey motor is replaced with a trusty old 202, and this is Josh’s fourth ’Nats in the wagon – the perfect weekend family cruiser.
16. You may know of Jamie Cairney from his 2NASTY blown VY Commodore burnout machine, and BIG PAPA is his latest tyre-fryer. “I built this one because steel bumpers are cooler!” he said. It runs a Warspeed 365ci LS, sucking through an 8/71 with injected methanol. Jamie is a big fella, so he had to move the seating position way back with some decent floor mods so he could fit in there!
17. First and second place-getters in the Tuff Street judging sitting side by side: winner Tim McDonald’s 1000hp, blown XY Fairmont in Bronze Wine, and runner-up Daniel Souvleris and his ’76 Holden ute, which rocks over 1800hp of 14/71-blown, injected 572ci fatty goodness.
Summernats 38 Meguiar’s Great Uncover
Words: Liam Quirk & Kian Heagney
Photos: Chris Thorogood & Shaun Tanner
Australia’s show car scene is brimming with innovation, as the Summernats 38 Meguiar’s Great Uncover proved.
There’s always an air of anticipation ahead of the Meguiar’s Great Uncover at Street Machine Summernats. It showcases cutting-edge Aussie car crafting, and serves as an opportunity to identify emerging trends.
A massive 23 cars were unveiled at Summernats 38, and we saw builders push the boundaries, mixing gloss and satin finishes. Increasing attention was paid to well-executed, subtle body mods that enhance the car’s most flattering features – deleted drip rails, frenched metal bumpers and flush-mounted door handles, for example.
“I don’t want to repeat myself every year and rave about how the quality is so much better, but it is!” said head judge Owen Webb. “What really blew me away this year was the variety.
“Guys are taking exciting chances with their colours and finishes,” he continued. “Andrew McCartney’s Camaro is a great example of that – gloss paint with a satin stripe and pearls over the top. That’s incredibly difficult to nail!”
Here are the 23 cars unveiled at Street Machine Summernats 38:
- Andrew McCartney – 1971 Chevrolet Camaro
- Stephen Micallef – 1973 LJ Torana
- Mathew Hughes – Toyota Celica TA22
- Darren & Tracey Neill – 1932 Ford Coupe
- Danny Hoy – 1956 FE Holden Station Sedan
- Ol’ School Garage – 1957 Chevy Business Coupe
- Michael Groves – 1949 Chevrolet Pick-up
- Paul Khairo – 1934 Ford Coupe
- Angus Pirotta – 1971 HG Monaro
- Melissa Gow – 1969 Datsun 1600
- Christopher Campbell – 1931 Ford Model A Deluxe
- Peter Xiberras – 1982 Holden VH Commodore
- Mick Sammut – 1939 Chevrolet sedan
- Lee & Anna Povey – 1987 VL Commodore wagon
- Matthew Ellard – 1974 Toyota Celica
- Joe Kurtovic – 1933 Ford Coupe
- Clint Stevens – VS Commodore ute
- Matt Mizzi – 1948 Chevrolet Pick-Up
- Jason Holt – VH Commodore SL/E
- Dejan Stojanovic – HK Monaro
- Colin Lee – 1936 Ford Five-Window Coupe
- Peter Liversidge – HG Holden wagon
- Luke Swift – 1971 LC Torana
ELITE TOP 60
Words: Andrew Broadley
Photos: Chris Thorogood
Australia’s best custom cars formed the Elite Top 60 at Summernats 38.
The 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 show cars 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 trend looks set to continue for 2026.
“You can see that in something like Martin Pecotich’s Monaro,” said Summernats chief steward Owen Webb of the 2025 SMOTY-winning HT (SM, Jun ’25). “That car won a lot on the show circuit in the first year of its life, and this year it’s sitting outside and he’s driving it to Braddon and just cruising it around.”
Indeed, the oft-repeated argument that the cars in the Elite Hall are just shed ornaments that will never get driven doesn’t really stack up in 2026, and it’s changing the way these cars are being built.
“What’s happening now is the owners want to get the most out of the show scene for probably 18 months or two years, but the cars are designed in a way where they’re actually practical after that to use,” said Owen. “And you can’t just build a show car and then think you’re going to drive it one day; you’ve got to work it through so that it’s easy to maintain, well-built and well-engineered.”
We say it every year, but the Elite Hall at Summernats 38 offered an incredible variety of cars, from dedicated race cars to drag-and-drivers, cruisers and skid cars, in a range of makes and models from Aussie muscle cars to American and Japanese classics.
Despite the quality and depth of the field, however, one entrant in particular seemed to be ascending the stairs to the stage more than others at the Elite preso, and that was Frank Zammit, whose incredible XW Falcon ute (SM, Apr ’25) judged exceptionally well at Summernats for the second year running.
“It’s very unusual for a car to come here and win Top Judged two years in a row, and pretty much take out every top award in the process,” said Owen. “That car is exceptional. He has done a lot of work on it and maintained it to keep it at the top level, and it showed.”
Despite the move towards more practical, useable Elite cars, we still see the bar raised every year due to a mix of advancement in technology and human innovation, and according to Owen, that’s been more evident in interiors than any other aspect of car crafting.
“I just cannot believe how much these interiors have evolved in the past three or four years; that’s the thing that’s moved to the next level,” he said. “Paint and fabrication have become better as the technology has improved, but the big leap has been interiors.”
The really good news? There’s a bunch of hot new Elite metal still in the pipeline, with a raft of fresh builds set to be unveiled throughout 2026 at events like MotorEx, Rockynats and Red CentreNATS!
ELITE TOP 10
FRANK ZAMMIT – 1969 XW FALCON UTE
Top Judged Elite
Top Undercarriage/Driveline
Top Engine Bay
Top Bodywork
Top Paint
Top Pro Commercial
3rd Top Interior
MATTHEW ELLARD – 1974 TOYOTA CELICA
Top Retrotech
3rd Top Undercarriage/Driveline
3rd Top Special Effects Finish
Meguiar’s Superstars Invitee
ANDREW McCARTNEY – 1971 CHEVROLET CAMARO
Top Special Effects Finish
Top Pro Two-Door
2nd Top Bodywork
Meguiar’s Superstars Invitee
MATTHEW MIZZI – 1948 CHEVROLET 3100
Top Engineered
2nd Top Pro Commercial
Meguiar’s Superstars Invitee
BRIAN IMLACH – 1934 CHEVROLET SEDAN
2nd Top Undercarriage/Driveline
2nd Top Special Effects Finish
Top Hot Rod
DEAN RICKARD – 1969 HT GTS MONARO
3rd Top Engine Bay
2nd Top Interior
Top Coupe
ADAM BICKERSTAFF – 1956 FORD F100
BEN FINK – 1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO
2nd Top Coupe
JOVCE TOSEVSKI – 1986 HOLDEN CALAIS
People’s Choice
Top Pro Sedan
JEREMY GULJAS – 1970 HG PREMIER
Top Sedan
2nd Top Engine Bay
ELITE TOP 11 – 20
NICK URSINO – 1970 LC TORANA
2nd Top Tudor
ANGUS PIROTTA – 1971 HG MONARO
PETER LIVERSIDGE – 1971 HG HOLDEN
Top Station Wagon
ADRIAN HAYNES – 1976 LX TORANA
Top Tudor
LUKE MITCHELL – 1973 LJ TORANA
2nd Top Pro Two-Door
MICHAEL SAMMUT – 1939 CHEVROLET MASTER DELUXE
2nd Top Paint
2nd Top Hot Rod
RICHIE VEGARA – 1939 FORD JAILBAR
Top Ute/Pick-Up
3rd Top Bodywork
MATTHEW WALSH – 1966 FORD MUSTANG
JASON HOLT – 1983 VH COMMODORE SL/E
2nd Top Pro Sedan
MATHEW HUGHES – 1973 TOYOTA CELICA TA22
3rd Top Paint
2nd Top Engineered
3rd Top Coupe
Summernats 38 Grand Champion
Words: Andrew Broadley
Photos: Chris Thorogood
Adam Bickerstaff’s 1956 F100 is crowned Summernats 38 Grand Champion!
What makes the Grand Champion award at Street Machine Summernats different from all others is the driving component. That’s very often the deciding factor in the hunt for the sword, and it was certainly the case this year.
With Johnny Tosevski’s gorgeous twin-turbo VL Calais placing in the Elite Top 10 and scoring People’s Choice, it had the edge on points en route to the Summernats burnout pad. Frank Zammit’s incredible XW ute certainly found favour with the judges in the hall, too, winning just about everything that wasn’t nailed down, up to and including Top Judged Elite.
But when the light turned green for the slalom, Adam Bickerstaff’s Viking Hotrods-built, blown Coyote-powered ’56 F100 emerged as a force to be reckoned with, finishing third in the slalom and second in the go-to-whoa to claw its way up the order and emerge victorious.
The final three included Adam’s Effie (SM, Sep ’24), Ben Fink’s ’68 Camaro (SM, Oct ’25), and Dean Rickard’s HT Monaro (SM, Jan ’21), and when Adam was announced as the winner, the look on his face was priceless.
Adam, congrats on becoming the Street Machine Summernats 38 Grand Champion!
Thank you very much. Thanks to everybody involved, and to Street Machine. I just cannot believe it; I’m dumbfounded.
Talk us through your initial emotions when your name was announced as Grand Champ.
When we made it into the top three, that was it – I was done. I’d reached where I thought I’d never reach, and I was okay with that. Those other two cars are fantastic, and although I didn’t see it, my mates said those guys drove well as well. So, it was just going to come down to if I drove well enough, and it turns out I did. When Cam called out that the F100 [had won], I don’t know, I went elsewhere. My knees went weak, and I just couldn’t believe it. I was in shock. It’s been an unbelievable feeling.
We featured the car in our September 2024 issue, but for those who didn’t catch that, tell us about it.
It’s a 1956 F100. I got it as a rolling chassis with no engine or anything. We fully boxed and strengthened the chassis, did the hoops in the back to lower it, fitted an IFS front end, four-link in the rear, and airbags all ’round. All the panels have been slightly adjusted just to get the stance where it is. It runs a Whipple-supercharged Coyote driving a 10-speed, through to a nine-inch.
You wheeled the absolute hell out of this thing in the Grand Champion driving events, despite not having had much prior seat time.
I’d driven it around the block and I gave it a good poke at that time, but I didn’t want to do too much because I didn’t want to get any stone chips and what-not on it, so I was very limited on driving. But I like driving, and I was pretty confident in my abilities. It was just how the car was going to perform, and it did well!
You’ve scored yourself the iconic Summernats Grand Champion sword, not to mention 20 grand in prize money!
It’s awesome; it’s unbelievable. It’s not really going to put a dent in the build cost, but it’s definitely well appreciated!
Do you have anyone you need to thank?
The whole crew at Viking Hotrods – Greg and the whole team there were amazing and they got the car to this level. Matt at Inside Rides, who did the interior, which is fantastic. The boys at Herrod Performance down in Melbourne – Chris and Rob did the powertrain and got it ready just in time for this Summernats. And probably most of all, my wife and kids – none of this is possible without them.
What are your plans for the car now?
To get it on the road and start driving it. A track day would be cool; I’ll at least take it down the strip and see what it might do.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Broads presenting Adam Bickerstaff with the Street Machine Summernats 38 Grand Champion sword in front of the Saturday-evening Supercruise crowd.
2. Frank Zammit’s epic ENDLESS XW ute dominated the Elite Hall judging this year, but while he handled his business in the driving events, competition was fierce out there.
3. Charlie Dixon’s sleepy Holden ute looks like a stocker, but it packs a spicy billet RB30 turbo mill. Charlie gave the Grand Champ driving events a red-hot crack, but struggled to coax the massive turbo onto boost in such a confined space.
4. Luke Mitchell was in no way shy with the loud pedal in EVILLJ during the Grand Champion driving events. While the blown and injected Torry looked and sounded fast out there, it wasn’t enough to figure in the final three.
5. For the first time ever, Grand Champion was decided on the Saturday and the presentation took place during the Supercruise. Here we see the final three: Dean Rickard’s HT Monaro, Ben Fink’s Camaro, and Adam Bickerstaff’s F100.
Horsepower Heroes
Words: Kian Heagney
Photos: Shaun Tanner
Darren Portelli’s HQ Holden wins Summernats 38 Haltech Horsepower Heroes with a 3697hp run.
It certainly was a year to remember in the MPW Dyno Cell at Street Machine Summernats 38, with Haltech Horsepower Heroes records shattered left, right and centre. But at the close of play, Darren Portelli’s HQ Holden romped home to victory in Sunday’s finals with a best run of 3697hp.
It backed up his 3513hp effort during Thursday’s qualifying, which had already obliterated the previous record of 2504hp – set at ’Nats 36 by the Maatouks Racing MAKDDY VL Commodore – by more than 1000hp!
“I didn’t expect it; it made nearly 3700hp!” Darren marvelled. “I’m stoked! I suppose the weather cooled down a bit.”
Fellow Dandy Engines customer Daniel Szabolics did make a record-breaking run on Saturday of 3786hp, beating the 3682hp record he’d already set on Friday. Unfortunately, after that scorching Saturday run, Dandy Engines’ Frank Marchese and the boys heard a noise they weren’t overly happy with. A few more runs found the car was down on power, and the decision was made to withdraw the BOLICS HQ (above) from Sunday’s finals.
Further investigation post-’Nats revealed that a cylinder had come to grief in the team’s efforts to shoot for 4000hp by using nitrous. “These things happen,” a philosophical Frank said. “We threw it all out there to shoot for the 4000hp, but we’d never used the nitrous before. We’re still incredibly humbled to have three customers’ engines repeatedly make well over 3000hp and be a part of Summernats history.”
Second place overall went to Anthony Meskos’s FPV FG ute (above), which reset the Barra record at Haltech Horsepower Heroes with a 2330hp pull from the de-stroked 3.8-litre mill. He also earned top honours in the Six-Cylinder Forced Induction class, and the Boost Demon award for clocking 65psi!
Third overall and second in the Eight-Cylinder Forced Induction class was last year’s Haltech Horsepower Hero, Lee and Anna Povey’s JKLHYD VL Calais (above). The twin-turbo, 427-cube Dart LS combo bettered its 2025 winning run of 2109hp with a 2117hp effort this year.
Eight-Cylinder Aspirated was another class where the records were toppled. Michael Saad’s Mk1 Ford Capri (above) thumped out a smidge over 1100hp in qualifying from its BK Engines-built big-block Ford, and in the finals, 1097hp was more than enough to seal the class win and confirm its stature in the Summernats dyno hall of fame.
The Six-Cylinder Aspirated class was knocked out by Steve Pembrey’s 1985 Toyota Corolla KE70, which rocks a 3.5-litre 2GR V6 swap from an Aurion! “I just got it from a $2000 wreck, and the rear-wheel-drive Celica W57 gearbox bolts straight up,” Steve said. It made a peak of 285hp, almost 100hp more than second-placed Rick Yates in his Aussie six-powered LJ Torana.
The Rev Monster plate was once again given to Ellis ‘Spike’ Dickson’s aspirated 13B rotary-swapped Suzuki Mighty Boy, which clocked 11,000rpm during his qualifying run.
All in all, it was an exceptionally good showing in the Haltech Horsepower Heroes for 2026, with Adam singing the praises of all who took part. “It has been a phenomenal year; who would’ve thought we’d see so many records tumble in the same year?” he said. “Three cars made over 3000hp, and we broke records for GT-Rs, Barras and aspirated cars, so a big shout-out to everyone, and my crew for working so hard to put on a show. It was standing room only all weekend.”
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Summernats dyno operator Adam Rogash of MPW Performance always chooses his favourite dyno combatant from the weekend, and this year he picked Jamie Seears’s Nissan Silvia S15. The Silvia still uses a 2.0L SR20 but with a VE head, so it screams to 10,000rpm while sucking down 35psi, and it knocked out 803hp!
2. Given he was running the show, MPW’s Adam Rogash elected not to run his twin-turbo big block-powered Mk1 Capri in the official competition. He did, however, do several exhibition runs, toppling his previous dyno PB by nearly 300hp, with a best of 3616hp!
3. The MACKED R34 GT-R of Morad Mahmoud thumped out 2111hp in qualifying from the 3.4L twin-cam RB, which booked him a place in the Six-Cylinder Forced Induction finals, but he elected not to run on Sunday.
4. James Whitfield’s HQ One Tonner came second in Six-Cylinder Forced Induction. Formerly a Drag Challenge class winner in the hands of Stephen Micallef, when it ran a big-block Chev, the big Quey is now powered by a 3.3L, Dart-blocked stroker 2JZ!
After a 1647hp qualifying run, it came to the finals and spat out 1602hp.
RESULTS
EIGHT-CYLINDER FORCED INDUCTION
1st: Darren Portelli – HQ Holden (3697hp)
2nd: Lee Povey – VL Calais (2117hp)
3rd: Brett Muscat – VK Commodore (1779hp)
EIGHT-CYLINDER ASPIRATED
1st: Michael Saad – Ford Capri (1097hp)
2nd: Jacob Farrugia – Ford Mustang (660hp)
3rd: Michael Furhnam – XD Falcon (604hp)
SIX-CYLINDER FORCED INDUCTION
1st: Anthony Meskos – FPV FG Falcon ute (2330hp)
2nd: James Whitfield – HQ One Tonner (1602hp)
3rd: Derek Johnson – Toyota Supra (1548hp)
SIX-CYLINDER ASPIRATED
1st: Steve Pembrey – Toyota Corolla KE70 (285hp)
2nd: Rick Yates – LJ Torana (188hp)
3rd: Shane Wagner – LC Torana (176hp)
SPRAY & PRAY
Derek Johnson – Toyota Supra (1548hp)
REV MONSTER
Ellis Dickson – Suzuki Mighty Boy (11,000rpm)
TORQUE TITAN
Daniel Szabolics – HQ Holden Monaro
BOOST DEMON
Anthony Meskos – FPV FG Falcon ute (65psi)
OUTSTANDING ENGINEERING
Jamie Seears – Nissan Silvia S15
Pro Burnout Series
Words: Kian Heagney & Ashleigh Wilson
Photos: Tim McCormack, Ashleigh Wilson & Chris Thorogood
Chris Orchard’s VL Calais takes out the 2026 Castlemaine Rod Shop Pro Burnout Series at Summernats 38.
West Australian Chris Orchard is your 2026 Pro Burnout Series champion! His BALLISTIC VL Calais (above) took top honours and $50,000 in prize money in the Top 10 final on Saturday afternoon at Summernats 38.
“It feels like a long time coming, especially after finishing second [at ’Nats 36] – coming second sucks! I put a lot of work into this, like we all do,” a jubilant Chris said.
It wasn’t a win that came easy, with Chris hamstrung at 9000rpm from the blown small-block Chevy during his qualifying run on Thursday. The car survived, and he put on one belter of a run in the finals to seal his long-awaited win.
Second place went to Justin McKinnis in the MRCHOW VS Commodore ute (above), who came oh-so-close to completing a golden run all the way from the Last Chance Wildcard Shootout on Thursday afternoon to the top spot in the Pro Series.
Having made a big impression in the burnout scene over the past 12 months or so, Chris Smallmon in BLWNVY (above) capped another belter of a season to finish third at ’Nats 38.
There was plenty to talk about from the finals efforts of the rest of the Top 10, too. Tim Brown in the CEMBLO VK Commodore (above) tagged the wall with the rear end and chose to restart his run, but he left the pad with a decent whack of damage and a small fire after finishing his burnout.
Mick Pratten’s SPASTIC VX SS Commodore (above) also found the wall hard, coming in hot from the exit chute of the pad to tag the car’s passenger side.
Rob Cottrell in the 4DH8RS XD Falcon (above) seemed to get lost in smoke, hitting reverse during his run. He backed up to the startline and restarted his run to send the tyres off the proper way.
But if there was a hard luck award, it would have to go to Bryan Smilie. He was only moments into his burnout before his TIPNIN VK Commodore (above) started sputtering, forcing him to leave the pad still on two full-tread rear tyres.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Graham Rowe did a killer skid in GAMBLE, holding it flat and keeping a consistent speed as he navigated through the coloured tyre smoke engulfing the wind-blown pad.
2. Ryan Pearson could be seen in the line-up reading the wind that engulfed the pad on Friday afternoon, but once he stomped HOLDON’s loud pedal to begin his run, the wind direction changed abruptly and he got lost in the smoke, dragging the passenger side of the HK down the tyre wall.
3. Jake Myers’s S1CKO Mustang only returned from its Stateside sojourn on New Year’s Eve, leaving the team short on time to prep it for Summernats. A recent blower upgrade had Jake and dad Gary chasing what had previously been a bulletproof tune on any pad in the country.
RESULTS
1st: Chris Orchard – BALLISTIC
2nd: Justin McKinnis – MRCHOW
3rd: Chris Smallmon – BLWNVY
Open-Class Burnout Finals
Words: Ashleigh Wilson
Photos: Tim McCormack, Michelle Porobic, Ashleigh Wilson
Open for business…and business is good! As temperatures finally eased on Sunday, the Open-class burnout finalists left it all out on the pad.
After three days of searing heat on the burnout pad, Sunday brought some blessed relief, with cooler temperatures prevailing for the last day of burnout competition at Street Machine Summernats 38.
It was time for the Open finalists to get their game faces on. With 27 competitors remaining, there was no margin for error if you wanted the championship title – it was go hard or go home.
Of course, that meant some carnage ensued. Kyle Douglas’s LUXIFER had been rock-solid throughout its recent stint competing in the USA, but during an otherwise textbook run in the Open finals, the blown LS suffered a freak failure when a blower pulley and shaft sheared off.
Thomas McManaway’s DATO KNG was full noise as it flew across the pad. Thomas was laying down a strong skid when the car suddenly halted, forcing him to limp off the pad.
Jay Chun Tie hit the wall as he swung around and left the exit chute in the TINY TOWING Suzuki Carry, but that didn’t stop him going full send for the rest of his skid and leaving on rims.
But with the last tyre shredded and the pad well and truly punished, it was Brett Battersby in BLWNLUX who emerged as the Open champion, earning himself a Pro Burnout Series ticket for next year. It marked Brett’s second Summernats burnout victory, 11 years on from being crowned Pro Burnout Series champion at ’Nats 28.
Britt Kilby in the HAMMERTIME Daihatsu Feroza came second, and her husband Brad rounded out the podium, debuting the couple’s HAMMERD Nissan Patrol (below).
The Barra-powered XF ute of Luke Rhodes took out the Best Six-Cylinder Burnout award.
Before the Open battles, the Pro Burnout Series Ultimate Redemption Round had kicked off the final day of skids, where any Pro drivers who didn’t make the Top 10 cut could give it one last crack to score a Wildcard entry for next year’s ’Nats. Temps might have cooled, but the competition was hot, with many of the 17 contenders putting on their best performances of the event.
Our Kiwi mates from across the ditch ran back-to-back skids in a bid to nab a Wildcard spot. Nathan Bull put on a show in his HQ Tonner, GHOST, followed by Ryan Shirtcliffe, who celebrated on the pad after putting on a stellar display in VIOLENT.
But in the end, it was Codie Free’s FROTHIN HSV ClubSport and Jono Kelly in the 3FIVE5 Commodore who booked their spots at Summernats 38.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Naz Poshklidi was one of a few Kiwis who made the trip across the ditch to compete at ’Nats 38. He didn’t disappoint when he hit the pad his twin-turbo LS-powered Supra, MR1RAQ. Naz used all corners of the pad as clouds of blue and pink smoke trailed behind him.
2. Brett Battersby made instant smoke from BLWNLUX and never lifted, violently throwing the jacked-up ’Lux around the pad in the finals to secure a memorable Open-class victory.
3. It’s no surprise that Jono Kelly booked himself a 2026 Wildcard ticket in 3FIVE5. He smashed out of the chute aggressively, used every corner of the pad and produced a massive amount of smoke.
4. Dynamic duo Brad and Britt Kilby took turns piloting their wild HAMMERTIME Daihatsu Feroza across the pad, with Britt steering it to second place.
Brad then jumped in their new skid car, a blown GQ Patrol called HAMMERD, and came third!
RESULTS
OPEN CLASS
1st: Brett Battersby – BLWNLUX
2nd: Britt Kilby – HAMMERTIME
3rd: Brad Kilby – HAMMERD
ULTIMATE REDEMPTION ROUND
Jono Kelly – 3FIVE5
Codie Free – FROTHIN
BEST SIX-CYLINDER BURNOUT
Luke Rhodes – B4RRA6