Summer nats

Canberra is currently hosting the Summer Nats a car enthusiasts event of dubious nature at the best of times.
I guess it is understandable that thousands of young blokes standing around watching idiots do burn outs at a time when the rest of the country is in a state of emergency with people loosing their homes and lives would be quite acceptable to those of such mind set.
All we have heard from Canberra is the incessant bleating about their air quality over the last few weeks. Yet we add insult to injury by adding more acrid smoke to the mix.
A lot of these bogans would have had to drive through fire affected areas just to get there.
Good on ya fellas. Not.

Disagree.

Just because there is something going on in one place, does that mean an event hundreds of kilometres away needs cancelling?

What if it had been the National Grandmothers Knitting and Crochet convention?

An absolute bloody outrage it should be held! Outrage!

Better they do it at a controlled event than around the suburbs putting the public at risk. It is not my sport (I like car racing where cars also go around bends - not just straight line) but think there should be more of these sort of events so people have a chance to hoon around in a relatively safe environment.

Ive been thinking about this.

I used to go, well, for 20 odd years. It started very small and it was just a bunch of guys wanting to show off their cars and drink beer.

Once it went mainstream, however, it attracted The Wrong Crowd.

This bogan scum element completely stuffed it for me. Used to take my son when he was a kid. Looooved the burnout pad. We came home covered black in tyre grit and stink. Best time ever.... but, once TWC arrived it became seriously un-fun. We stopped going, because it wasnt about cars, art and good times.... it became a pissup and an excuse for *them* to act like animals. They weren't *criminal* but By Zeus were they the bottom of the barrel.

I would have agreed 8 years ago with RustyNail. The attendees would have made a mighty fine list of people to keep an eye on, for those authorities that keep eyes on such things.

I believe though, the new owners have put enormous effort in trying to return it to a family friendly event. I cannot speak as to their success, but it certainly would have been a solidly challenging task.... that's for certain.

Pete57 is spot on, best to have them where they can blow off some steam in a specific space. They aren't bothering anyone at NATEX... oops, EPIC :) ... its a giant park with lots of space.

Also, I dont envy them one iota. Today, officially, was the hottest ever day on record. 43°. It was an unholy stinker. Its 9.30pm and still 38°. There is no quantity of beer in the world that will alleviate the thirst those bastards would have generated today. They'll be too tired for public mayhem.... they'll just sit on the lawns of the showground and suck down some grog and try to get some sleep.

:)

Looks like I was wrong! :doh:

Summernats organisers distance themselves from car meetup where police were pelted with rocks, bottles

I bet they were short burn outs in that heat, the motor temps would have gone sky high in nothing flat.

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Originally Posted by Chris Parks

I bet they were short burn outs in that heat, the motor temps would have gone sky high in nothing flat.

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Not wrong.

Had to pick up Loving Son #1 at 2pm. The poor HSV almost blew a fuse! 6L V8 (only 300kw at wheels) and the computer was having a hell of a time. Engine wouldn't idle, all 4 thermos going full pelt. NOT a good idea going out at that time!

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Originally Posted by Chris Parks

I bet they were short burn outs in that heat, the motor temps would have gone sky high in nothing flat.

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These days burnouts are a serious sport with purpose built cars, the fuel used (methanol) is chosen in part due to the cooling properties it imparts, temperatures while still hot are not sky high.
The burnout competition rules are also based around a one minute time frame for each competitor.

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Originally Posted by Pete57

Better they do it at a controlled event than around the suburbs putting the public at risk. It is not my sport (I like car racing where cars also go around bends - not just straight line) but think there should be more of these sort of events so people have a chance to hoon around in a relatively safe environment.

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Better they find something a bit more worthwhile to waste their money on.

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Originally Posted by rustynail

Better they find something a bit more worthwhile to waste their money on.

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That could be said for many pursuits, I raced and rallied for many years but I suppose some would say what a waste of money it all is and sailing a Yacht from Sydney to Hobart is a pointless exercise as well.

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Originally Posted by rustynail

Better they find something a bit more worthwhile to waste their money on.

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I love cars especially Hot rods extra, I hate the burnout thing,
But who are we to point fingers.
I regularly turn perfectly good trees into saw dust.

Cheers Matt

You are missing the point guys. We are in serious shape out there. It aint time for playing games. Not by a long shot.

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Originally Posted by rustynail

You are missing the point guys. We are in serious shape out there. It aint time for playing games. Not by a long shot.

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And yet it is ok to play cricket? You can’t pick and choose what is ok in these circumstances on the basis of your own prejudices. You could say we should ban smoking because it is adding to the poor air quality as well.
I am no more a fan of the cricket than the Summernats ( was disappointed to see our PM at the cricket ) but life has to go on.......where do you draw the line?

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Originally Posted by rustynail

Better they find something a bit more worthwhile to waste their money on.

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like woodworking :D

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Originally Posted by Beardy

And yet it is ok to play cricket? You can’t pick and choose what is ok in these circumstances on the basis of your own prejudices. You could say we should ban smoking because it is adding to the poor air quality as well.

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Given the planet is fast running out of arable land, using such land for a non productive crop is perhaps an even better reason.

The burn out dudes could improve air quality a bit by using electric vehicles although I believe a considerable amount of combustion products comes from the tyres. They'll also need a beefy audio system to make the noise. :D

Rusty, in response to your original post, I've never faced the bushfire horror we are seeing so graphically on tv and in the papers and I believe you being at Bilpin have already endured. We have very good friends at Tumbarumba who've had to evacuate and other friends on caravanning holiday, caught in the fires at Genoa.
I live in a moderately fire prone area over here in the west, but those friends are uppermost in my mind constantly.
This doesn't mean I have to go and hide under a rock, to cancel something like the Summer Nats would be pretty costly and there is a good chance that someone at that event will have organised a fund raiser for fire victims, well you'd certainly hope so.
Half my life was spent living in the Pilbara and each year we had the threat of cyclones and I went through a few, but to my mind, they pale into insignificance compared to the ferocity of the fires.
At least no one ever deliberately started a cyclone.
Stay safe,
Cheers,
Geoff.

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Originally Posted by BobL

The burn out dudes could improve air quality a bit by using electric vehicles

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I'd imagine they are thinking exactly that.... a 1000kw battery system... NICE!

That would be a bit weird, all the smoke and tyre rage, but none of the honking V8's screaming.... curious.... :)

... some of the guys run pure methanol. So they are environmentalists :rolleyes::p:U

edit! So it turns out to Be A Thing! :)

https://youtu.be/nLXWJ94zC18?t=116

EDIT 2 !!!!!!

IM IN LOVE!!!! Huge electric motors, huge batteries.... 9.8 second quarters.... oh man!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7vTCK9ywBA

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Originally Posted by rustynail

Better they find something a bit more worthwhile to waste their money on.

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They probably don't like what you spend your money on either, but what gives either side the right to claim that they are right and the other side is wrong? Last time I looked Australia was still a democracy.

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Originally Posted by doug3030

They probably don't like what you spend your money on either, but what gives either side the right to claim that they are right and the other side is wrong? Last time I looked Australia was still a democracy.

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Last time I looked Australia was an Emergency.

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Originally Posted by Beardy

And yet it is ok to play cricket? You can’t pick and choose what is ok in these circumstances on the basis of your own prejudices. You could say we should ban smoking because it is adding to the poor air quality as well.
I am no more a fan of the cricket than the Summernats ( was disappointed to see our PM at the cricket ) but life has to go on.......where do you draw the line?

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You draw the line at creating more pollution in an already dangerously polluted atmosphere. Pretty simple I would have thought.

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Originally Posted by Boringgeoff

Rusty, in response to your original post, I've never faced the bushfire horror we are seeing so graphically on tv and in the papers and I believe you being at Bilpin have already endured. We have very good friends at Tumbarumba who've had to evacuate and other friends on caravanning holiday, caught in the fires at Genoa.
I live in a moderately fire prone area over here in the west, but those friends are uppermost in my mind constantly.
This doesn't mean I have to go and hide under a rock, to cancel something like the Summer Nats would be pretty costly and there is a good chance that someone at that event will have organised a fund raiser for fire victims, well you'd certainly hope so.
Half my life was spent living in the Pilbara and each year we had the threat of cyclones and I went through a few, but to my mind, they pale into insignificance compared to the ferocity of the fires.
At least no one ever deliberately started a cyclone.
Stay safe,
Cheers,
Geoff.

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To the best of my knowledge, there is no facility to make contribution to the fire relief charities through Summernats. I would love to be proven wrong.
I was in Darwin for cyclone Tracy. A walk in the park compared to fire. I have experienced many bush fires and learned a little from each one. But one thing I do know, complacency will get you. A cool head and a big hose and you stand half a chance.

Here is a cute car thats electric :)

Look at it GO!

https://youtu.be/eQMCgSEChgg?t=24

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To the best of my knowledge, there is no facility to make contribution to the fire relief charities through Summernats. I would love to be proven wrong.

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A quick search shows at least one with Summernats involved with Bursons and NGK.
With the profile of the fires I am sure there would also be others.

No great interest in the Summernats, but I'd like to see electric vehicles doing burn-outs. Series wound motor, infinite torque at zero RPM. Should be interesting!