Street Machine Australia — January 2018

URBAN WARFARE

MARK ARBLASTER

MASTER BLASTERS

THE SUMMERNATS 31 BURNOUT MASTERS COMP LOOKS SET TO BE ONE FOR THE BOOKS

T

HE Summernats Burnout Masters has
certainly turned into an event of epic
proportions. Even if you don’t like
burnouts, it’s one hell of a spectacle,
and the growing crowds at Summernats are
evidence that it’s what the punters want.
The event was initiated to provide a forum for
the very best tyre-shredders in the business,
allowing the up-and-comers to fight it out on a
more level playing field in the regular Burnout
Championship.
The list of competitors for the Summernats 31
Burnout Masters is made up of the top five cars
from the previous year’s final, along with the top
three cars from the Summernats 30 Burnout
Championship, with most of the remaining
spots drawn from the place-getters at a number
of Burnout Masters feeder competitions held
around Australia throughout the year. The final

three spots are not decided until the Thursday

of Summernats 31 itself, when drivers compete

in the Last Chance Wildcard Shootout for their

chance to mix it with the big guns.

The reality is, you need to have one hell of a car

and a bit of luck on your side to place top three

in the Last Chance Shootout. Then you’ll need

lot more luck, talent and a reliable ride to make

the top 10 of the 30 Burnout Masters qualifiers,

and then be prepared to take on the very best

of the best in the Sunday Masters final. So to

even be selected for the Last Chance Shootout

is one hell of an accomplishment.

The burnout events at Summernats 31 will

see a few changes. The first is that fire suits

will now be compulsory for all drivers and

passengers. Entrants can borrow one of the

free Summernats-provided suits, or bring their

own, but certainly the old single-layer overall

deal just won’t cut it. Suits need to be SFI

3.2A/5 or FIA 8856-2000 standard.

Another change is that concrete barricades

will replace Armco barriers at ’Nats 31. There

have been grumblings by some competitors

about the build-up of particulates around the

edge of the pad as a fire hazard. When Armcos

were used, this particulate (rubber, etc) was

often blown off the pad by a car’s exhaust; with

the change to solid walls, fuel can build up and

be ignited by competitors’ exhausts. So for the

2018 event, the ’Nats team will employ a similar

clean-up scheme to that used at Brashernats,

where Bobcats fitted with sweepers will remove

the build-up from the side of the pad.

Another significant rule change at Summernats

31 is that there is to be no riding on the back of

utes. All passengers must be in a seat – and that

doesn’t mean a couch in the ute tray!

M