Street Machine Australia — June 2017

01: Matt Hughes entered
both blown and N/A with
MON5TA, and while he
was a solid contender
in the Blown class, he
was too good for the
competition in N/A,
picking up the win and
a golden ticket to the
Summernats Burnout
Masters. Will he go
with or without the
supercharger at the ’Nats?

02: Matt Duthie and

Xaviera Perkins –

daughter of Noddy

Perkins of BLOWN2DR

fame – shared driving

duties of PHATPREM,

with Xaviera driving the

wheels off to win Best

Chicks’ Skid. The tidy

Premier runs a blown

406-cube small-block

Chev with Brodix heads,

an 8/71 Weiand blower

and a pair of Quick Fuel

alcohol carbs

03: Mick Hamon’s blown

LS screamed, but the

ClubSport had a big tyre

fire. The rear bar being so

low to the ground caused

unburnt fuel and oil from

the tyres to build up

between the tubs, and it

ignited. The result was a

great show for the crowd,

but it ruined his chances

of a win

04: Matt James’s

UNWANTED Commodore

ute was one of three cars

he brought along, and he

drove the 480ci, 14/71-

blown BBC-powered

beast to the runner-up

spot in the Blown class,

scoring him a ’Nats 31

golden ticket

T

HE Myers freight train rolled into

Collie Motorplex for the long weekend

in March, and the result was another

epic fire and smoke show at the

Fordhold Wreckers Gazzanats WA.

With a couple of other major events

happening on the same weekend, we didn’t

have our usual suspects available to cover

Gazzanats, so we chucked the notepad

and pencil to deadset West Aussie burnout

legend, Matt Purnell.

It was Matt’s first show back after a lengthy

break from competing, so he was pretty busy

making sure his HJ Holden ute, BLACKOUT,

was all good to go. It’s hard enough keeping

track of everything when you’re just standing

around and watching, so we have to send

out a big thank you to Matt for helping us out

while still managing to kill tyres and even take

home some tinware.

Strap yourself in for the ride while Matt gives

us a bit of a rundown on what it takes to be

one of the top burnout competitors in the land.

GAZZANATS was my first show back after

having a four-month break from competing,

so I was feeling excited to be back behind

the wheel of BLACKOUT. Pre-event car

prep is always a little testing, and never as

straightforward as most people think. You

would reckon that after all these years of

competing I would have a scheduled plan

of checks, but all I have are just some notes

from the last time I drove the car.

So on the Thursday night before the event

I decided to give the car the final start-up

checks, trying not to leave it too late as the

neighbours don’t always appreciate a blown,

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