Chic's Wrap-Up of Summernats 21...

The 21st Street Machine Summernats was the birthday party I hoped it would be with a big crowd (105,565) and no shortage of memorable highlights. As I write this, the latest issue of Street Machine is out and I’m looking forward to seeing the Special Edition out in a few weeks. We’re madly cutting and shutting the film footage for the Official Summernats 21 DVD and plan to get it out much earlier. You can also see plenty of highlights on www.summernats22.com.au

I had a huge time and whilst my highlights are many, the real highlight was being able to hang out with so many fantastic people. Make no mistake, I know I’m a lucky person to be able to have the opportunity to share my time with people who are telling me what a great time it is to be at the Summernats. I’ve never shaken so many hands, had so many kisses from enthusiastic ladies, had so many photos taken with kids and so on.

The bonuses are to see the cars that are built especially to be seen at the Summernats above all other shows and to see people rise to the occasion, such as Rob Godfrey with his 900 plus hp tonner winning the Grand Champion sword. Ditch getting Top Elite. Joe Pegano winning the Burnouts. Even seeing Yummy’s yellow ute die again and me getting an opportunity to present him with a sign he’d ripped off the Armco. And then long-time mate, Johnny Peterson appearing out of the blue with his Mk3 Zephyr to do a celebratory skid for me and the 21st Summernats. I didn’t know that was coming.

I got to sit in the Tiger helicopter. Up top where the gunnery stuff is with General Peter Leahy, my good friend looking on. Fantastic. A cruise around the block with Victor in Black Bess and a ride in his burnout 57 Chevy. Seeing the Gladiator Challenge go so well. The cheeky dialogue between Brett Stevens and James Scarlett the Challenger, was priceless. Damn, even when my bloody Camaro caught fire on the track was a highlight to me. Can’t forget the photo opportunities with the gorgeous Jack Daniels Miss Summernats Winners. Six of them and a seventh. Could it get any better? Well, maybe. The firey end of the Fever Eye Candy show was spectacular as was the ACT Fireworks and Lawrence wrecking the Roller. The PPG Supercruise and Stunt Show was just the thing for a 21st celebration.

The highlights were endless. It was a really great Summernats and as I said, I’m proud to do what I do and yes, I’ll hang in there for a while yet and I’m already planning some good stuff for 22 including a trip to the States to talk with Troy Trepanier about getting him and one of his cool cars to the next Event.

Stay tuned for more.

No-one ever said that the Street Machine Summernats was a quiet weekend in the Nation’s Capital. When you really know me, you know that I’m into having a good time and the Summernats is all about that. Just as that dumb-arse kid from Melbourne with the white sunnies found out, when you throw a big party, it can easily get rowdy.

The media coverage of the Summernats from Monday onwards, has not done us any favours, but as a lot of people know, what you read in the local rag, is mostly exaggerated. I will say that the Marshall acting very inappropriately is something I do not support, even though he and other security personel and marshals had copped racial abuse all weekend. The so-called riotous mob took us by surprise and as time goes on, I’m finding out more and more that it was a big group for sure, but a riot? Define a riot and you’ll find that the mob was nothing like that. I’ll come back to the truth of the media stuff a bit later so stay tuned for that in two or three weeks. What hasn’t done us any favours is that there’s a lot of bloody dickheads out there. We’ll sort it out. You’ll see.

Make 08 great. Keep cruisin’.

Chic

17 Jan 08