Smoking tyres, cars on fire, engines pushed beyond their utmost limits, and scenes resembling something out of a post apocalyptic sci-fi flick. There was even a romantic interlude. Punters at the Kaikohe Burnout competition were certainly treated to a show and a half on Saturday.
Despite the wind and threat of rain, the first event of the Kaikohe Speedway's 2014/ 15 burnout season proceeded as planned with over 400 people entering the speedway grounds to watch 30 drivers ripping it up on the pad - or coming to a sudden halt - with all trying to get their paws on the $1400 cash up for grabs as well as some very serious booty comprising sponsors' product.
The day's highlights included Ed Riddle's Nissan Laurel starting well in round 1 by throwing flames through an exhaust pipe which came through the top of the engine like something out of a Mad Max movie (albeit not running quite as well in rounds 2 and 3); the underside of Nathan Canty's Nissan Cefiro lighting up from a leaking fuel tank while he drove away, also leaving the grass on fire and Nathan quite unaware of what was happening; and the rare sight of a Subaru Forester on the pad courtesy of Joel Young who had converted it to rear-wheel-drive with the sole purpose of burning rubber (and showing some dents in the side which some suspected may have come from someone or other 'coming to grips' with the local back roads).
Local Joe Cates in his black Holden one ton ute emerged the winner of the day, a mere 10 points ahead of Carl Adams - the last winner of the previous burnout session earlier this year - who put his 'road legal' VN Commodore on the pad to finish a close second and pick up a full set of tyres for his troubles. Hokianga's Adrian Yukich proved a definite crowd-pleaser with a display of consistency, movement and smoke in his VL Commodore to earn 3rd place overall.
It all proved so moving, Mark Purdon went down on one knee on the pad in front of spectators and proposed to girlfriend, Dineca Ross.
