Trademark Summernats: A burnout competitor sends billowing clouds of smoke across the EPIC arena. Photos: Summernats.
Summernats 37 is being hailed as the most successful ever after a record 130,000 local, national and international visitors and entrants passed through the EPIC gates and 30,000 revelled in the Braddon Fringe downtown over the four days of the annual car festival, injecting tens of millions of dollars into the local economy.
But the growth of the event and its centrepiece burnout contest will test Exhibition Park in coming years as more housing is developed around the North Canberra venue and noise and smoke issues become more pressing.
Summernats owner Andy Lopez is philosophical about the venue’s future but remains adamant that there cannot be a Summernats without burnouts.
“Burnouts are essential to Summernats. That’s part of our DNA,” he said.
He said Summernats was just one of a number of events that faced similar issues at EPIC as development proceeds around it.
“Governments always have plans and we’ll see what happens when those plans start to unfold,” Mr Lopez said.
“The venue and government are really consultative with us
“It’s not just about us. The viability of that venue in the long term needs to be balanced with the needs of housing and all that sort of thing coming in and around it.
“We’re in the discussion; we’re just one stakeholder among the many that use Exhibition Park.”
This year’s Summernats was also relatively incident-free after last year’s brawl involving security staff marred the event and captured headlines.
Mr Lopez called that incident an anomaly but he was thrilled that the hard organisational work and discussions with police and stakeholders had paid off this year.
He said the police were stoked with how the event went and praised the new security contractor whose work laid the platform for entrants and spectators to have a brilliant experience.
Due to Summernats’ major event status, the police also had a more substantial presence on the ground, making the event safe and successful.
“Good planning, good consultation with stakeholders, really positive communications from us to both our spectators and entrants all year has all converged to deliver a really wonderful event,” he said.
“So many families, young people, women enjoying themselves at the event too was something we’re also really proud of.”
ACT Policing said it was generally happy with crowd behaviour both inside the Summernats venue and at the Braddon Fringe. Since Thursday, a small number of arrests were made for assault, breach of bail, failing to comply with a police direction and assaulting police.
Officers also issued almost 30 ‘move on’ directions, more than 95 traffic infringement notices and 32 vehicle defect notices. Three vehicles were seized, and five drivers tested positive for illicit drugs while driving.
The Fringe has become an integral part of Summernats, with thousands of people filling Braddon on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, providing a bonanza for traders.
Mr Lopez reported that Bentspoke Brewery’s Richard Watkins said Friday was the biggest night he’d seen in Braddon in a decade.
“The residents group has been really supportive of us being there. I haven’t had any direct feedback as yet, but I’m hoping that we were able to deliver on the promise, while there was disruption, that at least it was well managed,” he said.
A highlight of the event was the emotional crowning of the Fenech Family’s green LJ Torana as Grand Champion, which was a tribute to Sam Fenech, a much-loved engine builder and drag racer who lost his life in an accident at Willowbank Raceway in 2023.
His son John rebuilt his father’s original race car.
Mr Lopez said it was quite a heartfelt moment for the motorsports community on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s beautiful to look at,” he said.
“It was a really special moment. It’s one of those things when the universe just smiles on the community.”
Summernats 37 was also the first event for Mr Lopez’s new business partner, 33-year-old car enthusiast and millionaire promotions guru Adrian Portelli.
Mr Lopez said he brought a younger following to Summernats and injected a whole different element of fun with giveaways and games.
“He got around, and his mind was blown by the scale of the event,” he said.
“It reminded me of when I bought Summernats. You can hear about it and see it online and talk with people who do it, but until you get there, you just don’t get the scale and, yeah, he had a really great time.”
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