BURNOUT SCENE PART 2
PART TWO OF OUR LOOK AT AUSTRALIA’S THRIVING BURNOUT SCENE. WE SPOKE WITH SOME OF THE HEAVY HITTERS AND UP-AND-COMERS TO GET THEIR VIEWS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY
Part 2 of our chat with some of the heaviest hitters in the Aussie skid scene
ANDREW LYNCH
Machine: LYNCHY, 1981 TOYOTA KE55 COROLLA Engine: 6.0L L98 SMALL-BLOCK YOU only need to listen to the chanting crowds to know who the most popular driver in burnouts is. It’s Lynchy first, daylight second. The whirling dervish from Horsham, Victoria solidified his reputation as a balls-out tyre-shredder a few years ago, but Lynchy Mania reached fever-pitch at Summernats this year, where, despite ripping off two incredible skids in the Burnout Masters, he and his Corolla had to be content with fourth place.
“I don’t do it to win, I just like travelling places and smashing tyres off,” he says. “I like to get out of the car at the end, not having hit any walls, tyres off, and be happy. If I did a slow burnout to please judges, one that wasn’t my style, I just wouldn’t be happy.”
Given the enormous number of blown cars on pads these days, it’s a credit to Lynchy’s driving skill that his KE55 Corolla remains naturally aspirated. And, until his budget improves, he’s sticking with it. “Junking motors would take the fun out of it if it cost me five grand every time I did it,” he says. “I junked a motor three weeks ago and it cost me $500 to fix.”
JUSTEN BROWN
Machine: STRUGLIN, VF COMMODORE WAGON Engine: 377CI CHEVY SMALL-BLOCK, 8/71 BLOWER THIS bloke really doesn’t need an introduction, but any story on burnouts in Australia would be incomplete without him. With some 14 seasons under his belt and countless tyres blown, Justen – or Bushy to his mates – is a crowd favourite with his immaculately prepared cars and burnouts that quite often end in a blaze of glory. Bad for points, but the punters love it. He even managed to set both ends of the car on fire at Summernats 30!
Justen started off with a Commodore ute: “I pieced together a 5.0L manual skid car and that became WONA GO. Then I tubbed it, put some big wheels on it and then I bought a motor from George Separovich and life went on from there. I went from a 355 Holden with 300hp to an SBC with 1000hp – I didn’t know what was going on!
“All my motors are the same, which makes it easier for spares, and you can rob motors out of each car then.”
JASON RAPOFF
Machine: PARALINES, VH COMMODORE Engine: 416CI LS3, 8/71 BLOWER JASON Rapoff is one of several wheelchair-bound burnout competitors on the scene, but you wouldn’t know it from watching him throw the car around on the pad. Steering with his left hand while controlling the brake and throttle with his right, Jason’s car control is as good as anyone out there after just three years of competing.
“I had a couple of RX-3S and an R32 Skyline GT-R,” he says. “The Commodore started off with a naturally aspirated LS, then I tubbed it, built another motor, blower, methanol. I’ve had it just over three years and finished second at the Good Fryday burnouts, so this year was my second Summernats and my first time in Burnout Masters. Can’t complain about that!”
The car is getting a bit of a freshen-up after tagging the wall at Summernats and will come out with a completely different look. When asked how he got into the burnout scene, Jason’s answer was simple: “I just wanted to stay out of trouble, I guess.”
MATT JAMES
Machine: UNWANTED, VF COMMODORE UTE Engine: 480CI CHEVY BIG-BLOCK, 14/71 BLOWER MATT James is another bloke who reckons one skid car just isn’t enough. Parked alongside his UNWANTED VF ute, you’ll quite often see TUFFLS1, a VP sedan that Matt shows absolutely no mercy to, and by the time this goes to press, he will have done his first competitive skid in his COMPACT Fairlane, using a George Separovich-built 340ci small-block Chev. Yes, you read that right – Chev!
“I came into contact with George at the beginning of last year and it changed the whole way I play the game,” Matt says. “I’ve got the best of both worlds [with the big- and small-block], but I definitely like the small cubes/big revs thing. Then again, I’ve got the big cubes and getting some big revs as well.” Having said that, Matt admits that he turns the BBC to 8500rpm, but it will go over 9000. He also mentioned that a new small-cube, dry-sumped LS is being prepped for TUFFLS1, so watch out!
TOM BELTRAME
Machine: INFERNO, 1978 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER FJ40 Engine: 510CI BIG-BLOCK CHEV, DART BIG M BLOCK, 16/71 LITTLEFIELD BLOWER “I WENT with the FJ40 because I just wanted something different,” says South Australia’s Tom Beltrame. “There wasn’t anything around like it, and while there were some four-wheel drives, they were all jacked up, so I thought I’d see if I could lower it.
“It’s my first burnout car, and until I debuted it at Summernats 29 I hadn’t been on a pad before – even as a passenger. I was a little bit nervous. I think everybody gets nervous until you stand on it.
“I’ve always liked burnouts, but since I got involved I realised the scene is full of really good people, and the social side of it has become a really big part of it. But so are the cars – I love cars! If you do a good skid you’re over the moon, but if you do a bad one you’re angry! The competition is really strong, and being a rookie in that car is hard. But I did have a win at Summer Slam, which was great. We’re slowly getting on top of the car’s set-up.”