Car will roar into life at Waiuku event
The annual Waiuku Steel ‘n’ Wheels festival will be hotter than ever this year with an all new attraction set to warm up the crowd.
The attraction, a jetpowered funny (former drag car) car, will be a short, sharp and fiery display.
The Kumho jet car is scheduled to start up at 11.50am at Sunday’s Steel ‘n’ Wheels festival, where spectators will be able to see the vehicle shoot flames as long as a bus.
The car, based off a 90s Dodge Avenger, is capable of a lot of things, but disappointing the crowd is not one of them according to its owner, Steve Zahorodny, a mechanic in Auckland.
With a long history of drag racing, Zahorodny is no stranger to speed, however, his 6400hp jet car often scares him.
‘‘Every time I get in the car I’m a bag of nerves,’’ he said.
The car, which he has owned for over four years, is capable of reaching speeds of up to 400kmh in as little as six seconds - the same time it takes the car to complete a quarter mile down the drag strip.
Zahorodny said: ‘‘We love interacting with the crowd and seeing their reactions - especially when you hear people say, ‘look, it has a jet engine in it’.’’
The jet car will be among many other displays including cars, excavators, boats, tractors, emergency service vehicles, impersonators and much more.
Waiuku’s new burger joint that opens this week, the Munted Jandal, has also come to the party with a special edition Steel ‘n’ Wheels burger.
Waiuku Town Centre manager Sharlene Druyven said: ’’I hope this event will encourage more people [to come and bring their items and machines] because I know there is a whole lot more things in peoples sheds that aren’t coming out, or coming down.’’
The festival will cost spectators a gold coin donation and for those who wish to enter their display pieces, registrations will cost nothing.