Summernats a change is in order?

aj510 · 11-01-2008, 10:35 PM

So Summernats 21 swept through ACT like cyclone Tracy, promoters enjoyed great success with spectator numbers reaching 105,000. But are changes needed for Summernats to stay on the straight and narrow?
Should changes be made? It seems to me the answer is a resounding YES! Alcohol, burnouts and security would have to be the most talked about negative points of Summernats 21. How about we address each of these issues separately with suggestions on how to rememdy them.
Alcohol
Alot of events are able to run alcohol free with no problem whatsoever. ie All the Powercruise events and Springnats. A number of events have alcohol restricted to certain areas (ie Gazza Nationals) and there are no problems of drunken idiots running wild. Even Easternats serves alcohol with no restricted areas and yobbos aren’t running around causing mayhem. So why is it Summernats can’t seem to get a strangle hold on this?
Perhaps it’s time to either rule out alcohol altogether or put in measures to restrict peoples drinking. How?
A number of suggestions have already been made on the forums here at MCF, such as
- Introduce a lanyard system where by spectators who plan to drink are given a lanyard that restricts them to a certain number of drinks. Each time they buy a drink the lanyard has a hole punched in it.
- Restrict alcohol to designated drinking areas only.
- Make alcohol unavailable until after a certain time or between certain times etc.
Burnouts
Now we’re not talking about burnouts on the pad, but those on both Main and Tuff St. Not everyone wants to enter their car into a burnout comp and thrash the guts out of their pride and joy, most want to give the throttle a stab, smoke up the tyres for a few seconds and move on. So why not create a small designated area that entrants can drive through to do just this?
Surely this wouldn’t be too difficult to organise, an area say 50 metres long, fenced off from spectators. Entrants could drive through this area, drop a small skid and continue on cruising around Summernats.
To save on costs, why not allow cars to go through the burnout pad to rip a small straight liner during cruising on Saturday?
Security
It seems to me that the security at Summernats have lost sight of their job. It’s not to bash as many people that do the wrong thing as possible, but to diffuse any problems and *control* the crowd. Attacking entrants goes along way to encouraging them not to return.
I realise that these guys would have to deal with an enormous number of drunken idiots all day long and this would get extremely annoying. However it is still their job to act in a professional manner, assaulting people is just not on at all.
Now we’re not here trying to bash summernats, afterall it is THE biggest event in Australia for the modified car scene. What we’re saying is that it would be a far better event if a few changes were made. Hopefully the powers that be listen to what not only we have mentioned but of the members of numerous car forums/clubs etc who would like to see some positive changes made for the next Summernats.

cycov8 · 11-01-2008, 10:48 PM

agree totally with you aj I think this place looses alot of entrants due to the factor of silly runk people and the security guards I have seen a few good guards but have also had to put up with numb sculls as well. But all is discussed in this thread too
Summernats 21 - Who went?

aj510 · 11-01-2008, 10:51 PM

yup agreed, i didn't enter my car (was only going to cruise) purely because i was worried about damage from crowds..... sad really.....

Also just to be clear - i'm a huge fan of summernats, however I think a few changes need to be made for it to continue as Australia's premier modified car event....

FPV 097 · 12-01-2008, 02:11 AM

I agree that changes need to be made as the nats are getting out of hand. The security is a joke and cruising around and getting your car damaged is just one of the reasons why numbers are down. A few years ago the nats was good but now it isnt what it used to be. Cutting cruising time early at night is another issue. A good suggestion made by CYCOV8 about opening up the burnout pad during cruising on saturdays would be great for the guys who dont have big dollar machines that just want to do a small burnout without stressing their car out. Its a great idea and would eliminate everyone wanting to do burnouts everywhere else and cause less problems around the whole complex. Organisers of the event need to seriously think about the little guy and stop worrying about all the big name entrants. Everyone deserves to have a good time, after all if it wasnt 4 all us regular entrants there wouldnt be an event at all. We make up the majority and we dont have sponsers picking up the bill. We build our cars on our own. At summernats 20 i did a small burnout after a well known car did a big burnout and security hassled me but not the other car. Whats good for one should be good for the other.....

xdesp · 12-01-2008, 02:45 AM

sounds like nothing has changed much over the years,the summernats i went to was number fifteen and a few years earlier than that, but the same problems that you are talking about was happening then. It was a great show but you get sick off crusing around in a nice car and people yelling s##t out at you all the time. We travelled a long time to get there and that is why we have not been back. Its much easlier and more friendlier events in adelaide and surrounding places in sa, eg gazzanats and the autofest in the bridge.

Te_Rex · 12-01-2008, 03:03 PM

I seem to remember them opening the pad once probably about summernats 10 during the evening. Seen one car put its fly wheel through its bonnet and floor guess it was a good thing it was on the pad not out on the cruise route.

with the burnout pad i guess you still would have to meet the same requirements as you need to enter the comp. Tailshaft loop and wheel weights removed, other than that and a few more security and officals i can not see why it could not be done.

PROXT · 12-01-2008, 06:46 PM

Yes they will lose alot of the entrants next year. And as far as i am concerned serve them right. I know alot of the top 60 guys that arent coming back. There were alot of the top cars that didnt even turn up to this one. They are just sick of all the bull**** that goes on year after year. And when someone says anything CHIC THE PRICK covers it up all the time. I didnt see one sec urity try to get rid of the drunken people. Why dont they just put in areas that you can only drink it. Not be able to walk all round the place drinking. And to see 13 year old kids drunk is just not on. Do security do anything about those. NO. I dont think Summernats will ever get banned but it will get less and less good cars turning up year after year. Why else would you go to Canberra. Its got nothing else going for it. They must make a fortune for the city when Summernats is on. Why dont they have the police walk threough to control the drunks and idiots.

aj510 · 12-01-2008, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Te_Rex

I seem to remember them opening the pad once probably about summernats 10 during the evening. Seen one car put its fly wheel through its bonnet and floor guess it was a good thing it was on the pad not out on the cruise route.

with the burnout pad i guess you still would have to meet the same requirements as you need to enter the comp. Tailshaft loop and wheel weights removed, other than that and a few more security and officals i can not see why it could not be done.

Wouldn't take 2 seconds to check the tailshaft loop or wheel weights - even put a stickeron the car - OK FOR BURNOUTS - they'd only be small power type skids anyways

@ PROXT - I was sent info that suggested summernats brings in 11 to 12million for canberra each year....

PROXT · 12-01-2008, 06:56 PM

Yeah i heard they make 13 million. Take Summernats away and poor old Canberra wouldnt make any money.

vanman · 13-01-2008, 01:35 AM

hey guys yes i think we all agree that summernats is in need of a long overdue overhaul.As a hotel manager i can tell that a heap of grog can turn the nicest of blokes into the biggest dickheads and unfortuantely at the nats its available by the truckload!!! i dont think cutting it out all together is needed but for godsake cut it down as you would all agree at the moment it's ridiculous giving 100 odd thousand people jd slushies etc in 40 degree heat all day what do expect is gonna happen! no use bragging your stopping people from bringing it in to create a better atmosphere when your serving blokes way passed when you should im surprised licencing police havent had a field day with it, i was getting a drink from the jd bar on sat night when i looked around i wouldnt have served 90 percent of them in there let alone let them have 4 jd's at a time!!

I would like to see it alcohol free till 4pm on fri sat, makes it family friendly during the day then too.
some sort of rsa practiced as in one or two drinks per person at a time and howabout refusing service when they cant string a sentence together!
the other point is people are funny on the grog some fight on rum some on scotch what if you fight on jd??? too bad eh and dont think for one minute a drunk bloke is gonna have the presence of mind after 8 schooners of VB that he'll care that hes violent on jd so maybe a little selection? i know jack is a major sponsor but come on the biggest horsepower party on the country should be able to bargain.
As for security the offending guards should not only be sacked but also prosecuted and have their licences stripped the industry has a tough enough time as it is without those wankers punching blokes unprovoked.
Burnouts?? well we all love burnouts i think as section out the back near the stables with concrete barriers and fence much like dragtags fence so guys who want to put on a little show can and you'll find that all the dickheads are in that area behind a fence which leaves the rest of the cruise route to civilised people pretty easy as far as cars are concerned you tick a box on your entry form that says cruise burnouts and then a scrutineering they check youve got what you need.
just a few suggestions and maybe they might work? if you cant drink till 4pm then those same guys might be a little more controlled by 10pm less dickheads might mean we can cruise till 1am in the morning like the old days wouldnt that be nice.

oh and one more thing bloody lining up!!!! nudge and rosie from what im told your system up at the elite pro st burnouts is the go by evryone reckon you could fax the details to mr henry in canberra with a note new burnout line rules as requested by every single poor bugger lined up at your show on fri and sun in 40 degree heat!!!