Summernats street car festival a sell-out

Muscle car lovers, sanctioned hoons and other assorted rev-heads continue to gather in their thousands for the annual Summernats street car festival in Canberra.

For the first time in its 35-year history, the hell-raising national event is a sell-out.

After record-breaking attendances on Thursday, organisers closed online sales of season passes mid-afternoon on Friday before announcing ticket supplies for Saturday were completely exhausted and those for Sunday available only in limited number.

With entrant numbers for the festival at a record 2700, Friday’s City Cruise up and down the capital’s main strip, Northbourne Avenue, was “a great indication of the strength of the event and the love for it”, according to its co-owner Andy Lopez.

With concerts and fireworks to compliment seemingly endless open-hood exhibits and clouds of acrid smoke generated by never ending burnouts, more than 100,000 spectators were expected across the weekend in total.

They’ve come from “around the country and around the globe to experience the world’s craziest car festival”, Mr Lopez said.

“The success of the event is due to the efforts of a hard-working and dedicated team of event professionals and engagement with government, police and other agencies,” he said.

Sunday’s program features morning drift rides, a Top 60 finalist show, yet more fireworks, the Burnout Masters qualifiers and plenty of other “mad fun”.