Crowd runs wild at 2008 Summernats
January 7, 2008 by rjw
By Robert Wilson
Canberra’s Summernats car festival turned ugly on Saturday night with a mob taking over the event for several hours.
The Canberra Times reported a group of several hundred young men marched around the festivals main cruising route at EPIC, the Canberra showground, forcing cruising cars off the track and harassing women with demands to “get your tits out”. The newspaper reported that women alone or with their partners were surrounded by groups of shouting, baying men.
The newspaper reported the rabble formed after several men were expelled from the event by security guards. Security guards had attempted to disperse the mob but with no effect.
“There was no sign of police inside EPIC as the mob circulated,” The Canberra Times said.
Summernats organiser Chic Henry said the event would review its security arrangements.
“I’ve talked to all our security pople and we’re having a look at what’s gone on. Security of the Summernats is always a work in progress,” he said.
Mr Henry said reports of the melee may have been exaggerated.
“What I saw on the front page of today’s paper was people walking down the road looking a though they were having a good time, we’re doing some investigation on it but as far as being a riotous situation everyone I’ve talked to has described it as quite unrealistic to describe it as that.’’
Summernats will draw about 105,000 people over four days and so far there has been no injuries or damage in the incident and only one fight at the event on Saturday.
“There was one situation of violence yesterday afternoon and that was quickly taken in hand,” he said.
But Summernats entrants, some of whose cars were forced of the cruise track by the crowd, took a hard line.
NSW Holden WB Statesman entrant Tex Norman said the crowd were “disgusting idiots”.
“You don’t need that at any show. Girls shouldn’t have to put up with it, it wrecks a good show” he said.
Entrant Tash Chibnall of Canberra in her XH Falcon ute condemned the “dickhead element”.
“We left about 11:00 last night and it took forever to get the car out. It was just crazy,” she said.
Husband Brett said while he disliked the rowdy element, it needed to be kept in perspective.
“Is it worse than at a cricket match? We’ve been coming here since 2000 and all-up it‘s not that bad” he said.
Spectator Peter from Sydney said the mob had transgressed one of the unwritten rules of Summernats by hassling women on foot.
Girls who rode in cars and utes on the cruise seemed not to mind requests for a flash, he said, but women spectators were different.
“We’ve got girlfriends and mates’ girlfriends here. We don’t need that, if they’re walking round leave them be. On the back of utes and that its different. They’re up there for the attention.” he said.
It was a blot on the record of an event which up until then had been good humoured and well behaved.
On Saturday afternoon cars were cruising the main EPIC track at walking pace, milling between thousands of spectators. Many laid short burnouts, officially banned but tolerated by the security staff.
Women riding in the cars were urged to display their breasts and more than few obliged, creating a roar from the crowd like a heavy surf whenever a breast emerged into the hot sun. But women watching the parade or walking abut the venue were left alone.
Watching it all from the top of an ASLAV fighting vehicle with the detachment of a career soldier was Sergeant Leigh McNab, there as part of the army’s recruiting drive for trades apprentices.
“Enquiries have been very strong, he said. This event is a good fit for us in terms of the skills we’re seeking.”
On Friday Army chief Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy had joined the cruise in the army’s customised Land Rover, Armygeddon.
The bogie-axled Land Rover was a noteworthy but not unusual vehicle in an assortment that aside from large contingents of Holdens and Fords extended to a Suzuki Mighty Boy (fitted with Mexican-style jump-up hydraulic suspension) to a Polish FSO Niki, with an unknown but certainly not original power plant. An AU Falcon’s distinctive, if lamentable, grille was attached to an open-topped bus.
A relatively scruffy 1957 Chevrolet got great respect as the first race car of drag legend Victor Bray.
Sunday’s Classic car show in the main arena saw such unlikely Summernats entrants Model T Ford, Renault Alpine GT coupe and an Austin 1300.
And there was a minor triumph for women’s equality at the show. Driving her 1967 Mini Cooper S, Allison Lincoln won the motorkhana.
Print it: 
stupid hoons… ruining it
btw REALLY BAD censoring job guys :P
I remember simillar but worse behavior at the Street Machine Nations at Wagga in the late 80s, it got so bad that the TRG was called in from Sydney.
You could have done anything in the rest of southern NSW that weekend because every spare cop in the state was sent there it was crazy.
Police cars and vans smashed the lock up was overflowing so the cops were taking people 10kms out of town leaving them to walk back to town hopefully sobering up on the way.
Sump oil was spilt all over the main street burnouts and dickheads everywhere you looked.
“When rednecks run wild…”
This is the Aussie Bogan-ville.
Prepare to see the Summernats used as a political football. All these hoons shouldn’t be let loose with their modified cars.
It is getting hard enough to modify your car these days without someone complaining or you breaking some law.
Does anyone really expect anything different.
Remember the hill at Bathurst or the groups of uglies that abused Dick Johnston after a win?
stupid bogans
I agree Arse nalroc, They didn’t realy censor the seccond pic well.
IF we got rid of Holden and Fords we wouldnt have this trouble…
I cant see these bogans flashing their tits is a boosted GTR drove down.
Altough I do like her Balboa-esque shorts….
Pic fixed, sorry guys.
Simple solution: ban alcohol from the site. Solve all the behaviour problems in one swoop.
i agree with u 100% scottb ban the alcohol casue its only causing ppl to drink n drive and it brings out the ripe dickheads in the event which ruins it for the familys that go
Alborz, take a closer look at the second pic. You might want to extend the blurr a bit lower and to the left. It was more noticeable before the edit but still in plain sight :P
Alborz, you might be saying to your self “you can’t win” LOL!
Forget blurring it, Just black it out!
Or remove the picture
Ban the alcohol………yep should have been done years ago!
Last time I went 10 years ago I found it a great experience except for the few that wrecked it for others . Night time would be the scariest for me….I wouldn’t want to walk around by myself thats for sure and wouldn’t take the kids either.
Nothing but scrubbers on the back of the utes I must say you a disgrace to females ,even walking around the day time I was asked the question “Show Us Ya”"”"” and its the the tarts on the back of the utes obliging that make the guys keep asking! Ban tarts yobos and alcohol and I may go back!
Will be interested to see Tonyn review on it cause he went and has been for years! He is hardly a bogan for going just wanting to be part of the car culture…….Motorvation is getting the same here in the West……and thats a pity,cause it was a great event when its was at the Dome! Wouldn’t take our car there now because too many idiots!
BM, your Cobra would make drunk Holden fans thow beer botles at you. But for Ford supporters, seeing the Cobra would have to be a good show. but then again, once they see your gender….You know
Hey Amanda! so it that you in the picture? LOL
Hey Oz……Im sure its not Amanda!Real lady’s don’t behave like that!
For that reason we haven’t taken the XA over…….. I know Tonyn says hes never experienced any problems but I have been told a few cars have turned up on trailers to be judged and left after that cause they didn’t want their cars damaged……..one did get a bottle thrown at it though leaving on the trailer and dented it! 100,000 people go every year and of those its the few idiots that give the whole event a bad name!
No Oz, I would not degrade myself by flashing at sex crazed bogans. And if I was as nasty as that chick I’d cover it up!
ok it seems I’m the first person who was there.
IT WASN”T THAT BAD!
it was a peaceful protest! well it started that way any way i was stunned that it was so peaceful. there was about 500 odd people male and female marching around the ground shouting “bring back the skids” referring to the ban on burnouts on the cruise circuit. the whole thing is a media beat up.
sure the ‘nats get alot on undesirables but thats the nature of the event, there is a burnout comp for christs sake! it’s alot better then the last time i went 2 years ago.
Matt
Thats what they are saying on the forums Matt!
They should have banned the burnouts we saw a couple of people when we went that got knocked over,1 guy got a broken leg! Get rid of the yobbos and alcohol that wreck it for every one else so more family\’s can go again!
Well I went through the gates at 8.30am on Sunday morning, I was disgusted at the amount of rubbish and crap that was lying around from Saturday night. Never have i seen so much rubbish on the ground it was a real sight and we questioned ourselves what are we doing here. Being real car buffs my husband and I were mildly dissappointed with the cars that were on display. From what we gathered from entrants, alot of the cars went home early Saturday evening or first thing Sunday morning. I feel security needs to be beefed up and Alcohol banned from such events. The crowd from what i saw were very enthused and saw no bad or ill temepered fans. Overall just very dissapointed with the cars on display and going round the circuit. Thats my perspective from a female point of view.
David Says:
January 7th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Does anyone really expect anything different.
Remember the hill at Bathurst or the groups of uglies that abused Dick Johnston after a win?
Don’t forget David, that when Jim Richards won Bathurst in a Nissan Skyline the bogans booed him when he made his appearance on the podium on completion of the race. Jim responded by calling them a pack of arseholes. I could not have said it better myself.
What the headline said; Crowds run wild at 2008 Summernats.
What the headline should have said; Brain dead neanderthals from the end of the gene pool behaving as only they know how.
I Agree with Banning Alcohol at all major “Family” events
The last time there was a Riot in Canberra at the Summernats was the final year of the supercruise where car enthusiasts drove up and down Northbourne Ave.. whereas now the cruise is contained within NATEX
The thing is though that of those arrested only a handful had the summernats entrant wristbands which indicate they were either a spectator or participant at the event [depending upon colour]
This means the majority of those causing the trouble were actually locals trying to give the car enthusiatsa a bad name .. Knowing the media and general public would and label them all as idiotic hoons..
However; after the riots at this years Summernats there are calls for the Canberra Govt to ban Summernats.. which would mean Chic and the crew would be looking for another venue..
I believe Adelaide would be most suitable because of the space; wide streets – for the supercruise; its central location and [like canberra] not a great deal goes on there
apart from the Clipsal 500
I’m female this was my fifth year camping, it was awesome and I’ve never got my tits out, don’t go if you get offended, Summernats Rocks!! Whoooo
I am getting really pissed off with people who beat up the nats with out even getting in the gate ive been to the last 8 in a row cause i have a WB one tonner that i have built just fo this show. I was on that cruise root when they were on doing the march and they were not roudy at all and as for girls at the nats as Elicia say if u dont like it dont go. Go to that waste time flower show instead that we run every year.
Its only four days out of your sad lives seriously if you have nothing else going on in your life except for bagging out one of only two major events that bring tourism and money into Canberra you seriously need to reconsider how you spend your time and focus on actually GETTING A LIFE!!!!
Its time you crawl out of your stuck up selfish shell and think about others. Think of the small businesses some of which only survive because of this event. Like I said its only four days so get over it!!
If it’s the noise you’re complaining about (if you happen to live close-unlikely) take your families on holidays I’m sure they will appreciate you spending time with them rather the bitching and moaning about a car show!!
settle down , the event is crap! It’s been ruined by drunks and skanks! We built a car that won top judged, & got the highest ever point score there ever, it cost $130000 to build in parts alone.
We will never go back, never. I’m ashamed I ever had anything to do with the summernats . The event organizers and the mogority of the spectators are just drunken idiots, the event once had some prestige, now it’s just for loosers, there is still some classy shows, & I enjoy them, but summernats is now a joke, come to think of it, so is most of the modified car culture, and SM magazine is also now rubbish!
The people who think summernats is good don’t remember or did not attend the early shows, the whole event is just a blody disgrace , filled with a pack of assholes and biker moles with tramp stamps, my car still better than any that have been there in 10 years! (although mercules might be the exception)
130000 IN PARTS!! don mate ive got nothin to say, well nearly. i hope it sees the road cause thats 4 years wages to me. farkn hell!!! the event organizers are drunken idiots??? whats this about don, modified car culture is a joke too hey? so’s spending 130k on parts to lock up in a shed & wank over
summernats is what you make it……. sorry if i offended don
the car did the job, and could probably still, it’s got a top fuel diff carrier ( as an example ) & thanks for your second post mark. I don’t want to offend decent people, but the summernats isn’t like it used to be, and recent car culture is about having detail added on, not built in ( there are exceptions)recent trends in car modification is hollow, the cars are built for everyone else, they lack individuality and don’t reflect the owners taste , because there built by companys ( yes , there are exceptions, that’s why astill is the top guy & a top guy)
Obviously I’m still a little boiled over from the nats, people have made comments I don’t agree with. This was just a place for me to vent . Why do so many cars get stolen soon after the nats?how is it these crims get the knowledge and addresses of the enterents? How did mr richie pay for his car whilst not being employed,( he did go to jail & SM was made fully aware of his activities, and continued to support him) what cars have been stolen or had parts knocked off em? 4mylyn, bambam, that 526 hemi mercury, and all the others….
If you got a big$$$ car stay away from the nats, it’s cursed! No really there’s just so many seady people in one spot.
My car was driven, I don’t get it out these days, I’m to busy, and don’t care anymore, I built it for me, I’m glad everybody liked it aswell ( except chick( who got pissed when I wouldn’t sell it , cheap, )and fitsy , who couldn’t handle the fact I’d proved who had the better car, and ran his mouth, cuz he thinks he’s the chosen one, and a couple of others who had some nasty shit to spray) , maybe that’s why I detest summernats and SM so much, cuz there all assholes, and that’s why familys can’t attend the show now , assholes have built it in the way they are themselves, and it only brings more assholes, what can I say, flys hang around shit!!!
That’s just my opinion, enjoy your nats if that’s your kind of show, personaly , it’s not for me, if you like it , good for you, just remember, your doing that in front of the law makers of this country, it’s a bit like doing a shit at somones front door whilst there watching, there not going to think
Much of you for it. If the nats cleaned up it’s act, alot of guys would come back, remember what happened a few years ago when elite cars were directed into a swarm of drunks, and they lifted and pelted cars with beer can when they wouldn’t do burnouts? Yeh, I’d love that to happen to my car and wife and family! RIP summernats. ( pack of drunken assholes and it’s getting worse)
no reply anyone?
Yeh! Can’t hide the truth, it’s all on YouTube , even cars and spectators getting harrased by drunks.
To the morons who think there doing the community of Canberra a good service by hosting this show, WAKE UP ( wakey wakey, hand of snakey!)
” we bring money!” they say,umm, dickheads.., that’s the capital of Australia ( that’s why it’s called the ACT) they don’t need your pathetic small money! Do think there poor, and live for the money that comes from a 4 day event , what about the other 361 days of the year ( they must live on food stamps!)
It never suprises me how people try to justify there selfish lude horrible lifestyles or behavaviour . Whether it a junky ( I need it, I can’t live without it”!) or a property investor smashing down a the koala & platapus forests and creeks, governments addicted to oil & coal ( instead of nuclear power and electric vehicles ( don’t comment unless you’ve first researched electric vehicle current technology) and it goes on, people justifying why they must be selfish, it’s all total bullshit.
I can aprrciate modified cars for artistic value , family bonding, community betterment ( through trades employment and encouragement).
I can never tolerate assholes justifying themselves, DO YOU HEAR ME ASSHOLES!!
Don a agree with your last few comments but the attude of, ” we bring money!” they say,umm, dickheads.., that’s the capital of Australia ( that’s why it’s called the ACT) they don’t need your pathetic small money!, this is the attitude that Canberra people have, I know because every holiday and the dickheads who live there travel to the south coast of NSW (where I live, and one of my jobs is in a hotel) and cause trouble, start fights, and generally cause havoc, because of this “we own everything” attitude. Before you go bignoting the ACT, and Canberra, most people in the world think Sydney is the capital. I had a great night last night (New years 2008/2009) kicking all the dickhead trouble maker Canberra residents out of the Hotel.
I’m not a huge car fan but travelled down there to check it out. i completely agree that alcohol plays a major part in what goes on down there, the fact that your allowed to camp there means “lets drink all day and run wild”. Everyone’s entitled to have fun and let their hair down but i saw what everyone saw regarding harassing girls in the crowd to ’show them their ****’. An honourable mention should go to the parents/carers or 2 young girls and boys who had signs and were yelling out “show us your *****”, i’m not easily shocked but my jaw dropped!!!!