Motorsport fans had their popular Easter Brobenah Burnout Championships canned for the second time due to COVID.
But the not-for-profit organisation, Brobenah Burnouts, is aiming to stage a three round championship series, kicking off next month, and are also concentrating on raising funds for a new burnout pad.
The annual Clinton Rowley Memorial at Easter traditionally draws around 3000 spectators and entrants from Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and northern NSW.
Public officer Carlo Luisi said previous COVID restrictions had stipulated a time limit of five hour on the event.
Mr Luisi said the time limit was impossible for the event to be completed.
“We have up to 50-70 competitors and it takes 3-4 minutes for each competitor to pass through with a minimum of three to four runs each,” he said.
“It was not viable to reduce the number of competitors.
“Last year we ran a three round championship series and we will do the same this year.”
Brobenah Burnouts has partnered with Leeton Motor Sports Club, Leeton Aviators Club and with support from Leeton Shire Council and Leeton Connect, to build the Brobenah drag strip.
Mr Luisi said the dragstrip would be an enormous asset to the Leeton community.
“We have plans in place and are going through the motions of sourcing working capital within the community – we have a target of $350,000 to build it.
“This is not unachievable – we hope to have at least a useable strip within 12 to 18 months.
“It would have been good in the interim to get back on the Narrandera airport but that will not happen.”
Mr Luisi said the purpose built drag strip would be available for use at any time for an event, unlike an airport.
“We have partnered with the International Hot Rod Association as our sanctioning body,” he said.
“We will run our own championships series where points are allotted for every round – hopefully the first round will be in the next month.
“It will be a short, sharp event mainly for local competitors.”
This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 8 April 2021.
