North Dandalup man Anthony ‘Pagey’ Page has been perfecting the art of the burnout since he was 17, and on Sunday January 8, his revhead dreams came true.
Smashing the Burnout Championship in the Summernats 30 last weekend, Mr Page is the first Western Australian to score the prestigious title.
“As far as I was told, it’s the first WA winner in the 30 years running,” Mr Page said.
Because he works FIFO, Mr Page had little time to get his car ready for the competition, but with the support of his wife Vicki-Jean and local sponsors – Mandurah Bolt Supplies, Dynamic Tyres, Mainline Motors, Paulick Engines, Kustom Panel and Paint and JRM resources –he managed to get his 410 Cube HZ ute in prime condition for a win.
“Money’s always held me back, but I’ve been a FIFO worker a while now so I can afford to go up against the bigger guys,” Mr Page said.
Burnouts inspire a particular kind of rush, a deep-rooted animalistic urge for both chaos and control.
Mr Page said his nerves driving onto the tarmac were “unreal, you feel sick, you’re shaking.”
“There’s over 100 thousand people there watching, but then to pull it off was one of the best adrenaline rushes I’ve ever had,” he said.
“Doing something I love in front of a massive crowd like that is an awesome feeling.”
However, chucking a sweet burnout at Summernats isn’t as reckless as it seems: Mr Page explained a lot of the technique is about good control of the vehicle.
“A lot of people that do it for fun go out and they don’t have much control, but in a show like this I’m doing exactly what I want to do,” he said.
“A lot of it is how you drive, and the reliability of the car. I do use brand new tyres which definitely makes [the burnout] last a bit longer.”
He said the competition had ample safety measures in place, including long-sleeve fireproof suits, seatbelts, helmets, and fire crews on side.
“It’s very controlled, they don’t just let you be stupid,” he said.
For his efforts Mr Page won $2.5 grand prize money and a trophy, and he plans to come back next year for the Masters competition.