Premium Content
Subscriber only The smoke from the burnouts has cleared and the roar of souped-up engines can no longer be heard but praise for the Rare Spares Rockynats continues to reverberate around Rockhampton. The three-day car-festival, which wrapped up on Sunday, has been hailed a huge success. It attracted 954 cars, 323 bikes and 40,000 people, and injected more than $20 million into the city s economy. Â The Rockynats street parade on Quay Street. Photo: Jann Houley The program also included street drags, burnouts, dyno, drifting and a show n shine. Rockhampton Mayor Tony Williams said Rockynats had delivered something very unique for the city.
Premium Content
Subscriber only
Scattered drizzly rain didn’t dampen the spirits of thousands of people who turned out to watch the inaugural Rare Spares Rockynats burnout finals.
After a washout on Saturday night and the weather cancelling the street drags on Sunday, die hard fans were joined by families and people of all ages at the Reaney Street precinct.
Fences around the burnout pad were five-deep as people clambered to get a piece of the action.
Those who weren’t keen on getting shoulder-to-shoulder around the burnout pad with masked-up spectators relaxed in front of several large television screens, broadcasting the action live.
Premium Content
Subscriber only Accommodation for Rockynats 2022 is already booking out with this year s visitors rebooking for next year. Grant Cassidy, who owns The Edge and Empire Apartment Hotels, said as soon as the announcement was made the event would be back for the Easter long weekend in 2022, guests were rebooking. The Empire was fully booked and The Edge was about three-quarters full within 24 hours of the 2022 announcement. He said this was a testament to how much people enjoyed the inaugural event. Speaking with guests, Mr Cassidy said he had heard nothing but positive comments. Empire guests could watch the drifting at the Victoria Parade Riverside Carpark on Saturday afternoon from their balconies.
Premium Content
Subscriber only Seven years ago Marney Mynott won a Harley Davidson motorcycle in a raffle and she s been hooked ever since. The Cairns woman took out the Best Ladies Motorbike at the Harley Owners Group Chapter Challenge Awards, in conjunction with the Rare Spares Rockynats 2021, last weekend. It s fabulous, she said. I have come a long way. The bike has had a lot of money spent on it. It is the first award she has won at a big bike show, with her only other win being the best female bike at a small bike show. She has come a long way from being an amateur rider when she won her first bike in a raffle.
Premium Content
Subscriber only Kieran Barber had been preparing for the inaugural Rare Spares Rockynats 2021 for months and it certainly paid off. The entrant praised the event and said he has had a fantastic time. Kieran, who has a bright blue 1983 Holden VH Commodore, entered every event he could. The car has a late model LS1 engine with an alcohol carburettor, no exhaust and 460 horsepower at the wheels.
ROK040421RockyNATSSUNVID2: RockyNATS 2021 East St Rockhampton April 04 J Houley Vid 2 When he talked to The Morning Bulletin he was hoping to do some drag racing but was had some oil leaking so was trying to fix it.