Scrutineers put safety first at first ever Rockynats
Published on 31 March 2021
The Chief Scrutineer at this week’s Rare Spares Rockynats says his favourite part of the job is getting up close and personal with some of the best presented cars in the country.
And Canberra’s Colin Stratton, who has worked at every Summernats bar one since their inception in his hometown in 1988, says he loves working alongside his 44 fellow scrutineers.
“They are young and old and everything in between, but we all love motorsport whatever form it takes,” Stratton said.
“A lot of the scrutineers are from the drag racing community up here in Rockhampton and most of the others have associations with the local car clubs.
“It’s a great fraternity and we all jumped at the chance to be a part of making safe the first ever Rockynats,” he said.
Stratton said a lot of time and dedication goes into developing a cohesive team of scrutineers before reeling off a veritable shopping list of what he and his team are looking for in some 1200 cars and 400 bikes between now and Friday.
“We need to check the general safety of the vehicle and what’s going on under the bonnet.
“At an event like this the safety of the drivers, spectators and officials is the number one priority.
“We check the battery, accelerator and we make sure there are no major fluid leaks; we check the lights, the wheels, the tread on the tyres, the wheel nuts and we look at the fire extinguishers of the drags and burnout cars to make sure they are 100 per cent operational.
“Basically, we check everything, but so far we have seen a very good quality of car come through with very few problems that need attention,” he said.
Stratton, a one-time drag racer, says Rockynats, re-scheduled from a COVID-19 postponement last year, is going to be a great event.
“I’ve been around all the precincts set ups and they are awesome,” he said.
“The show ‘n’ shine right on the river’s edge is amazing with plenty of space for people to walk around and admire the cars, the street drags area is looking great and the burnout area with its grandstands looking across the river to the city looks phenomenal.
“The trade precincts are fantastic too, so we’re in for a great show.”
Staged in the heart of the city’s re-developed heritage riverfront district over the Easter long weekend (2-4 April), the Rare Spares Rockynats will feature a jam-packed program of cruising, burnouts, drifting, bikes, Show ‘n’ Shine and the wildest modified cars in the country.
Rockynats is Australia’s newest major motorsport event, presented by the same team behind the time-honoured Summernats in Canberra and the hugely popular Red Centrenats in Alice Springs.
The Rockhampton edition is presented by Rockhampton Regional Council, Naming Rights Sponsor Rare Spares and supporting precinct and event sponsors.
For more information, visit www.rockynats.com.au
The scrutineering Process
All scrutineering will take place at the Rockhampton Showgrounds from Tuesday 30 March to Friday 2 April (inclusive).
Every entrant needs to take part in scrutineering to have their cars and bikes checked for safety and competition-based requirements. All scrutineering will take place at the Rockhampton
Rockynats entrants are renowned for having the toughest highly modified cars in the country.
They look, sound and go like nothing the factory would build today and their owners take ultimate pride in them.
Scrutineering considerations include:
• Paint and body modifications
• Engine performance upgrades and engine bay presentation
• Custom fabrication
• Wheel, suspension and brake upgrades
• Custom interiors
Safety checks include:
• Working lights
• Valid full driver license
• Fire extinguisher – for burnout competition vehicles
• Wheel nuts on all studs and wheel guards
• Treaded tyres – no visible belts, canvass or flat spots, in serviceable condition
• Functioning brakes
• Seatbelts – fitted correctly and functioning for all seats
Community safety
To ensure the safe delivery of the 2021 Rare Spares Rockynats for residents, business owners, spectators and entrants, a wide range of traffic control measures are currently being implemented.
These include road closures, safety bollards and the placement of barricades throughout the CBD and event precincts.
Parking in the CBD has been restricted since Monday and traffic conditions altered as the event crews transform the city for Rockynats.