Lardner Park Motorfest made a triumphant return earlier this month, with Glenn Everitt and John Pilla taking the reins to deliver a massive day of burnout and show and shine action.

Situated an hour east of Melbourne, Lardner Park hosts one of the most picturesque burnout pads anywhere. It’s placed at the bottom of a natural amphitheatre, making it perfect to enjoy an afternoon of tyre abuse in the shade.

While Glenn would organise the expansive static displays, John aptly handled the burnout side of the equation. That included partnering with Burnout Masters to help draw some big names. Rick Fuller would come out on top of the Blown burnout class in FULLONX, but given he’s already earned a spot at Summernats, the golden ticket went to Russell Harris in his LOO5E VL.

Jono Kelly came over from South Australia to win the Naturally Aspirated entry in his screaming 3FIVES VK – a car Glenn particularly appreciated. “I enjoy the blown stuff, but I do like a naturally aspirated combo too, like some of these NASCAR-powered things turning to nearly 10,000rpm,” he enthuses. “Wherever I was, I knew exactly when they were on!”

Here’s a taste of the impressively varied roster that hit the Motorfest pad. Check out the entire Burnout Masters finals in the video up top, and stay tuned for a massive gallery and top picks from the elite halls and show and shine soon.

Our L67-powered VN streeter, Supermang, added another feather to its cap by taking on the burnout pad. The car proved more than capable of frying tyres at pace until a blown radiator hose and cooked alternator ended the fun.

Check out Carnage on YouTube to see it all.

“It’s something different,” Brett Ciantar says of his Porsche 924 burnout car. “That’s also why it’s got a stroker 308 and not an LS.” He debuted the car at the last Motorfest, which runs 355 iron lion, Turbo 400, and R31 Pintara-sourced BorgWarner diff.

“I’ve had full customised stuff before, but I’m just trying to stick with what’s easier to get,” he adds. “I’ve done a bit of damage with the tyres today; a bit too much air in them I think.”

Andrew ‘Toofy’ Moore from Tassie went hard in his HZ Kingswood. The 720hp, 6/71-blown SBC was built by BG Engines, and sees a healthy dose of limiter.

The car began as a pub cruiser before evolving into a drag car and now a burnout machine. “It’s a bit more of a family vibe around the burnout boys,” Toofy enthuses. “They’ll rip parts off their cars to help you out, and that’s what I love.”

Rory Earnshaw and his mates pulled this Mk.II Esky from a paddock and handled the rust repairs, engine bay fab, tubs, and paint themselves over four months.

A 369ci Dart Windsor with “Scat everything” and meth injection is ideal future-proofing for a blown set-up. “It did run a 347 that failed spectacularly,” Rory laughs. “Now it’s running the best it ever has!”

Mathew Dale’s AU is motivated by an unopened, 4/71-blown LPG Intech donk for about 400hp at the wheels. It’s now been together for about six years, running the same shift-kitted BTR auto and shortened BorgWarner diff with RTV ute axles in a four-link.

“I’ve done comps everywhere from Portland to Sydney,” Matt says. “I drive it to work and everything. I live in a country town, so I just chuck a permit on it!”

Rob Cottrell’s LS-transplanted XD Falcon has travelled as far as Darwin to smash tyres. “I did the swap about eight years ago,” he explains. “It had a Clevo in it, but back then LSs were really cheap.”

The 6.2-litre wears a 6/71 Weiand blower, with custom mounts and extractors, and Rob says it all worked flawlessly at Motorfest. “She’s been bulletproof. A lot of the boys here today have had dramas, but that’s the sport we play.”

Gerard Fredrickson made a killer qualifying run in his VX, but it didn’t last. “On the last skid it just cut out,” he said on Saturday afternoon. “We’ve just pulled a plug and it looks to have leaned out.”

The iron LQ3 has a forged rotating assembly, an 8/71 blower, and a Joe Blo billet hat. “It’s a car that was meant to be a bit of a junker, but sort of turned into a heavy hitter,” Gerard chuckles.

It was a frustrating weekend for Joel Norrie, whose genuine HX Sandman grenaded its Turbo 400 on the pad. Power comes from a crate 454, and as you’d expect the flares and reshaped windows date back a few decades.

“Someone did some modifications in the 80s; people say ‘take it back to a Sandman,’ but nah!”