THIS year’s Liqui-Moly Burnout Masters is shaping up to be the biggest ever, with 31 starters already qualified for Saturday’s eliminations, and there are still three more entrants to come from the Last Chance Shootout wildcard show. That’s 34 of the country’s best tyre-turners going head-to-head in the Summernats pit for a spot in the Top 10 finals.

Last year’s winner Brett Battersby will be back with BLWNLUX, as will Fred Watson (FEAR), Rick Fuller (LSONE) and the rest of last year’s Top 10, including LYNCHY, CUTSIK, GMHAZD and 1TUFHG. They will be joined by the likes of Steve Nogas (KILLAB), Steve Loader (UCSMOKE), Ryan Pearson (HOLDON), Adrian Cuthbertson (SKIDMA) and Dave Cufone (1FATRAT), along with a whole bunch more.

Saturday’s eliminations kick off at 4pm, after three hours of Summernats burnout qualifying, and finish up at 6pm, just in time for the always-spectacular Saturday night entertainment and Supercruise. So drop whatever you’re doing Saturday afternoon and make sure you’re in Canberra for that – it’s going to be insane. Then stick around for the finals on Sunday at 2.30-3.30pm, to see who gets the $15,000 and title of Liqui-Moly Burnout Master.

Every year there are hundreds of burnout blasters attempting to qualify for the Liqui-Moly National Burnout Masters, and plenty don’t cut the mustard. So this year the crazy crew at Summernats are planning to give 20 special entrants who are deemed worthy one last chance for the ultimate in burnout glory.

Four naturally aspirated cars will line up against 16 blown cars in the Last Chance Shootout for one of three remaining tickets into the Burnout Masters. So we’ll see everything from 700ci blown big-blocks through to screaming small-blocks, as well as blown, naturally aspirated and nitrous LS engines.

Forget it if you think it’s going to be easy to score a top three spot in this field. Check out these names: Mick Brasher (ULEGAL), Peter Grmusa (ATRISK), Steve Loader (RELOAD), Chris Genter (FROMHELL), Phil Kerjean (TUFFST), Dom Luci (LITMUP), Paul Cook (BLWNVC) and Dave Pendlebury (PROPSI) are just some of the runners. Mix in MATER, BLACKOUT, KURRUPT, MELTEM, LS2WAR, OUTLAW, 02SKD and UP4IT, and you’re in for a show that they’ll write songs about. It’s the toughest wildcard field ever, and it fires up at 4pm Thursday. It’s going to be an an epic way to start Summernats.