Who do you have? Legends of NHRA Drag Racing select the U.S. Nationals winners.
With scores of spectators around her, Donna Warr slowly pulls back a black sheet.
The sturdy, recognizable lines of a vintage Holden Monaro gradually emerge from beneath.
The pristine apparatus shimmers in front of the throng.
She considers one of her late husband Nigel’s numerous projects and grins, tears welling up in her eyes.
She said, “This was his dream car.”
Revheads enjoy drag and burnouts
This was only one of the several shows that took place at Red CentreNATS over the Father’s Day weekend. For the tenth year, the event turned Alice Springs into a motorhead paradise.
Even though Mr. Warr never got around to finishing the 1974 coupe’s restoration, his family continued to take items from where he left them.
“After Nigel passed, we all decided that we were going to finish it and bring it here to the Red CentreNATS in his honour,” said Ms Warr.
“He loved being with his mates working on cars, he loved the camaraderie.”
Nigel Warr was a legend in CentreNATS.
He won the title of grand champion in 2022, and the 2024 trophy was renamed in his honor for the current edition.
Exciting action commemorated in the tenth year
This year’s lineup of drag races, burnouts, and automobile exhibitions featured over 800 expertly built cars and motorcycles, and organizers reported over 10,000 spectators.
The weekend also featured Australia’s largest street parade of its kind, with hundreds of highly modified vehicles granted a unique permit to cruise the packed town centre on Saturday afternoon.
Red CentreNATS director Andy Lopez said the high-octane activities attract revheads from across the country for the festival of wheels each year.
“You drive into town, and you might see an eight-second drag car driving down the road next to you or a blown burnout car driving through the Macca’s drive-through,” he said.
“It’s something to be seen.”
Mr Lopez said he was proud of what had been achieved in 10 years of Red CentreNATS.
“It just shows how much the automotive community in Australia loves this event,” he said.
“It’s a long way to get here, no matter where you come from.”
In a fitting victory, Nigel Warr’s son Thomas was awarded the top prize at this year’s CentreNATS, competing in his late father’s bright red HQ ute.
Ms Warr hopes her late husband’s projects will inspire others to achieve their dreams.
“I think what [Nigel’s] legacy is for all of us is that whatever it is that you want to do in life, reach out and grab it,” she said.
“Don’t wait for tomorrow, because tomorrow is never promised.”
