That was Summernats 2017 ... how was it for you?

The roar of engines is turning into a distant rumble, the smell of petrol and exhaust fumes is fading, and the rubber smoke is clearing.
Summernats is over for another year. And what a year it was, with a record number of 119,000 people attending and around 2,500 cars participating (about 600 vehicles more than the previous record).

Read more at https://the-riotact.com/that-was-summernats-2017-so-how-was-it-for-you/192713

I'm going back to Summernats ... how about you?

I haven’t been to Summernats for a very long time.

I attended the annual celebration of fuel, fumes and flaming rubber when I was younger and wilder – because Summernats then was a place for the young and wild. And I have to say, what I saw fulfilled every cliché of the darker side of Australia’s most notorious motoring event.

From alcohol-fuelled violence to disturbing mob behaviour towards women, and just plain old stupidity – sadly, my observations were far from unique.

Read more at https://the-riotact.com/im-going-back-to-summernats-how-about-you/192304

The car lover's New Year's Resolutions

Ah, the first days of the New Year. When we all promise ourselves we’ll be thinner, fitter, smarter and richer this year, than we were in the last.
Most New Year’s Resolutions relate to health and diet, work lives and relationships. But if cars are a big part of your life, you might like to think about including them in your goals for 2017.

Here are a few motoring-themed New Year’s Resolutions that I’ve been thinking about.

Read more at https://practicalmotoring.com.au/voices/car-lovers-new-years-resolutions/

I drove a Tesla ... or rather, it drove me (and it can drive you too)

Tesla. Just about everyone on the planet has heard of the electric car company and all are in Wizard-of-Oz-like awe… Jane Speechley gets her hands on the wheel of a Tesla Model S.

Until now, Teslas have remained an unaffordable dream for many who have been enticed by the power brand’s carefully-crafted image. cutting edge technology, environmental credibility, and the mysterious aura of the charismatic Elon Musk.

But now, thanks to a new Australian-first business, you can hire a Tesla for the bargain price of just $319 for a few hours. Which means muggles like me can find out what it feels like to drive a car that retails for around $138,000 on the road. They loaned us one for the afternoon, so we could write this article.

So, what’s it like to spend a few hours in the car of the future? Well, it’s quite an experience.

Read more at https://practicalmotoring.com.au/voices/drove-tesla-or-rather-it-drove-me-and-it-can-drive-you-too/

Hey Canberra drivers – what on earth is wrong with us?

As we approach Christmas and that long-awaited holiday period, many of us are planning to travel.
The potential terror of entertaining the kids on long road trips aside, this time of year is a bit of a nightmare for our emergency services, for very different reasons.

Sadly, the holiday season can also be a horror period on our roads.

Read more at https://the-riotact.com/hey-canberra-drivers-what-on-earth-is-wrong-with-us/191145

What I learned sliding through gravel at 160km/h [with video]

Behind the clouds of dust and dirt, what’s really going on inside a world rally championship car during the heat of the race? Jane Speechley was lucky enough to get a glimpse.

AS COMEDIAN ROB SITCH said in one of the famous Sh!tscared stunt sketches by The Late Show/Working Dog crew – ‘I don’t have the brown underpants on for nothing.’


To be fair, I was more excited than nervous when the Hyundai Motorsports team first invited me to ride along through a stage of the World Rally Championship course in Coffs Harbour, with their star New Zealander driver Hayden Paddon. 

My rally-loving friends assure me it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and an opportunity not to be missed.

Read more at https://practicalmotoring.com.au/voices/learned-sliding-gravel-160kmh/  

Are you a fan of rally sport? And if not, why not?

I had an incredible opportunity last week. So bear with me while I open with a little boast.

The final round of the 2016 World Rally Championship was held in November in Coffs Harbour. This is big time – previous rounds are held in Monte Carlo, Argentina, Mexico, Spain and China – so it’s a bit of a coup that Australia gets a guernsey, and the final round as well.

After the serious racing was done, I was invited by the Hyundai Motorsport team to ride along with their young-gun driver Hayden Paddon, through the infamous Wedding Bells forest stage of the course.

Read more at https://the-riotact.com/are-you-a-fan-of-rally-sport-and-if-not-why-not/190086