Summernats 2014 in Canberra
Me, right, interviewing Jake Edwards about his Horsepower Heroes worldbeater. This beast started life as an SL/R 3300 and now runs a stroker V8 which is chasing the holy grail of 2000 horsepower. Jake, who works out of Mitchell and is the owner and founder of Jake's Performance, is one of a handful of Australians who can build a motor like this.
Chasing 2000 horsepower
By David Ellery
Mitchell performance guru, Jake Edwards, returns to Summernats this week to reaffirm his
iron grip on the Horsepower Heroes title he has taken out for the past two years
in succession.
Lurking under, and slightly above, the fibreglass bonnet of his surprisingly stock
looking Torana LH SL/R is a mighty 439 cubic inch (7.3 litre) V8 that develops
as much power as the 2560 cubic inch (45 litre) Merlin V-12 used in the World
War II Spitfire.
Like many of the serious entrants in the motorsport event that is expected to attract
more than 100,000 spectators from January 2 to 5, Mr Edwards mixes business with
pleasure and treats his passion for performance as a family affair.
Maxamillion, his 15-year-old son, can't wait to get hold of a performance car of his own and
Amy, Mr Edwards' soulmate since they met in an LJ Torana on Northbourne Avenue
two decades ago, has tried her hand at drag racing in the past.
Summernats general manager Russell Avis said if Mr Edwards took out the prize for the most
powerful ''streetable'' car for the third time in a row it would hammer home the
fact he was one of the best engine builders in the country.
''He has, back-to-back, built the two most powerful engines we've had at Horsepower
Heroes,'' Mr Avis said.
''We are talking about horsepower at the rear wheels - as measured on the
dynamometer. When you are on the dyno you can't run and you can't hide; it is an
absolute and objective measurement of how much power is reaching the road.''
Mr Edwards, who admits to being obsessed with seeing just what he can do, agrees he
is ultimately competing with himself.
This is true in more ways than one. Last year's effort of 1666 horsepower (1242.6kW)
at the rear wheels was almost double the power of the next-placed competitor.
''The challenge is to push the technology to see just what the engine can do,''
he said. ''I'd love to have someone roll up with similar numbers to make for a
good spectacle''.
The search for the ultimate in internal combustion performance grows more popular by
the year.
Summernats managing director Andy Lopez said more than 1700 entries had been received in
2013 and that 2014 appeared to be even stronger.
''The popularity of the City Cruise, which will be held at midday on Thursday, is a
good indicator. The police counted 30,000 spectators last year.''
Mr Edwards said that, while his main aim for 2104 was to beat last year's
performance, 2000 horsepower (1490kW) was the holy grail of engine building.
His Torana, in many respects an engine with a car attached, is the latest evolution
in a course of development that dates back almost half a decade. In its latest
form, as the spectators will be able to see it and hear it at this year's
Summernats, its specifications are awesome.
They include a Merlin 3 aftermarket 439 cubic inch (7.3 litre) cast-iron big-block
Chevrolet destroked down from 496 cubic inches (8.2 litres). The heads are also
cast iron and the boost comes from a single GT60 118mm Garrett Turbocharger.
''It's monstrous, this is up from 106mm,'' he said.
At this stage the turbo boost to be used on the hand-built and hand-balanced engine
is still up in the air. ''It will get as much boost as it needs to give me more
horsepower than last year,'' he said. ''My main ambition is to beat last year's
1666 brake horsepower at the back wheels.''
The Torana runs on the track as well as on the dyno and, despite being the heaviest
car in its class, it is one of the five or six fastest ''streetable'' cars in
the country. From 0-100km/h takes 1.2 seconds.
''It's like getting shot out of a gun,'' Mr Edwards said. ''You have to really hang
onto it. It is a pretty big driving job (keeping it straight).''
The standing 400 metres takes 7.88 seconds with an exit speed of 289km/h.
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/revvedup-summernats-champion-jake-edwards-guns--for-three-in-a-row-20131230-3035g.html#ixzz2pBqkqR4u
This article was originally published in The Canberra Times
Mitchell performance guru, Jake Edwards, returns to Summernats this week to reaffirm his
iron grip on the Horsepower Heroes title he has taken out for the past two years
in succession.
Lurking under, and slightly above, the fibreglass bonnet of his surprisingly stock
looking Torana LH SL/R is a mighty 439 cubic inch (7.3 litre) V8 that develops
as much power as the 2560 cubic inch (45 litre) Merlin V-12 used in the World
War II Spitfire.
Like many of the serious entrants in the motorsport event that is expected to attract
more than 100,000 spectators from January 2 to 5, Mr Edwards mixes business with
pleasure and treats his passion for performance as a family affair.
Maxamillion, his 15-year-old son, can't wait to get hold of a performance car of his own and
Amy, Mr Edwards' soulmate since they met in an LJ Torana on Northbourne Avenue
two decades ago, has tried her hand at drag racing in the past.
Summernats general manager Russell Avis said if Mr Edwards took out the prize for the most
powerful ''streetable'' car for the third time in a row it would hammer home the
fact he was one of the best engine builders in the country.
''He has, back-to-back, built the two most powerful engines we've had at Horsepower
Heroes,'' Mr Avis said.
''We are talking about horsepower at the rear wheels - as measured on the
dynamometer. When you are on the dyno you can't run and you can't hide; it is an
absolute and objective measurement of how much power is reaching the road.''
Mr Edwards, who admits to being obsessed with seeing just what he can do, agrees he
is ultimately competing with himself.
This is true in more ways than one. Last year's effort of 1666 horsepower (1242.6kW)
at the rear wheels was almost double the power of the next-placed competitor.
''The challenge is to push the technology to see just what the engine can do,''
he said. ''I'd love to have someone roll up with similar numbers to make for a
good spectacle''.
The search for the ultimate in internal combustion performance grows more popular by
the year.
Summernats managing director Andy Lopez said more than 1700 entries had been received in
2013 and that 2014 appeared to be even stronger.
''The popularity of the City Cruise, which will be held at midday on Thursday, is a
good indicator. The police counted 30,000 spectators last year.''
Mr Edwards said that, while his main aim for 2104 was to beat last year's
performance, 2000 horsepower (1490kW) was the holy grail of engine building.
His Torana, in many respects an engine with a car attached, is the latest evolution
in a course of development that dates back almost half a decade. In its latest
form, as the spectators will be able to see it and hear it at this year's
Summernats, its specifications are awesome.
They include a Merlin 3 aftermarket 439 cubic inch (7.3 litre) cast-iron big-block
Chevrolet destroked down from 496 cubic inches (8.2 litres). The heads are also
cast iron and the boost comes from a single GT60 118mm Garrett Turbocharger.
''It's monstrous, this is up from 106mm,'' he said.
At this stage the turbo boost to be used on the hand-built and hand-balanced engine
is still up in the air. ''It will get as much boost as it needs to give me more
horsepower than last year,'' he said. ''My main ambition is to beat last year's
1666 brake horsepower at the back wheels.''
The Torana runs on the track as well as on the dyno and, despite being the heaviest
car in its class, it is one of the five or six fastest ''streetable'' cars in
the country. From 0-100km/h takes 1.2 seconds.
''It's like getting shot out of a gun,'' Mr Edwards said. ''You have to really hang
onto it. It is a pretty big driving job (keeping it straight).''
The standing 400 metres takes 7.88 seconds with an exit speed of 289km/h.
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/revvedup-summernats-champion-jake-edwards-guns--for-three-in-a-row-20131230-3035g.html#ixzz2pBqkqR4u
This article was originally published in The Canberra Times
The Summernats Street Cruise - Thursday, February 2, 2014
By David Ellery
Crowds lined Northbourne Avenue to watch the City Cruise on Thursday afternoon.
Two hundred of Summernats' finest did the run into the city to bring the event to the people.
Summernats general manager Russell Avis said the street parade had become the opening ceremony for the iconic event.
While most of the participants were loud, fast and furious, the City Cruise lineup was bookended by the Shannons’ Goggomobil Dart sportscar and a tag-along 1928 Austin 7 Wasp driven by Canberra classic car enthusiast, Ray Scarlett, of Evatt.
"I'm here to give them a drag," the 70-year-old who was accompanied by his son, Aaron, said.
The highly visible kerbside police presence was more than adequate to keep the spectators at bay.
A flotilla of ACT Policing vehicles, which ranged from four-wheel-drives, to highway patrol cars and an army of motorbikes, added to the rich and colourful milieu and, on occasion, turned the cruise into a rerun of the last five minutes of The Blues Brothers.
At the city end the spectators, believed to have numbered about 30,000 in total, were neatly dressed, clean cut and obviously either workers or visitors to Canberra who had heard about the event.
Among the latter were Pablo Ortiz, his wife Xuan and their daughter, Isabella, 3, and son, Sebastian, 2, from Melbourne.
The family had travelled to Sydney for the New Year’s Eve fireworks and stopped in Canberra on their way home.
"We heard about this last night and came along to see," Mr Ortiz said.
"We’ve seen some of the cars already and they are pretty nice. I’m into modified cars. We have a Volkswagen Tiguan with Stage 2 APR mods.
"I appreciate the work that goes into these vehicles."
The closer to EPIC you were, the more colourful the crowds became.
One party of four packed onto a well worn lounge some distance south of The Tourist Centre where, it would be fair to say, they were getting into "the spirit of things’’.
Summernats’ heavily promoted family friendly ethos generally prevailed however.
Event general manager, Russ Avis, said much had been done to change the once grungy image of hot cars, showgirls, vodka shots and beer.
"We have absolutely changed the image,’’ he said.
"We have got rid of some of the things that didn’t fit; the wet tee shirt competition and adult entertainment, and replaced them with high quality music.
"One of the highlights this year is going to be the performance by Living Ends on Friday night."
Cars are the king however and Summernats was, is and always will be, petrolhead paradise.
"This is a street machine community event,’’ Mr Avis said. "Without the 1800 plus cars that have turned up the show just doesn’t happen.’’
Those cars come from a very broad church with Dodges, Chevrolets, Plymouths, Buicks and even a Rolls Royce and a ramped up Toyota 4-Runner joining the ubiquitous Holdens, Fords and Valiants in the eclectic mix.
The number of Hot Fours, usually from Nissan, Subaru and Mitsubishi with Toyota, the least sporting of the Japanese marques, lagging slightly behind continues to build year-on-year as a new generation of enthusiasts explores territory not serviced by the former big three.
European cars were in scarce supply and no Korean, Indian or Chinese vehicles appeared to have made the cut.
Mr Avis is confident that despite their respective woes (both companies announced plans to cease Australian production in 2013) Holdens and home-grown Fords will dominate for a long time yet.
"I don’t want to get into the politics of what governments should or shouldn’t have done to support the industry," he said.
"It is sad to see what has happened but Summernats is not actually about new vehicles. There will be a place for Australian made cars (at Summernats) for many years to come."
This article first appeared in The Canberra Times. All pictures David Ellery.
Crowds lined Northbourne Avenue to watch the City Cruise on Thursday afternoon.
Two hundred of Summernats' finest did the run into the city to bring the event to the people.
Summernats general manager Russell Avis said the street parade had become the opening ceremony for the iconic event.
While most of the participants were loud, fast and furious, the City Cruise lineup was bookended by the Shannons’ Goggomobil Dart sportscar and a tag-along 1928 Austin 7 Wasp driven by Canberra classic car enthusiast, Ray Scarlett, of Evatt.
"I'm here to give them a drag," the 70-year-old who was accompanied by his son, Aaron, said.
The highly visible kerbside police presence was more than adequate to keep the spectators at bay.
A flotilla of ACT Policing vehicles, which ranged from four-wheel-drives, to highway patrol cars and an army of motorbikes, added to the rich and colourful milieu and, on occasion, turned the cruise into a rerun of the last five minutes of The Blues Brothers.
At the city end the spectators, believed to have numbered about 30,000 in total, were neatly dressed, clean cut and obviously either workers or visitors to Canberra who had heard about the event.
Among the latter were Pablo Ortiz, his wife Xuan and their daughter, Isabella, 3, and son, Sebastian, 2, from Melbourne.
The family had travelled to Sydney for the New Year’s Eve fireworks and stopped in Canberra on their way home.
"We heard about this last night and came along to see," Mr Ortiz said.
"We’ve seen some of the cars already and they are pretty nice. I’m into modified cars. We have a Volkswagen Tiguan with Stage 2 APR mods.
"I appreciate the work that goes into these vehicles."
The closer to EPIC you were, the more colourful the crowds became.
One party of four packed onto a well worn lounge some distance south of The Tourist Centre where, it would be fair to say, they were getting into "the spirit of things’’.
Summernats’ heavily promoted family friendly ethos generally prevailed however.
Event general manager, Russ Avis, said much had been done to change the once grungy image of hot cars, showgirls, vodka shots and beer.
"We have absolutely changed the image,’’ he said.
"We have got rid of some of the things that didn’t fit; the wet tee shirt competition and adult entertainment, and replaced them with high quality music.
"One of the highlights this year is going to be the performance by Living Ends on Friday night."
Cars are the king however and Summernats was, is and always will be, petrolhead paradise.
"This is a street machine community event,’’ Mr Avis said. "Without the 1800 plus cars that have turned up the show just doesn’t happen.’’
Those cars come from a very broad church with Dodges, Chevrolets, Plymouths, Buicks and even a Rolls Royce and a ramped up Toyota 4-Runner joining the ubiquitous Holdens, Fords and Valiants in the eclectic mix.
The number of Hot Fours, usually from Nissan, Subaru and Mitsubishi with Toyota, the least sporting of the Japanese marques, lagging slightly behind continues to build year-on-year as a new generation of enthusiasts explores territory not serviced by the former big three.
European cars were in scarce supply and no Korean, Indian or Chinese vehicles appeared to have made the cut.
Mr Avis is confident that despite their respective woes (both companies announced plans to cease Australian production in 2013) Holdens and home-grown Fords will dominate for a long time yet.
"I don’t want to get into the politics of what governments should or shouldn’t have done to support the industry," he said.
"It is sad to see what has happened but Summernats is not actually about new vehicles. There will be a place for Australian made cars (at Summernats) for many years to come."
This article first appeared in The Canberra Times. All pictures David Ellery.