Rebecca Griffin took home both the Iron Maiden Award and the Best Ladies Burnout trophy for Best Female Entry at this year’s Gazzanats in Darwin. We hit the pits to see what makes Bec – and her twinkly-eyed VS ute – tick.
First published in the November 2022 issue. Street Machine
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Love the UT! What is the story behind it?
I was gifted a shell with no running gear. It now has an LS1 with a Victor Jr. manifold and a 750 Holley Carby on it. It’s pretty basic and standard. I haven’t really done many upgrades. I just put a trunnion kit, double valve springs and a 232/234 cam through it. It runs the Turbo 400 which is not mass produced.
The keg in the back is filled with coolant, which means more volume so the car stays cool. It’s just a pretty basic skid car, really, built from the ground up in the backyard!
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Is this your first burnout car?
no. It only had an RB30, and I shrunk until the motor completely seized up, and then the LS and Turbo 400 combo went in.
I destroyed the rear end of this car with a tire slap, and parts are really hard to find, so this is an expensive option for a burnout car. Then I got the VS Shell, and they are actually an amazing burnout car. They are very responsive braking and steering, and really let you go where you want to go.
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How did you get into the game?
I have been involved in motorsports since childhood. My dad raced at the speedway, so I started racing at the speedway. After that I also got involved in drag racing, helping out as part of the Hidden Valley Drag Committee.
There are traditionally burnouts at the end of every race meeting. My brother got into it, and I started really liking it, going to big shows like Gazzanats and Brashernats, and Powercruise.
There were a number of us who loved burnouts and we wanted more than one skid at the end of a drag race meeting, so we decided to start the Burnout Association of Darwin, of which I am president. .
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In your view, what makes the burnout community special?
Every motorsport has its own family, and I think there’s something different and special about people coming together for a burnout, especially at big meetings like this.
Even in our small local burnout community, everyone is always there for each other and wants to help. And that’s probably the crazy, adrenaline, bogan side of me too!
It’s just a chance to let loose; For those few minutes, nothing else in the world matters.
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Any future plans for UT?
The list keeps getting longer! It doesn’t look like much, but a lot of work has been done on it. If you saw this car just six weeks ago, there’s been a lot of work to get it ready for Gazzanats – cosmetically, underneath and inside.
But for the driveline, I want to tub it, replace the stock rear nine-inch, and really start ramping it up. I also want to switch from unleaded to E85, just because it helps keep everything cooler. I’m not really interested in blowing up. I love my little carby on LS.
It works every time and never lets me down!
Girls – Want to be famous? Send photos, car details and contact details to: Iron Maiden, Street Machine, Locked Bag 12, Oakleigh, Vic 3166. Or email: streetmachine@wheelsmedia.com.au.