Lorraine Tuckett, the 86-year-old great-grandmother better known as Nan, had only one request for her birthday: to “smash some tyres” at her local burnout track.
On Saturday, she got exactly that.
For the sixth straight year, relatives and friends made the trip to Leeton for Nan’s Birthday Bash, with drivers bringing burnout cars from across New South Wales to celebrate her special day and shred tyres into rubber confetti.
Nan is far more than an onlooker at the event. She also gets behind the wheel herself, after learning how to do burnouts at the age of 80.
“Guy taught me, my grandson,” Nan said. “Six years now I’ve been driving, even in competition. I even beat Guy once.”
Although Tuckett has stepped back from driving a little lately, she was still pleased with how she went at the Leeton track.
“I haven’t been in the car since December, but I think I done alright.”
Footage of Nan’s birthday burnout racked up more than 1 million views on Saturday and drew widespread attention from car fans.
Summernats organisers responded by saying “what an absolute legend”, well-known car collector Troy ‘Candy’ Williams invited Nan to the Gold Coast for an interstate display, and boxer Danny Green told followers “she is a gem”.
Online, many people said the celebration was inspiring, calling Tuckett a “bloody legend”, an “absolute queen” and saying “this is what people mean when they say ‘live your best life’”.
For the Tuckett family, burnouts are very much a shared passion. Guy has played a key role in teaching Lorraine how it all works and helping her secure the official licences needed to compete.
“No one knew that she was actually doing it,” said Guy. “She got in there and just went silly, and just loved it.”
“The first time she actually did it, she done five sets, so it’s ten tyres.”
The family now buys tyres by the pallet, purchasing 40 at a time to cut costs. And demand is set to rise again, with Nan’s great-grandson Nash now entering the sport.
Nash is only 14, but he already knows how to throw a burnout car around the track.
Nan’s Birthday Bash is a social gathering rather than a points event, but competitive burnout contests are attracting increasing interest. The sport is judged more like ice skating or gymnastics, with points awarded for things such as driving ability, how well the burnout pad is used and the amount of tyre smoke produced.
Drivers can also lose points for rule breaches, including starting a big fire, although small ones are acceptable, or ending a two-minute run with tyres that have not popped.
And talent behind the wheel is only part of what it takes. Competitors also need to buy and maintain high-performance cars.
