DESERT THUNDER

DRAG RACING DECADENCE, BALLS-OUT BURNOUTS, AND STUNNING SHOW CARS UNDER THE DEAD HEART'S SHIMMERING SUN: RED CENTRENATS 2025 TURNED IT UP TO 11

- STORY DAVE CAREY PHOTOS SHAUN TANNER & SHAWN MCCANN

CELEBRATING 11 years as the premier street machining event in the Northern Territory, the 2025 edition of Red CentreNATS, presented by LMCT+, continued to inspire attendees from far and wide. Drag racing, elite show cars, street cruising, burnouts and more were on offer across Alice Springs over four days in early September. Scrutineering for RCN cranked up on the Thursday, with tidy streeters mixing it with serious, meth-sucking monsters at the Lasseters Hub at Lasseters Centre of Entertainment, all vying for the 'pass' sticker that would allow them to motor through the streets of Alice with near-impunity for the duration of the event. There are few other places where you're likely to see 1000hp monsters prowling public streets, and for that reason alone, Red CentreNATS is a must-see.

That evening, participants and punters wound down with the Red CentreNATS Night Markets and Fringe Festival. Taking over Todd Mall and adjoining Todd Street and Gregory Terrace in the city centre, stall holders spruiked their local wares alongside the Aces & Eights Cruise and Show & Shine Park-Up. Those of a two-wheeled bent enjoyed the Bojangles Bike Ride-Through, steering their steeds through the legendary Bojangles Saloon and ensuring that even the quietest night on the RCN program was anything but.