Maitland car collectors John Bambach and Garry Warnes urge young enthusiasts to curb their illegal antics but want authorities to provide dedicated venues to ease the temptation.
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Police shutdown roads in Kooragang and Newcastle on Thursday night that were popular with hoons from across the Hunter.
“You can’t have them running amok on public roads,” Mr Bambach said.
“But they need to have the infrastructure to get it off their chests.”
Mr Bambach is a member of the
48-78 Holden Car Club Hunter Valley and owns a Peter Brock enhanced Holden Statesman.
Age has given him perspective many younger men and women have yet to gain.
“You can’t put an old head on young shoulders,” he said.
“But instead of putting all the money into law enforcement, they should invest in facilities.”
A drag strip long mooted for Italia Road near Raymond Terrace has failed to meet Port Stephens Council environmental requirements on numerous occasions.
“Every time they bring it up it gets squashed,” Mr Bambach said.
Mr Warnes lives in Chisholm and is the Australian National Street Machine Association president.
A Brock Commodore is among his collection and he holds a seat on the Roads and Maritime Services vehicle safety working group.
The group meets with Roads Minister Duncan Gay and discusses which vehicle modifications are safe and should be allowed.
“We’re very grateful for the relationship we have built with Mr Gay,” Mr Warnes said.
“We’re for the first time making inroads with the government.”
Once-marginalised skaters and surfers represent a large economy and Mr Warnes believes car enthusiasts are the next cab off the rank.
“The aftermarket car parts industry is worth $63 million in NSW alone,” Mr Warnes said.
“It could fill the gap in the economy when Holden and Ford leave.”
Mr Warnes said antisocial youths tended to buy cheap bombs for burnouts and would just buy another if these cars were confiscated and crushed by police under the law.
“Burnouts are a social problem that law and order won’t solve,” he said.
Known Hunter street-racing strips and burnout hot spots have been locked down during Operation Hammer.
A Thursday night blitz involved officers from the Newcastle City Local Area Command and the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command in conjunction with Roads and Maritime Services and the Port of Newcastle.
Kooragang Island, the Steel River Industrial Estate, Wharf Road at Nobbys Beach and a number of beach-side car parks were targeted.
Newcastle City Local Area Commander Superintendent John Gralton said the operation had delivered a clear message to the scores of hoons who converged on Newcastle regularly.
“We will continue to deploy police to block access to the known street-racing strips and burnout locations until
these drivers realise they are not welcome here,” Superintendent Gralton warned.
“If we catch them breaking the law, they risk not only a substantial fine and possibly a criminal driving record, but potential deregistration of the vehicle.”
If the drivers were young, they could also expect police to seek a helping hand from parents.
“We plan to let them know just what their children are up to, often in the family car,” Superintendent Gralton said.
“We are not targeting law-abiding car enthusiasts or those who want to showcase their pride and joys. We’re targeting law breakers, those who engage in illegal and dangerous driving that could end up hurting themselves or others.”
