MOTORSPORT
By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
LOCAL burnout legend Chris Christou was recently inducted into the prestigious John Peterson Burnout Hall of Fame during the annual Summernats car festival in Canberra.
The distinction honours his significant contributions and achievements in the burnout scene spanning four decades.
The Moe man and his iconic Electric Blue GTHO have been revered since he burst onto the scene featuring on the Street Machine August/September 1984 cover before winning back-to-back Summernats Burnout Championships in 1990 and 1991.
Heading up to the beloved event practically every year, Christou wasn’t aware of his honour until it was announced on stage, with his family keeping it a secret from him and believing he was simply being asked to present an award to one of the current drivers.
“I never thought I’d make it to this point. It just opened another chapter (for me),” he told the Express.
“One minute it was just me having fun and it goes out there, which a lot of (current ones) are doing that anyway but my car’s been given recognition for a long time, it’s been out there… it’s been crazy.”
The 1971 Ford Falcon has been lauded and gushed over by members of the car community since it came into the spotlight, and while still being worked on at the moment, has practically been the one he’s driven at any event or otherwise since he brought it as a 19-year-old.
Despite being a much revered and valuable vehicle, Christou has never shied away from taking it for a spin and tearing up some rubber due to the care he shows for his ‘Blue Thunder’ as a panel beater by trade.
“I still love doing it and I don’t feel any doubt about it, I just love it,” he said.
“The kids don’t want to do it because their cars are too good to do it with, but me because I fix my own cars it didn’t bother me.
“There’s a lot in getting this (car) to do the right thing. You should have brand new tyres, I use to do it on big tyres which I never had a problem with and a lot of other people didn’t, and for that reason there’s a real game of how you do it and how you don’t do it.”
Christou mentioned he prefers to keep away from the barriers and not see the Falcon get damaged, noting he’s only suffered minor damages if the tyres explode.
Christou was famed for his fist-out-the-window-driving-style when front and centre, creating a cloud of smoke, which eventually evolved into two fists on display acquiring some trickery to keep the steering wheel in place.
“I’m a bit of a show-off, I love to give the crowd what they want to get, I’ve always been like that,” he said.
As a central figure of the motorsport’s community, with appearances on Australian television (the Channel 9 program In Melbourne Tonight) and in advertisement such as the famous ‘Real Men Smoke Eagers’ ad campaign from Bridgestone, plenty of notoriety has come the way of Christou.
“You get up there (Canberra) and I’m going up to have fun and next minute you got people coming up to you and talking to you, next minute they’re asking questions and then they want photos and you’re talking and talking and talking – by the time you’re finished you can’t even talk!” he said.
Christou recently had the honour of officially opening the Castlemaine Rod Shop Burnouts on January 5, and has been involved in many other burnout events across the state and interstate.
Despite growing wiser, the affectionately known ‘Mad Man of Moe’ still has plenty to give whether he’s behind the wheel or out among the crowd.
