For one Melbourne mother doing burnouts is the best stress relief from the rigours of family life.
Justine Mott is the only female driver to qualify for this year's Summernats car festival masters burnout competition.
"It's 60 seconds of freedom - no kids, no family, no husband, it's just me and the car and that's it," Ms Mott told AAP in Canberra, standing next to her bronze TG Gemini called "Gemskid".
Her burnout skills are the talk of her young sons' primary school playground.
"My nine-year-old did a Powerpoint on my burnout car at school... he got really good marks for it," she said.
The boys are keen to take over the car when they get older.
She loves watching the crowd's reaction when she gets out of her car, takes her helmet off and they realise there was a woman behind the wheel.
It's her sixth year participating in Summernats and she wants to see more woman competing.
Her husband Peter is her "pit bitch" and keeps the car in tip-top shape.
"I'm wrapped, she's always been a good driver but the way she's succeeding in the burnouts, I'm so proud," he told AAP.
"Her driving ability is just off the planet."
Event organiser Andy Lopez is keen to encourage more women entrants.
The festival is trying to shed its seedy image this year and has dumped the Miss Summernats beauty pageant.
With scorching hot temperatures on Friday and across the weekend, Mr Lopez is urging visitors to Exhibition Park to stay well hydrated.
He praised crowd behaviour so far.
Police will be on the lookout for anti-social behaviour and dangerous driving around the event, including speeding and burn-outs.
This year's event has a renewed focus on safety following a death last year.
Queenslander Luke Newsome, 30, died after falling off the back of a ute at the 2017 Summernats car festival.
There have also been adjustments to perimeter fencing separating the crowd from the burnout action after 14 patrons were burned at Alice Springs' Red Centrenats event in September.
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