Amid all the joy and party atmosphere of Summernats, for a group of mates from the NSW Central Coast who are regulars at the Canberra car festival, this year's event will be tinged with sadness.
In May last year they lost a great mate in Dustin "Goldy" Goldsmith, who died as a result of complications from a seizure.
After the trauma of a heavy superbike race crash, Goldy suffered ongoing medical issues which finally claimed his life at the age of 42.
While there had been some earnest discussion among his large group of friends as to whether to pull their entry from Summernats this year as a gesture of respect, they decided to push ahead.
"That's what he would have wanted," close friend Norm Stewart said.
"Goldy loved coming to Summernats and he was really well-known here.
"So we brought his car along and they have the funeral plates on them.
"He will be with us in spirit".
Dustin Goldsmith, who owned Goldy's trailers and towbars, together with his large crew of mates - mechanics, sheet metal workers and fabricators - have always been handy on the tools.
They refitted a custom coach - complete with carbon fibre interior parts and shag-pile carpet - to make their Summernats pilgrimage more comfortable.
They even added a couple of rooftop cabana lounges which every year offers a panoramic view up skid row and across to the Exhibition Park main arena.
"Goldy was the most driven person I know; he committed completely to whatever he set out to do," Mr Stewart said.
"When he set his mind to something, there was no holding him back."
Sitting at Summernats are two automotive legacies to the much-loved Narara fabricator: a lime-green Commodore VE SS-V Maloo ute and the luxury coach which he helped to build.
The ute was near new when Goldy took to it with the grinder and oxy torch, rebuilding it with a supercharged V8 engine running on methanol.
