The Tyrepower Joondalup Festival of Motoring painted Joondalup red this weekend, drawing thousands of car enthusiasts into the city centre with a thrilling weekend of motorsport action, family entertainment and stunning car displays that leaned into its “Red Goes Faster” theme.
The festival’s highlight was Sunday’s Tyrepower Joondalup City Sprint, where competitors battled for supremacy on the 1.8km closed street track in conditions that dampened the track but didn’t dampen spirits.
Jensen Herbert and co-driver Ben Searcy proved the fastest of the 100 entrants, claiming victory in a 1998 Subaru WRX STI with an impressive cumulative time of 3:33.07 across their fastest three runs.
“The day was really good,” said Herbert. “Obviously, coming first was the highlight.
“It is such a short and fun event – the experience is definitely up there with the motorsport events in WA. The team would like to thank the event sponsors and all the officials who have been helping out all day.
“The crowd was awesome. Lots of people are loving the show.”
Cody Smith, also in a 1998 Subaru WRX STI, finished second just 5.25 seconds behind Herbert with a total time of 3:38.32.
“We were keeping a close eye on the weather, and luckily, it mostly held off with only a little bit of drizzle,” said Smith.
“It’s a really good track that is suited for my car. The high-powered cars don’t really have enough space to use the full extent of their horsepower.”
Matthew James-Wallace and co-driver Ben Tuck rounded out the podium in third place, piloting the 1993 Nissan R32 GT-R to a final time of 3:40.64, continuing the tradition of Godzillas on the podium at Joondalup.
“It’s a good event to come to,” said Matt. “It’s short, sharp, fast, lots of curbs and things to look out for that you don’t want to hit.
“Great to see the crowds and plenty of people out there enjoying the cars and taking photos. It’s a bit of fun showing off what the car can do on track.”
The festival aimed to showcase the best of WA’s automotive community throughout the weekend. Saturday’s JFOM Car Jumble drew early morning bargain hunters, while the Steel Bumpers and Beverages evening event saw the Northern Steel Car Club members fill the Civic Centre carpark with their classic American and Australian muscle cars.
Not all the action was on track during Sunday, with plenty of static vehicles on display from some of Perth’s biggest car clubs and collectives such as Rexpo 2025 presenting the largest gathering of all things Subaru, Classic Cars & Coffee showcasing pristine classics and rare JDM vehicles, MTA WA Member’s Zone spotlighting the pride of Perth’s automotive industry and Hyundai N Club.
The festival theme of “Red Goes Faster” came to life in Tyrepower Central Park, where stunning crimson machines from prestigious private collections commanded attention. The display proved particularly popular with younger attendees, their faces lighting up at the sight of Ferrari and Lamborghini red.
Event Director Justin Hunt expressed his appreciation for the thousands of spectators, officials and sponsors who helped deliver a successful third instalment of the festival.
“The atmosphere was turbocharged all weekend,” said Justin. “It was great to see families out and about enjoying quality time together and car enthusiasts of all ages soaking up the action.”
“Seeing the Joondalup City Centre transformed and brought to life was our highlight. This festival uniquely activates the area, and we are grateful to the City of Joondalup for the opportunity to put the city on show as a destination for family entertainment.
“I want to give a huge thank you to our event officials who worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth and safe event. Their professionalism and dedication make this possible. We’re also incredibly grateful to the local residents for their patience and cooperation with the road closures.”
The Tyrepower Joondalup Festival of Motoring continues to grow as Perth’s premier celebration of automotive culture, combining high-speed action with family entertainment in a free community festival that puts the spotlight firmly on Joondalup.
For a complete listing of overall and class results for the Tyrepower Joondalup City Sprint, please see www.mstalr.com.
For the latest Festival news and information, please visit www.jfom.com.au (website), facebook.com/joondalupfom (Facebook) and @joondalupfom (Instagram).
Photos by Tim Allott. See tttmsp.smugmug.com/TarmacRally/2025-JFOM for full gallery
