As lunchtime approached at the annual Port Kembla derby on Saturday, the starting ramps were moved to the top of the Wentworth Street hill, to maximise speed.

Earlier, a giant wedding cake shaped cart had coasted along the shorter course, just quicker than a Mad Max replica Interceptor which came in second, like last year. 

‘‘Always the bridesmaid, never the bride,’’ Interceptor driver Pep Chiaverini said.

‘‘We went for nostalgia instead of aerodynamics.’’

The novelty race and children’s events done, the serious carts were up.

Splinter. Blazer. Cobra. Sniper II. 

They boasted spindley wheels worth thousands of dollars and professionally finished fibreglass bodies that wrapped around their drivers, barely a millimetre wasted.

Collingwood furniture maker Troy Davey-Milne spent a year crafting Sniper II from the remnants of his original Sniper.

Why take the tread off the wheels? 

‘‘Trade secret,’’ he said.

And the weighting - is it best placed in the back or front? 

‘‘Trade secret.’’

Another event bridesmaid, Mr Davey-Milne was hoping his new front axel would get Sniper II a winning time this year. 

A billy carting enthusiast for 35 years, he has made a habit of travelling from Victoria to Port Kembla as carting events became harder to come by.

‘‘There used to be a lot of events up in NSW but public liability took off,’’ he said.

‘‘This is about the only big one left.

‘‘It’s getting better every year. People are spending a lot of time on their carts.’’

Saturday’s derby was the third in recent years on Wentworth Street, after Red Point Artists Association resurrected the race after a 25-year hiatus.

Thousands of onlookers brought new life to the sometimes ghost town-esque strip, with The Burek Shop putting on a Derby Day Special - a hot dog and a drink for $6 - in celebration.

Mount Kembla’s Violet Ireland sat at the finish line eating hot chips as carts went by at speeds approaching 80km/h.

‘‘They’re going really fast,’’ she said. 

Dapto 13-year-old Brentyn McCabe was among the young riders to make a clean run down the hill.

He was chosen to race the streamlined Stealth after four other drivers failed to fit inside the form-fitting interior.

‘‘It can get pretty claustrophobic once you get inside,’’ Brentyn said.

‘‘You don’t have any space to move your arms, only your hands.’’

Red Point Artists Association’s Dulcie Dal Molin welcomed the strong crowds and the large number of children who gave carting a go.

‘‘I think it’s wonderful that parents are encouraging their kids to try what we had as kids,’’ she said. 

Division A, 7 - 10 years

Division B, 11 - 16 years

Division C, Adult Soapbox 17 years and over

Division D: Junior Special 12 - 16 years

Division E: Weird & Wacky 12 years and over 

Division F: Open Senior Special

Division G: Industrial and Commercial Division

The Orica and NSW Ports International Championship