Brett Stevens drag auction

The collection of alcohol-fuelled machinery — some capable of more than 400km/h — is to be sold off by the Public Trustee at Ipswich, timed to coincide with the Winternationals meeting at the Willowbank strip.  For now the race machines, stripped of sponsorship decals, are parked in a non-descript workshop in Brisbane's north.

The four doorslammer sedans, four bikes, alcohol funny car, burnout ute and one body shell were seized from former drag racing champion Brett Stevens last year in a crime civil case after a major Queensland Police, Crime and Misconduct Commission and Australian Crime Commission investigation.

The Public Trustee will hold the June 10 auction proceeds until the state's civil case against Stevens is resolved.  Stevens' wife, Kath, said she was not allowed to comment on the particulars of the case but did not understand how the vehicles could be sold without a conviction.

"It's been our whole life.  We have a real emotional attachment with those vehicles,'' she said.  "We would love to buy them back, but we're financially ruined.''  Auctioneer Simon O'Kelly yesterday said the vehicles' worth was still being appraised and no reserves yet set.

"This is a very special auction, it's an opportunity to buy top-line drag cars that's not going to happen again in the near future,'' Mr O'Kelly said.  Public Trustee Peter Carne expects strong interest from Australian and overseas drag racers here for the Winternationals.

“I have no doubt that these highly specialised drag racing vehicles will be snapped up by one of the many national and international teams in town,” Mr Carne said.  This is also a great opportunity for drag racing fans to see these cars and bikes up close with the chance to view the vehicles prior to the auction.”

The vehicles will be on display for inspection on Tuesday, June 8 and Wednesday, June 9 prior to the auction, starting at 11am on Thursday, June 10 at the Workshops Rail Museum, North Ipswich.  In Queensland, assets confiscated under ‘proceeds of crime’ laws can be sold and the money held for the owner, unless the owner denies the application for sale and presents proof of how the purchase of the assets was funded.