Thousands of car lovers at the 27th Summernats enjoyed a warm third day amid the revs and smell of smoking tyres, but for a couple of people turning up was a way to remember family who had died.

Carol Fay, 73, Canberra, sold memorabilia from the caravan her husband manned for 26 Summernats events before he died on Father's Day last year.

Mrs Fay - who admitted to being ''deaf as'' while modified motors cruised past within metres - said she needed to sell the merchandise at this year's event as a tribute to her late husband.

''He owned an FJ hearse and he wanted a tribute to him for one more year,'' she said.

Daniel Earls, from Warragul, Victoria, drove a Commodore ute in the burnout competition that had been pieced back together after a crash. The refurbishment was therapy for Mr Earls after his dad was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Summernats organisers are continually pushing the importance of family friendliness at the event, especially at the headline modelling contest where, at the crowning of Miss Summernats, the crowd was told to respect the contestants.

Danah Wheatley, 25, from Bankstown, won while Melbourne marketing and events worker Monique Dignan-Smith, 26, came second and personal trainer Stacey Louise, 33, from regional Victoria, finished third.

''I'm ecstatic - I've got so many friends in the car industry,'' said Ms Wheatley, who came second in the competition last year.

Winning the competition secures her a photo shoot with Zoo Weekly and puts her one step closer to her aim of doing more modelling for magazines.

Third place getter Ms Louise, trumpeting her age, said: ''I'm a personal trainer and I lost over 33 kilos, and I look better than I did when I was 21.''

Miss Summernats commentator Jason O'Halloran said he was pleased with the courtesy shown to women on the stage.

''I tell [the crowd] to treat the ladies with respect, like you'd respect the cars, and there was not one single negative comment [today], not one person said 'show us your tits','' he said.

The final day of Summernats on Sunday includes the burnout final.