The beginning of Fall is a busy time if you are a gearhead who is close to Bowling Green, Kentucky. Holley's LS Fest East kicks off the fun in early September at Beech Bend Raceway Park, and a week later Holley's MoParty event arrives. Rounding out the shows is Holley's Intergalactic Ford Festival, which is run in conjunction with the NMRA World Finals. If you didn't get your fill of automotive action for the year or were just waiting for the Blue Oval Brigade to get their moment in the sun, either way Ford Festival is an event that you do not want to miss. We don't just have NMRA racers battling it out for points in the last race of the season...that's just the tip of the iceberg! Read on to see what all will be going on the weekend of September 30th-October 2nd, 2022:
Holley's Intergalactic Ford Festival is unique when it comes to the drag racing section of the program. We've partnered with the NMRA for their World Finals event, which means that as the competitor, you have a wide range of options for drag racing classes to run in! The competition will be stiff, but if you wind up in the Winner's Circle, you had better believe that you earned your place there.
For a full explanation of NMRA classes and the rules, CLICK HERE.
In addition, there will be three other classes available:
For Bracket Mayhem rules for Ford Festival 2022, CLICK HERE.
Want to prove that your Ford product can handle everything that is available at Ford Festival? Then step into the Grand Champion competition and prove that you and your machine have what it takes to handle drag racing, autocross, and the 3S Challenge on DOT-approved tires. There are three classes available to compete in:
Note: for competition purposes, the Ford Ranchero, regardless of year, will be classified as a car for competition and are not eligible for Truck/SUV class.
For in-depth rules and details of Grand Champion competition, CLICK HERE.
Autocross is designed to highlight all of the handling aspects of your vehicle. Hairpins, chicanes, sweepers, and slaloms will have drivers focused from start to finish, while the 3S Challenge (speed, stop and steering) will test drivers and cars to their absolute limit. This event is run in a side-by-side down-and-back course that incorporates a 180-degree turnaround, a slalom, and a stop box. Each "run" will take the total time from a driver's left and right-side run plus any penalties accumulated. Registration is limited to 125 vehicles, so be sure to sign up today!
For more rules and details, CLICK HERE.
And you thought that the LS crowd had drifting all to themselves, right? Think again! The drift action at Ford Festival has always been fantastic and this year will be just the same. We will have Pro Formula Drift drivers Vaughn Gittin, Jr., Chelsea DeNofa, and Adam_LZ hanging the tail out with other drivers in the drift course.
If you want to be a part of the drifting scene at Ford Festival, send us an email at [email protected] containing the following information: your name, address, phone number, and car year, make, model. Send photos of your vehicle’s exterior and engine compartment and tell us (in 200 words or less) why you should be chosen for the challenge, and what professional skills/qualifications you have that will help you compete.
For the safety requirements that we are looking for in your build, CLICK HERE.
If you are looking to show up and show off, we've got a place for you at Ford Festival! Throughout the weekend the fields that surround Beech Bend's dragstrip will be packed to the brim with gorgeous Ford-biased vehicles. Last year there was a swarm of 1970s era Capris, gorgeous Mavericks, trucks that are unlikely to be seen anywhere else, and a fleet of Foxes of all types, and so much more beyond!
Another new addition to the Intergalactic Ford Festival show is Retro Meet VI, hosted by LUE Creative. This show is open to machines made between 1979 and 1998, brings a Retro Outfit competition to the game and will also include a Standing Burnout contest as well. Retro Meets are a party unto themselves and we are looking forward to seeing an influx of rad machines showing up!
Randomly spitting out a horsepower figure from out of nowhere is easy. What say you put a little skin in the game and potentially walk away with a prize? The Dyno Challenge is just that, a challenge for any registered Ford Festival participant. We challenge you to strap your ride to the rollers and put up the no-BS power figures. Do it to know for sure. Egg your buddy on to prove the truth. Whatever you need to do, hit the rollers and let 'er rip. The first, second and third place winners in both Naturally Aspirated and Power Adder classes will walk away with awards. Sign up is a first-come, first-served basis, so take a moment, head over to the dyno trailer, and put your numbers on the board!
Last year was the debut of the Off-Road Experience at Ford Festival, and to say it was a hit would be an understatement. John Goodby, the man who builds our LS Fest West off-road courses, will work his magic on a special section of Beech Bend Raceway that both participants and spectators can enjoy! We will have Vaughn Gittin, Jr. and Loren Healey's Ultra 4 Broncos out tearing it up, and we will have not one, but two of the iconic BIGFOOT monster trucks: Bigfoot 19 and...brace yourselves...Bigfoot 1. That's right, Bob Chandler's ground-breaking 1974 Ford F-250 will be on the property, so if you've ever wanted to get up and close with the truck that started an entire genre of motorsports, this is your chance!
Adding to the fun will be the return of the HooptieX Challenge brought in by the folks behind the Gambler 500. If you think high-dollar race rigs are fun to watch, stick around to see a clapped-out minivan, a battered Ranger, and an ex-cop Crown Victoria do battle on the dirt!
To read the rules for the Off-Road Experience, CLICK HERE.
To read the rules for the HooptieX Challenge, CLICK HERE.
Looking for that hard-to-find part, an engine for that build you have in your head, or even a brand-new project vehicle? The Swap Meet at Ford Festival is where you can find parts, pieces, memorabilia and more. Keep your eyes peeled for a potential bargain in the making!
For information, swap meet space costs, rules, and more information, CLICK HERE.