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Last year was the first year for LS Fest Texas, Holley's newest edition of the LS Fest franchise that is presented by eBay Motors. We took over the Texas Motor Speedway, invited gearheads that have an affinity for LS and Gen-V LT engines, and shifted our operating hours so that we started later in the day and ended later at night. We made the decision to hold our first no-prep drag race on the NASCAR pit road, and we meant no-prep...only water for burnouts, only driver skill for a fast pass. The crowds lined up to watch. The autocross was huge. The drifting action was huge. The burnout contest was explosive. And despite the mid-summer heat, the fans had a great time.
Happily, the only thing we chose to change was the date. We're starting one month earlier to try to spare the crowd from the hot Texas summer. But LS Fest Texas 2023 will remain the same wild time for everyone! Take a look below to see what we have in store for you this year.
The Grand Champion Competition at LS Fest Texas is separated into three main classes:
The Vintage Class, sponsored by Rekudo: 1989 and older model years cars
The Late Model Class, sponsored by Detroit Speed: cars 1990 and newer
The Truck Class, sponsored by Holley Classic Trucks: trucks of any vintage
Registration for Autocross, 3S Challenge, Track X and Grand Champion is limited to the first 135 vehicles, so be sure to sign up early!
Note: For the purpose of competition, the Chevrolet El Camino, GMC Sprint and Caballero, and any other coupe-utility style vehicle will be considered a car for competition.
Grand Champion competitors will compete in all four main events of competition - that's drag racing, autocross, Track X and the 3S challenge - wearing the same set of DOT-approved tires throughout the whole event. Tires must have at least a 200 treadwear rating, and modifications and replacements are grounds for disqualification (except in cases of catastrophic failure). Vehicles will be checked to ensure that they are safe to compete. Competition is historically fierce, so bring your A-game!
LS Fest Texas is the only LS Fest where you will find true no-prep drag racing. We take over the NASCAR Pit Road section of Texas Motor Speedway and turn it into a 1/8th mile, heads-up track. The only thing poured for a burnout will be water, and the only prep drivers will have will be the rubber left by the last racer. Once the start light flashes, it's all up to the drivers to win or lose their race. The racer and car must meet NHRA safety and tech requirements, but after that? It's down to class rules. Speaking of the classes, here's what you can expect to see at LS Fest Texas:
With a broad expanse of Texas Motor Speedway filled with cones, the Autocross arena is one to watch for action as well. Speed is impressive, but speed and agility combined are stunning. Autocross puts both qualities to the test via a maze of cones designed to put machine and driver to the ultimate agility test as a sea of well-placed cones dictate the path, with sweepers, hairpins, chicanes and slalom sections mixed in to keep the steering wheel moving at all times.
Registration for Autocross, 3S Challenge, Track X and Grand Champion is limited to the first 135 vehicles, so be sure to sign up early! CLICK HERE to register and for additional rules.
Speed. Steer. Stop. Sounds like the fundamentals for just about every aspect of racing that occurs at Holley's LS Fest, right? The 3S Challenge takes the three main aspects of vehicular motion...accelerating, cornering, and stopping...and puts them into a side-by-side mirror-image drag race-style showdown. Just being fast enough doesn't mean you'll come out on top. Brake too early or too hard, and you scrub time. Get loose while turning, there's more time. And if you overrun the braking box and take out a poor, defenseless cone or two, that is time deducted. It's all about balance...can you handle your car in every way while in competition?
Runs will be tallied with the left-side run and right-side run combined. To earn a timed run, each segment must be clean...in other words, don't run over the cones!
There's no point having an event at Texas Motor Speedway if you aren't going to utilize the track, right? That's what we thought, so we decided to bring the Track X program to the inside road course. Track X combines autocross and road course racing into one event: add a few autocross gates and chicanes on the track and you get a high-speed event that highlights driver skill without pushing the limits of the track. Participants can expect to have multiple runs and to see speeds nearing 90 MPH on the course.
Welcome to the Holley's home-grown LS/LT-specific drift event. The Drift Challenge at LS Fest Texas will be lively, with a wide range of drivers and teams coming in from all over North America to participate. So long as the car is rear-drive, meets the minimum tech and safety requirements, and is powered by the correct engine, it's accepted, but the driver will also have to prove their skill level as a driver by undergoing a review prior to the event with the Holley staff. Prizes include $2,500 in take-home money, Holley gear, and custom-etched steering wheels provided by Grip Royal, with even more prizes available thanks to the support of brands such as Fortune Auto, Kansei Wheels, Simpson Race products, and Tire Streets.
There are only 40 slots available for LS Fest Texas's Drift Challenge, so don't delay, register today by CLICKING HERE!
The crowd favorite is back for another round! Westen Champlin is bringing his Redneck Science Burnout Challenge back to LS Fest Texas. Feel like raising a little hell in the burnout pit? We'll give you sixty seconds to make an impression while sending those tires straight to Valhalla. Donuts, drifting, tip-ins...whatever you need to do to create tire smoke and to get the crowd on your side, do it. Get wild, get loud. Blow the rubber clean off the rims if you have to. But whatever you do, make it spectacular, because you're in the Coliseum, Westen is your Caesar, and the crowd will determine your fate.
A couple of the rules that you need to know:
Want to sign up? When filling your registration form out, select "YES" for the Burnout Contest. Be sure to review the complete list of rules by CLICKING HERE. If you miss your chance to register, there is a backup list in case a spot opens up. The Alternate Sign-Up Sheet will be at the Holley Trailer, located in the Vendor Midway. You MUST be a registered LS Fest Texas participant to compete!
Want to make sure the numbers that you claim your ride is putting out is accurate? Feel like telling your buddy to put up or shut up? We are happy to help you out! In cooperation with BANGShift.com and Dynocom, Inc., the Dyno Challenge will be on-site. Any registered participant can pull onto the rollers and make a pull. Dyno time is first-come, first-serve, so if you want to make a mark on the leaderboard, move early. First, second and third-place finishers in both naturally-aspirated and power adder categories will receive Holley Gift Certificates.
Whether you've built a beauty or you are just looking to chill and relax, the car show is your jam. We will have judges on-hand checking out the details and we will also have the Holley crew picking out their favorite machines on the property as well. Not quite finished with your build? Don't sweat it...our "Under Construction" Category is perfect for you! We want to see what you are building
Classes:
Special awards are to be determined and announced on-site, including Best Paint, Best Interior, Best Engineered, Best Engine, Holley President’s Pick, & Sponsor’s Pick. All vehicles must be powered by an LS or Gen-V LT engine. Event organizers reserve the right to change categories up to event time, and to determine the class that best fits your vehicle, regardless of vehicle year, to promote fair competition.
For 2023, we've adopted a new method of selecting winners for awards in the car show. A celebrity panel of industry professionals, builders, car content creators, and influencers are joining us to select a winner for each category (listed above) along with additional awards including the following: Best Body, Engine Compartment, Undercarriage, Best paint, Best Interior, Best Engine, Best Engineered, Holley’s Presidents Pick, and Sponsors Pick. Each car show participant receives a car number on their decal. Awards will be distributed and winners will be recognized early Saturday at the Burnout Challenge area. Be present to find out if you are a winner. Please refer to the schedule of events for the specific time. You do not need to be present at the time your car is reviewed. Our staff will be combing the grounds throughout the event.
Click Here to sign up today!
LS Fest Texas 2023 will be held May 19-20, 2023 at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. We look forward to seeing you and your rides at the Speedway! To participate in LS Fest Texas, you need to register. If you want to attend as a spectator, you will need to order tickets online prior to the event.
