The gap of time between the end of summer and the beginning of autumn is a hectic time for Beech Bend Raceway. As the earliest leaves start to turn colors and drop off of the trees, the Blue Oval brigade take over the track for a three-day weekend of racing and fun. Holley's Ford Festival has kicked off in conjunction with the NMRA's World Finals, and the fields are filling up with racers, fans, and spectators. The classic aspects of this event that the NMRA have always had, like the drag racing, the show-and-shine fields and the huge manufacturer's midway are intact. But there are the other events that have been fan favorites for Holley's wildly popular LS Fest, including drifting and autocrossing, that captivate the audience. And for Ford Fest, there are new events that are unique to this show that should prove exciting.

The biggest news is that an off-roading element has been brought out to Beech Bend for the first time for any of Holley's major events. The RTR/Superchips Off-Road Experience came out of the response to the off-road section of LS Fest West. Track builder John Goodby has worked his magic transforming a section of the Beech Bend property and will be available for both participants and spectators to play on. The BIGFOOT team has returned to Ford Fest, and unlike past events, the gigantic Ford isn't just going to take a merry cruise around the oval course and pose for photos. Oh, no...BIGFOOT 18 is on the property and is going to actually get to play in the dirt, jump in the air and crush some cars, just as it was always meant to do! We also have Vaughn Gittin, Jr. and Loren Healy's Ford Bronco Ultra 4 4400 racing machines are on the property, and there is no way that they are not going to find some time to put the trucks through their paces. And if that wasn't enough, we have the vehicles from the Hooptie X Challenge that have come in from the Gambler 500. If you have ever wondered what a dirt-cheap off-road build looks like when raced against the clock, you'll want to be on the ground for then that goes down. And if you are on the property and want to take on the off-road course yourself, you can! There are several different routes that range from mild to "um...that looks difficult" to test driver's skill and vehicle durability.

But don't think that playing in the mud has taken over every aspect of Ford Fest. Gitten, Jr., Chelsea DeNofa and the Fun Havers team will be drifting their Mustangs in the Holley EFI/S3 Magazine pit several times throughout the weekend. The Holley/Goodguys Countryside Cruise will provide a laid-back tour of the Warren County region and includes a digital scavenger hunt, complete with a chance to win a $500 Holley Product Certificate. The NOS Dyno Challenge is on the property, so if you're willing to find out how much power your ride is really making, you can strap onto the rollers and potentially win a prize if you post up in the top three for either naturally-aspirated engines or power-added engines. The TorqStorm/MotorLife Burnout Competition allows for full-on Australia-style burnout action in the oval pit, and the Mustang Hub Magazine Grand Champion Challenge allows competitors to compete all weekend long in autocross, drag racing and the 3S Challenge.

We will be bringing you content as the weekend progresses, so stay tuned to MotorLife to see more from the 2021 Holley Ford Festival!