LS Fest X is officially in the books and after 10 years of mayhem, weโre excited to say that this has been our biggest event ever! With over 35,000 attendees, 1,714 participants and 107 businesses in our vendor row, no other car celebration has taken place at Beech Bend Raceway with this much fan-fare. Weโre bringing you the run-down on all of the classes and events that took place, read on for class specific information.
Grand Champion Modern Class Winner:ย Jack Stanford | 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
Grand Champion Vintage Class Winner:ย Mike DuSold | 1967 Chevrolet Camaro
Grand Champion Truck Class Winner:ย ย ย Jason Bradyย | 1970 Chevrolet Blazer
Click here for the FULL Grand Champion Class results!
The above file contains information on all three classes including a few โExhibitionโ drivers whose vehicles did not meet the requirements ofย any particular class but still wished to participate.
The 3S Challenge was a tight field this year with the Top 5 vehicles running a combined time of under 22 seconds through both sides of the course!
3S Challenge 1st Place: Eric Fleming | 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
3S Challenge 2nd Place: Mike DuSold | 1967 Chevrolet Corvette
3S Challenge 3rd Place : Jack Stanford | 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
3S Results for those not in GC Competition can be found HERE.ย (GC Competitor Results are Linked above.)
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This year visitors were given the opportunity to participate in the Auto-X competition without entering the Grand Champion event(s), over 70 drivers stepped up the challenge!
Auto-X Challenge 1st Place: Eric Fleming | 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
Auto-X Challenge 2nd Place: Matt Vespa | 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
Auto-X Challenge 3rd Place: Jack Stanford | 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
FULL Results including times for non-GC Competitors can be found HERE.
The drag segment of this year's Grand Champion event featured some wickedly fast passes from our competitors, with a few knocking on the 9 second barrier! Our quickest pass came from competitor Randall Farless in his 1996 LS2 powered 240SX, laying down a 10.040 @ 142.10 mph to just edge out Mike Dusold's 10.061 @ 154.37 mph in his 1967 Chevy Camaro.
GC Drag Challengeย 1st Place: Randall Farless | 1996 Nissan 240SX
GC Drag Challenge 2nd Place:ย Mike Dusold | 1967 Chevrolet Camaro
GC Drag Challenge 3rd Place: Craig Staley | 2016 Chevrolet Corvette
RESULTS FOR GRAND CHAMPION DRAG CHALLENGE
This year competitors were sorted into classes based off of skill level/experience and awards were given out to the fastest drivers as well as a few notable vehicles participating.
Novice Class: Matt Hornbuckle | 2004 Chevrolet Corvette | 01:36:069
Intermediate: Trevor Bonner | 2017 Chevrolet Corvette | 01:30:870
Advanced: George Johnson | 2015 Chevrolet Corvette | 01:29:161
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Best Engineered: Joel Spitsnaugle | 2013 Scion FRS
Most Improved: Karl Grohn | 1994 Mazda RX7
Editorโs Choice: Curtis Baldwin | 1996 Mazda Miata
Lap-Times Recorded can be found HERE.
The Dyno Challenge returned for 2019 and vehicles registered for any event were eligible to participate. Split into Power-Adder and Non-Power Adder classes, we had quite a few cars throw down near four-digit power on the rollers!
This year we had individual awards in each competition for the fast corvette, Drag Racing, Auto-X, 3S and Dyno Challenges were all represented.
Fastest Corvette โ Drag Race โ Jerod Cocanougher | 2003 Chevrolet Corvette | 181.81 mph
Fastest Corvette โ Auto-X โ Eric Fleming | 2006 Chevrolet Corvette | 24.003 on Course 1
Fastest Corvette โ 3S Challenge โ Eric Fleming | 2006 Chevrolet Corvette | 21.293 Combined Time (Both L/R Courses)
Highest HP Corvette โ Dyno Challenge โ Benjamin Brotherton | 2009 Chevrolet Corvette | 501 RWHP
The car show section was stacked this year with an incredible field ranging from daily drivers to one-off customs, Awards were given for multiple classes including Classic, Late Model, Best Engine and more!
The Lucas Oil Drift Challenge returned for 2019 with a tandem run competition based on three criteria: line, angle, and overall style. The wild door-to-door sideways action was a crowd favorite as drivers slid their machines around Beech Bendโs 3/8 mile oval!
Drift Challenge 1st Place: Taylor Hull | Cadillac ATS
Drift Challenge 2nd Place: Blake Van Thof | BMW E36
Drift Challenge 3rd Place: Hooman Rahimi | Nissan 350Z
Saturday Nightโs Aussie style burnout competition had spectators roaring as drivers were given free rein of the center of Beech Bendโs oval to put on the ultimate smokeshow!
Ashton Adams clung to the rev-limiter while sliding his full-size crew cab truck around the burnout pad and fans erupted with cheer as he surprised everyone with an American Flag themed inflatable erupting from his bed in the middle of the spectacle.ย Holley's Director of Engineering Tim Grillot in his blown Ford Fairmont dubbed โFairMONSTERโ also put on a show and refused to let off the loud-pedal until both rear tires gave out.ย The crowd went wild for both vehicles, but Holley officials ultimately gave the loaded LS Fest themed BOXO tool box to Ashton!
This year fans could sign up to assemble an LS engine live during the event and to keep the format simple each participant was required to install the oil pan, intake manifold, headers and accessory drive on an existing long-block. Jason Deinlein was our quickest competitor assembling the engine in 14 minutes and 52 seconds and for his efforts he won a customized BOXO USA tool chest filled with their 200+ piece Master Tool Set!
1st: Jason Deinlein โ 45โณ BOXO Tool Chest + Master Tool Set
2nd: David Barnett โ 26โณ BOXO Tool Chest + Master Tool Set
3rd: Gerald Campbell โ Hand Carry Tool Box + 185 Piece SAE/Metric Hand Tool Set
The LS 275 class was quick with an ultimate Low E.T. of 4.759 from #1 Qualifer Anthony Manna in his 98 Camaro. Manna got the Bye in round one and eventually met #2 Qualifier John Schaeffer (99 Camaro) in the finals. Manna left first with an .076 reaction to Schaefferโs .148 and continued through the 660โฒ with a 5.167 @ 151.87 mph, Schaeffer ended his run with a 5.248 @ 146.45 mph to claim the runner-up spot on the podium.
LADDER/RESULTS
Ultra Streetย was packed with heavy hitters including Nitro Dave Vasser and two-time NMCA champion Jessie Coulter with their LS powered Camaroโs. Qualifying was exciting with the top two separated by only .010 of a second, Nick McGrath in his 87 Mustang squeezed out #1 qualifier with a 4.823 giving him a bye into the semiโs while Jessie Coulter and his 91 Camaro went 4.833 and continued clicking off high 4 second passes (defeating Nitro Dave in the Semiโs) to meet McGrath in the finals. Unfortunately Coulter could not finish the pass, giving McGrath the overall class win for the weekend.
Photo Credit: NMCADigital.com
Chevy Performance Stock (CPS) is designed to be a low-cost, entry level heads-up class. Using 55โฒ and newer GM bodied vehicles with a factory style suspension and required minimum weight, participants race with sealed DR525 crate engines from Chevy Performance.ย Haley Burkhammer in her 2010 Camaro qualified #1 with a 10.217 giving her a bye run into the finals. Scotty Duncan in his 85 Camaro met Haley in the final round defeating her with a smooth 10.288 @ 128.47 mph pass to Haleyโs 10.844.
Late Model Heads-Up used the full 1320 foot track, clicking off several high 7 โ low 8 second passes in qualifying. Casey Rance in his 2010 Camaro qualified #1 with a blistering 7.694 @ 174.55 mph and continued to lay down low ET runs into the final round where he faced off with Josh Elam in his 2009 Corvette (who also happened to be #2 qualifier). Rance took home the win with a 7.892 @ 151.92 mph to Elamโs 8.785 @ 164.67 mph.
Stock Block Shootout had plenty of drama this year with big wheel-stands, engine failures and more. Adam Preston in his 90 Mustang qualified #1 with a 4.940 @ 148.10 mph after standing the car straight-up and slamming back down in Q2. Preston thrashed through the night repairing the front end to make first round and continued lighting up the boards with high 4 second passes until the final round where he squared off with Casey Rance in his 95 Nissan 240SX. Preston left first with a .081 reaction time and Rance played catch-up through the 660 running a 5.372 @ 136.40 mph but ultimately losing to Prestonโs quicker 5.205 @ 135.54 mph.
The Stick Shift Banger class was an exciting one to watch featuring two of the fastest LS powered stick shift cars in the world, YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland in his 2001 Corvette and Jared Coconaugher in his 03 Corvette Z06. Cleetus nabbed #1 qualifier with an impressive 8.013 @ 180.60 mph, while Coconaugher made the fastest pass at 184 mph. McFarland earned the 1st round bye and would eventually meet Coconaugher in the Semi-finals defeating Jared with another near 7 second pass. The final round featured Jordan Morrow in his 92 Camaro however he wasnโt quick enough with his 9.627 @ 157.61 mph to catch McFarland and his 8.604 @ 177.14 mph run giving McFarland the win.
Featuring both COPO and CRC COPO cars, drivers used a Dial-in format to keep parity in the field. The final round found Darren Poole Adams in his 2018 COPO squared off against Brian Palcisko in his 2014 COPO. Palcisko left early with a -.079 reaction time running 8.864 on his 8.80 Dial-in giving the win to Adams who finished the weekend off with a 9.552 on his 9.44 Dial.
34 Cars battled it out in the Street King index class with dials ranging from 8.00-11.00 seconds and after 6 rounds we found TJ Linebaugh in his 78โฒ Ford Wagon taking on Matt Feltner in his 89โฒ GMC S15. Both drivers dialed a 10.00 ET however Feltner left a little too soon with a -.004 reaction time giving Linebaugh the victory. Linebaugh finished his pass with a 10.108 @ 135.63 MPH run to cap off the weekend.
Over 70 cars competed in this years LSX Rumble Class with indexes ranging from 11.00-15.00 in the 1/4. Transbrakes were not allowed forcing drivers to be on their A-game when it came to cutting a light over the weekend. After 7 rounds of competition, the finals came down to Mike Morris in his 57 Chevrolet competing against Terry Vittitow in his 55โฒ Chevrolet. A double breakout match, Morris went -.003 under his dial of 11.25 to Vittitowโs -.144 under on a 11.75 dial allowing Morris to claim the victory.
Photo Credit: Wes Allison
Over 50 drivers completed the True Street event this year with competitors ranging from daily drivers to purpose built street legal race machines. The field was divided based off of an average E.T. over three passes with awards being given to each class winner.
Overall Winner: Greg Edwards โ 2002- Camaro โ 9.269 Average E.T
Overall Runner-Up: Chad Miller โ 2003 Corvette โ 9.561 Average E.T.
9 Second Class Winner: Joseph New โ 1972 Cutlass โ 9.619 Average E.T.
10 Second Class Winner: Doug Johnson โ 1987 Ford โ 10.085 Average E.T.
11 Second Class Winner: J. Tanner Nicholson โ 2008 Sierra โ 11.002 Average E.T.
12 Second Class Winner: Harold Harned โ 2001 Camaro โ 12.001 Average E.T.
13 Second Class Winner: Cory Hogan โ 2009 G8 โ 13.063 Average E.T.
14 Second Class Winner: Michael Myers โ Car 3147 โ 14.254 Average E.T.
15 Second Class Winner: Jesse Harpst โ 2005 Suburban โ 15.396 Average E.T.
To celebrate 10 years of mayhem, a โRun What Yaโ Brungโ No Time Shootout was held with 32 of the fastest LS/Gen V Powered No Time vehicles battling it out for a cool $10,000 check. Rules were limited to a 275 DR or 28ร10.5 Slick and steel roof and quarters. While the clocks were off for this event, we can assure you that the field was FAST!
Anthony Manna took home the big prize defeating Michael Carpenter who ended up brushing the wall in the final round.