Emboldened by its new ownership and spearheaded by forward-thinking individuals, the crew at Holley beat every other major organization and company to the punch in putting on an LS-only event last September 10-12 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Maybe it was sheer guts, given the economy, or maybe it was faith, but they did it and did it well. As the name implies, the Holley LS Fest was hell-bent on being the most fun automotive event ever. It was as if a bunch of smart, creative people sat in a room for days on end and just tried to top each other with new ideas for how to make the event better. Or perhaps they had simply been to so many shows over the years and had been taking mental notes until they had a fully hatched mega-show. Whichever the case, it was apparent that the fun spirit of the staff became infectious to the show-goers at Beech Bend Raceway who seemed less concerned with looking cool and winning prize money than helping each other out, making some new friends and having a good time. Take a look for yourself, and tell me this isn't an event worth attending.
Luke Hawkins was one of many...
Luke Hawkins was one of many who took advantage of the autocross course being open for business on Friday, the first day of the LS Fest, despite the rain. His C5 ZO6 sported color-matched C6 ZO6 front and rear brakes, which later helped him take runner-up in the Speed Stop (aka 0-60-0) in the ABS Street Tire category. Unfortunately, Brian Finch's homebuilt LS3-powered '71 Camaro was also packing the same braking power plus a whole lot of chassis upgrades. Finch won the Autocross Street Tire trophy with a 1:03.024 on BFG KDW IIs. The Comp Tire class was won by Wiseco's own Brian Nutter in his C5 with a 1:02.286, keep reading for more on Nutter.
As you'd expect, Holley pulled...
As you'd expect, Holley pulled out its full display of hot new LS parts, including a new modular-designed Tunnel Ram intake manifold that will accommodate a number of different throttle body (and carb) configurations. Pair this with the new big-block-style valve covers and a set of Hooker headers, and it is easy to separate your LS from that same tired look, to say nothing of performance. Also on display was some of Holley's LS project cars, and its EFI systems.
There were several fifth-gens...
There were several fifth-gens tearing up the autocross course, including one that was intent on drifting as much of it as possible. The course had a very unique layout, which made it fun to drive and watch.
A local LS-powered Nissan...
A local LS-powered Nissan 240SX put on a drifting display on the autocross course during an intermission. Otherwise, the autocross ran pretty much non-stop throughout the weekend. Our hat goes off to the many competitors that burned their tires and brake pads off, lap after lap.
Mike Copeland of GM brought...
Mike Copeland of GM brought his Colorado, which sports a Thomson Automotive-built LSX stroker. On motor the truck is a low 10-second ride, but with a healthy shot of nitrous Mike was hoping to hit low 9s.
There were many stunning LS-powered...
There were many stunning LS-powered cars at the Mothers/LS1Tech.com Show-N-Shine including Tyler Simmons '05 GTO, which won for "Under Construction." Don and Sandy Davidson's '07 C6 easily took best paint, as this custom metallic yellow mix was flashy and flawless. Trust me, pictures don't do it justice.