2010 Holley LS Fest - Success For LS Fest!

Taking Top Honors at the inaugural LS Fest was Mark Stielow in his LS9-powered '69 Camaro. Mark took Runner-up Honors in the drag race, Third in the autocross and First in the speed stop challenge, giving him enough point to take First Place overall.

Taking Top Honors at the inaugural LS Fest was Mark Stielow in his LS9-powered '69 Camaro.

Let’s be brutally honest for a moment: First year events aren’t known for attracting much publicity, let alone participants. People tend to be a tad skeptical about an event they’ve never heard of, and let’s face it, why would anyone commit to going if they weren’t sure anyone else would be there?

Yet, after driving through the entrance gate at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky, at the outset of the inaugural Holley LS Fest, it was plain to see that this event was going to pack a punch. Vendors like Spec Clutches, Detroit Speed, and GM Performance Parts were setting up and cars were filtering in, getting ready to drag race and autocross. Leftover weather from a hurricane made its presence known on Friday and threw things off schedule for a bit, but despite this, the organizers were nimble and able to get everything in on Saturday and Sunday, which made for quite an exhilarating time.

For those who couldn’t make it out, the premise for LS Fest is simple. It’s an event for any vehicle that has one of GM’s sought-after LS-series power plants stuffed between the framerails. For 2010, its first year, it gave competitors a chance to participate in drag racing, autocross, and a speed stop challenge. For those that didn’t want to beat on their rides there was also a countryside cruise and a car show. And while not everyone got to compete in the engine swap challenge, they definitely got to watch as Justin Dermody and the Hot Rod Barn team from Williamsburg, Iowa, swapped out his running SBC for a Holley-equipped crate LS6 engine from Scoggins Dickey Parts Center in just 31 minutes, 57 seconds.

This sweet dark green '69 belongs to Mark Turner. The car features an LS7 outfitted with upgrades from Trick Flow and FAST.

This sweet dark green '69 belongs to Mark Turner. The car features an LS7 outfitted with u

While there were plenty of activities to go around, the main attraction of the event was how laid back and helpful everyone was to each other. Even when there were many things going on at once, several teams were seen lending a helping hand to other teams in need (some of which were even preparing to run against one another). That’s what made LS Fest an even larger success to many in attendance, and an element that makes it a must to attend for years to come.

To top it all off, LS Fest came to a close right outside the Holley rig. Trophies and awards were furnished for all those who placed in the various events, and there were some sweet door prizes for those who registered for the event from the 29 midway vendors/event sponsors.

For more information regarding LS Fest 2011 and to look over the ’10 results hop on to www.lsfest.com. Mark your calendars as well, as Holley promises even more activities for the LS-equipped at the 2011 Holley LS Fest, which has been scheduled for September 11.