Block Party! Holley LS Fest is an Octane-Fueled Circus
In a world where it seems electric vehicles are being forced down your throat it’s nice to know Holley and their LS-powered-only events are expanding and getting bigger and bigger each year. 2022 marked the 13th year of the original Holley LS Fest at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Holley now has three LS-only powered events including Las Vegas (LS Fest West) and the new LS Fest Texas that was held this summer at Texas Motor Speedway.
If you’ve never attended a LS Fest event before, I highly suggest you attend one at some point. It’s a gearheads utopia in the most sublime way! There’s anything and everything to be found at this carnival of speed.
For the first time ever the Bowling Green venue created a short course off-road track as well as a rock garden with some obstacles for the guys and gals that prefer to take their LS-powered vehicles off the tarmac.
Another first for this year was the addition of HooptieX presented by Ebay motors. HooptieX is a series that has blown up in recent years where the idea is to take a vehicle that was not intended to go off-road, or a vehicle not intended to be fitted with off-road tires, and basically drive the snot out of it. The vehicles are typically not much to look at visually but your reward is watching drivers with no care in the world jumping and thrashing them as if they were Ivan Ironman Stewart at the BAJA 1000.
For those that like to be planted closer to the earth, Holley LS Fest also offers autocross, drag racing, drift competition, a show-n-shine, and the most insane burnout competition outside of Australia. If you’re an autocross competitor you have the option of entering the Grand Champion competition where you compete against your fellow rivals in multiple events that include autocross, drag racing, and a 3S challenge.
If that’s not enough to get your heart racing, the three-day festival also includes a Bolt-on Challenge (teams compete against one another, removing factory parts and swapping them over to more Holley brand components including oil pans, intake manifolds, valve covers, headers, etc). There’s also a countryside cruise available as well if you’d like to take your LS-swapped ride through the luscious and scenic rolling hills of Kentucky. Any registered participant can opt to use the mobile dyno available to see how many ponies their new LS engine swapped ride puts out. If that’s still not enough for you then maybe you’d like to head over to NCM Motorsports Park and utilize the 1.1 mile East roadcourse track that’s available to you at your leisure.
One of the greatest things about Bowling Green and the other Holley LS Fest events is the ingenuity of some of these builders. The show-n-shine area is one of the most eclectic variations that you’ll probably ever see at a show. If you’ve ever asked yourself “I wonder if anyone swapped a LS motor into _____? I can probably guarantee you the answer to that question is yes. You’ll see anything from LS swapped imports, boats, and motorcycles to tractors, lawnmowers and anything else that you and your buddies can dream up.
If you’re a petrol head there’s no shortage of events to watch, vendors to talk to about your project, youtubers out with their cameras documenting the weekends events, and getting to see old friends and making new ones. In today’s world to have something as simple as an engine bring a community together that shares a common bond is almost unheard of, but I’m glad Holley is here to make it possible.
2022 Holley LS Fest Photo Extra!
Photos by Terry Lysak
