Tire-Shredding Power on Display in Las Vegas
Holley’s LS Fest West invades Las Vegas Motor Speedway with drag racing, drifting, autocross, and a huge car show.
Like all of Holley’s events, LS Fest West is on fire and continues to get bigger every year. First held in 2017 as a spinoff event to the original LS Fest in Holley’s home town of Bowling Green, Kentucky, the western version was smartly aimed at enthusiasts in the Western states who couldn’t make the trek to Kentucky but still wanted to participate in the all-LS car show.
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Holley's LS Fest West in Las Vegas showcases drag racing, drifting, autocross, and a huge car show. Since 2017, it has grown with events like the Grand Champion category, off-road trucks, and Burnout Wars. Future events include LS Fest Texas in May and LS Fest East in September.
This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article
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The first couple of years were lightly attended, but Holley persisted, knowing the crowds would show up if they gave them a great show. And show up they did. In the years since 2017, LS Fest West has grown into a huge event that consumes nearly the entirety of Las Vegas Motor Speedway and incorporates drag racing, drifting, autocross, and a massive burnout show.
Among the competitors were the cars in the Grand Champion category. These were Pro Touring cars built to a high level, along the lines of Optima’s Ultimate Street Car Association. To qualify as a Grand Champion required participants to compete in the Autocross, Drag Race, and Speed, Stop, and Steering components of LS Fest. These are seemingly disparate components that really test the capability of a car.
Of course, participants could choose to compete in just the Drag Race or Autocross component at LS Fest, and if the car show vibe is more your thing, one could just enter the large show and shine car corral.
Either way, there was plenty to see and do at LS Fest West. The drifting competition was a big crowd draw. It’s impressive to see the level of car control on display here.
Another major attraction was the off-road trucks that took their acrobatic antics to Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s dirt track. Of course, all these trucks were powered by LS or LT engines, and their high-flying aerial displays wowed a capacity crowd in the grandstands.
Certainly, the loudest and most obvious event within LS Fest West was the Burnout Wars burnout show. Run like an Australian-style burnout contest, Burnout Wars competitors looped their walled-off corner of the parking lot in an attempt to demolish a set of tires, or even an engine. Competitors ranged from stock-appearing Firebirds to purpose-built, supercharged burnout machines. Loud and smokey, Burnout Wars drew an audience like steel to a magnet each time they ran.
Be sure to check out our entire gallery to see all the tire-smoking action. If you missed LS Fest West, fear not. Holley also offers LS Fest Texas, running May 16–18, and LS Fest East in Bowling Green on September 5–7. All the info can be found at Holley's events page.
A subscription to Car and Driver at age 10 set the stage for what would be John's career path. A voracious reader of car magazines and lover of all things automotive, he set out to learn as much as he could about cars. An automotive technology program provided the foundation, while fumbling around with large American sedans provided real world experience. Finally, a Bachelor of Science degree in photojournalism provided the focus. John accepted a five-month photography internship at Motor Trend magazine in 2003. Upon completion, he remained with the publishing company, managing a photo studio for 18 months before becoming photo editor for HOT ROD and Car Craft magazine. After three years on the production side, John accepted an editorial position at Car Craft in December 2006 and eventually became editor of Car Craft in 2014 and retained that position until March 2018 when he moved to HOT ROD as Executive Editor. He was promoted to Editor-in-Chief of HOT ROD in April 2019.
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