September 9^th through the 11^th anything and everything LS-powered will be taking over Beech Bend Raceway for the second annual Holley LS Fest. This event celebrates everything related to the LS engine with multiple events geared to suit the vast array of purpose built LS-powered rides. With the every growing popularity of transplanting these engines into muscle cars, drag cars, drift cars, trucks and more it is fitting that Holley celebrates the ingenuity of these swaps, as well as the cars and trucks factory-equipped with LS power. Over three days, participants will be able to take part in drag racing, the speed stop challenge, an autocross, the countryside cruise, the engine swap challenge and a dyno challenge. Along with the slate of activities carried over from last year, the Holley LS Fest has a few surprise additions to the lineup for 2011 as well.

2011 LSX Challenge Series Round 3

One of the highlights of the LS Fest is the dragstrip competition as the fastest LS-powered cars in the country gather to see who will claim bragging rights. As part of the 2011 LSX Challenge series, the NMCA rules will carry over for this event and lucrative contingency payouts will be available for all of the classes. This year the classes are as follows: The BMR Suspension sponsored 5^th generation Camaro Challenge, SAM (School of Automotive Machinists) LSX All Motor shootout, Callies LSX Drag Radial shootout, Wiseco LSX Real Street class, TCI LSX Rumble index class and the Lingenfelter True Street Class. For those interested in learning about the massive contingency payouts for this event, please check out the LS Fest website.

The GM High-Tech Performance Magazine & NOS Shut Your Face Race and the Chevy High Performance High Noon Shootout return from last year and will feature small-tire stock suspension LS cars doing battle. The former class is limited to a 275-drag radial or 28” by 10.5” slick, and is intended to be a more affordable cousin to Outlaw Drag Radial, with limits on turbo and blower size.

The Chevy High Noon Shootout is a combination of three different events – a run-what-ya-brung eighth-mile Outlaw 8.5 drag race on Friday, an autocross challenge on Saturday, and Show & Shine on Sunday. For those interested in participating please be sure to submit an entry to Chevy High Performance Magazine as this is by invitation only. Only the first 8 cars to sign up will be invited to take part in this class.

Spin (Wrenches) to Win

The deadline for entering into the 2011 Car Craft Engine Swap Challenge is rapidly approaching (August 10, 2011). However, there have been a few rule changes for 2011 that will ensure the swap is not completed in just 31 minutes 57 seconds. This event is limited to two teams consisting of four members and one running and driving non-LS powered vehicle. The winning team will get to take home their LS swapped car, while the runners-up will have the chance to purchase their LS engine from Holley at a predetermined price.

Well-Rounded Performance

The Holley LS Fest will crown a Grand Champion for 2011 for the participant whose car performs the best overall in racing competition throughout the weekend. This requires participation in the Speed Stop Challenge, autocross and drag racing. Drivers will be required to make a minimum of three passes during the Speed Stop Challenge to be considered for the Grand Champion title. Like the Speed Stop, drivers will again be required to make a minimum of three passes in the Autocross event and participate in one of the Drag Racing classes as well. An additional five points will be added to the overall score for taking part in the Countryside Cruise and the same bonus will be available for participating in the Show-N-Shine event. At the conclusion of the three-day event the Grand Champion will be announced and the winner will receive $1000 in cash, a jacket and a plaque.

Sideways and Smoking

A new addition to the 2011 LS Fest line up will be the all LS-powered Drift Invitational. Holley is accepting applications to the event and will select a total of 12 drivers with LS-powered rides to take part in this new event that is certain to delight fans as well as the participants. First place takes a $1,000 cash payout, with second and third getting $500 and $250 in Holley gift certificates.

As we saw for ourselves at the Formula Drift competition held in Long Beach, CA earlier this year, LS engines dominated the field thanks to their relatively inexpensive cost and ample horsepower. The same holds true for Holley’s LS Fest for 2011.

More to See, More to Do

Another recent announcement from Holley LS Fest camp is that Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center will be hosting a barbeque during the event. With the variety of manufacturers already on board for LS Fest, the manufacturers’ midway will have a host of surprises for everyone. Spectators and participants are encouraged to take part in entering contests for Door Prizes worth thousands of dollars in parts, gift certificates and much more. With the sheer number of sponsors and midway displays (the current estimate is 40, with the list still growing!) the array of parts, gear and certificates for give-away is nothing short of mind-boggling.

It seems like there are new developments rolling out daily in regard to the 2011 LS Fest. The guys over at Vette Magazine are getting in on the action with the Fastest Corvette Challenge. Corvette owners are encouraged to take part, and Vette Magazine will recognize the top Corvette in three categories: Drag Race, Autocross and the Speed Stop Challenge.

However, the Corvette guys are not entitled to all the fun thanks to the Truckin’ Magazine Throw Down. A group of selected LS-powered trucks will do battle in four challenges designed to test the limits of these machines. Each of these drivers will take part in the Speed Stop Challenge, Autocross, Drag Racing and one giant 600 foot slalom. Along with these driving events a special section of the Show-N-Shine will be reserved and judged separately from the standard LS Fest judging.

A couple more noteworthy contests and opportunities are the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational and the Dyno Challenge. One lucky participant will be invited to take part in the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, which consists of an elite group of cars and proves to be an incredibly challenging event. Along with the invite to the invitational, the ERL Performance Inc. / Super Chevy Magazine Dyno Challenge is open to all participants of the 2011 LS Fest (sign up is necessary, in order to manage the schedule). This event will allow participants to measure the horsepower and torque of their rides. Awards will be given to the top three LS powered rides.

If it seems like we’ve dropped a lot of names when talking about the special event media sponsors, we probably have, but that’s just the beginning – in addition to your pals from LSXMag, there will be multiple print and online publications in attendance to cover the Holley LS Fest, so keep an eye out for roaming cameramen. You might just see yourself and your LS make the pages of your favorite magazine or website!

With this many new additions to the already action packed 2011 event, interested parties should keep checking the official Holley LS Fest website for more details. This should prove to be a fulfilling family event that offers a little something for everyone thanks to variety of LS swapped cars along with those equipped from the factory with the namesake engine between the fenders. New sponsors are joining in on the celebration at a rapid pace, so further updates on contingency, prizes and much more are on the horizon – keep your eyes on LSXMag for all the information as it is released!