Holley LS Fest East’s drag racing program is massive and you never know what you’ll see in the pits. We here at Dragzine set out on a mission to find 10 cool vehicles, and boy was that a hard task. There were so many great cars at this event we could have picked 50 for this list.  The 10 vehicles we selected for this list all have something unique about them that got us to stop and take a second look at LS Fest East.

Joe Hammann’s Turbocharged Dragster

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We’ve seen a few LS-powered dragsters with a turbo before, but Joe’s dragster is a bit different. Instead of using an EFI system, Joe went with a blow-through carburetor setup to move boost, fuel, and air into his engine. The reason for the switch is Joe has another LS-powered vehicle that needed some engine work, so he sold most of his EFI parts to get that vehicle’s powerplant fixed.

Joe’s dragster is also a homebuilt hot rod, so that makes it really awesome.“I built this car from a pile of tubing. I made my own chassis jig. I made the tooling to make the body and other parts on the car as well. The engine uses an LS2-based block that’s filled, and I assembled the engine myself as well. The Quick Fuel carburetor is an off-the-shelf unit that I changed the boosters on and drilled the metering blocks out so I could build my own blow-through combination,” Joe says.

Zachary Blausey’s Wild Supercharged 1923 T-Bucket

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Zachary Blausey built his gnarly 1923 T-Bucket in just 33 days. Was this car trailered from Zacharay’s home in Toledo, Ohio? Absolutely not, in fact, the T-Bucket’s original junkyard engine seized up a mere day before Zachary was supposed to leave for LS Fest. Zacharay bought another engine, made sure it had oil pressure, and made his way to LS Fest. The T-Bucket ended up running a respectable 6.14 at 100 mph in the eighth-mile, not bad for a junkyard build.

“When I was a kid, I had a Hot Wheels toy that was a T-Bucket with a blower and I always wanted a real one, so I built it. The chassis is just some box tubing I welded up after taking some dimensions and laying the axles out on the floor. I’d say it weighs around 1,800 pounds as it sits now. The car is just a blast to drive and was a lot of fun to build,” Zachary says.

Kris Henderson’s Unique 1959 Mark 1 Jaguar

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There was a time when building cars that were radically different was a big mainstream movement in the hot-rodding world. Kris Henderson jumped on that bandwagon and never got off, that’s where his 1959 Mark 1 Jaguar build came from. The body rides on a custom chassis that Kris welded together himself. Under the hood, you’ll find a simple six-liter LS engine that’s fed boost from a pair of turbos, and controlled by a MS3 Pro ECU.

“I’ve competed in several drag-and-drive events with this car. The car was driven to each event, finished, and then I drove it home. It’s run a 9.53 at 152 mph with this LS combo. The car has also run in East Coast Timing Association land speed events and clocked 204 mph in the standing mile. It’s always fun to hear people try and guess what kind of car it is,” Kris explains.

Oreste Hidalgo’s All-Wheel-Drive 1972 Caprice

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Most people build a drag car using a lightweight vehicle, Oreste Hidalgo didn’t think that would be fun. Instead, Oreste took a main battle tank-sized 1972 Caprice, and used that as his weapon of choice. If that wasn’t enough, Oreste cut the front subframe off a four-wheel drive truck and grafted it onto the Caprice. The final result is an LS-powered, twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive Caprice that races on 26-inch wheels.

“One of my favorite parts about this car is the fact it’s a four-door. Some people really hate the car because it isn’t a two-door Caprice, or that it doesn’t have super awesome paint. Sure, some people give the car ugly looks, but I also get a lot of thumbs up from people who like to see something different,” Oreste explains.

Kyle Omilanow’s 1977 Datsun 620 Truck

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When Kyle Omilanow was 14, he asked some local racers at the track how he could go fast. Their response was simple and to the point, “buy a light truck or car and put a V8 in it”. So, Kyle went to Facebook Marketplace and found something that fit that formula, a 1977 Datsun 620 truck. Kyle swapped in an LS engine and backed it with a powerglide transmissionm while a Holley Dominator ECU controls the engine. The Datsun has run a best of 9.01 at 153 mph.

“This truck gets driven on the street all the time. I’ve run a few drag-and-drive events with it, and not had any issues. I’ve done most of the work on the build myself with some help from my dad and a few friends,” Kyle says.

Nick Duval’s 1990 Volkswagen Jetta

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When Volkswagen designed and released the 1990 Jetta, it probably didn’t expect for people like Nick Duval to use it as a hot rodding science project. Nick purchased the Jetta from his girlfriend’s parents for $400 after it had been sitting in their backyard. The Jetta’s little turbo diesel engine was tossed aside, and the car’s transformation began. The final result is a rowdy LS-powered machine that logs plenty of street miles.

“My friend Kyle helped me build the cage. The car is a legit street car and it even has cruise control. Under the hood is an LS3 that is controlled by a Holley Dominator. A single 88mm turbo provides boost and the engine is backed by a 4L80 transmission. I built a custom rear suspension that’s based around the Ford 8.8-inch rearend that’s now under the car,” Nick states.

James Bell’s 1960 GMC Suburban

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What do you get when you put a stout driveline in a 4,700-pound tank? You get James Bell’s 1960 GMC Suburban that lights the boards with nine-second passes at over 136 mph. Bell’s Suburban uses a fairly simple combination, but it works very well. The six-liter LS block that powers the Suburban has been filled with a forged rotating assembly, and is backed backed by a 4L80E transmission. The Holley Terminator X that controls the engine is tuned by TC Tuned.

“When I started this build, I wasn’t trying to build a drag truck, it’s still very much a driver. We dragged this thing out of a junkyard in Arizona and brought it home to start the build. We’ve put over 30,000 miles on it since we finished the build. It will make nine-second passes, and then cruise on down the road without a single issue,” James explains.

Draysen Mead’s 2008 BMW 335

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BMW is known for producing a great luxury car that provides an outstanding driving experience. Draysen Mead wanted to improve that experience, so he ripped the OEM BMW engine out and stuffed a 388 cubic-inch Texas Speed mill into his 2008 335. A pair of Xona Rotor 72mm turbos provide boost for the rowdy engine. A 4L80E transmission sends the horsepower back to a Ford Explorer differential that Draysen installed.

“I built this car because it’s what I had at the time. My favorite part about this build is the factory dash still works as it should. This is still a street car and the cruise control still works. I was able to retain all the OEM options the car had except for air conditioning, so that makes it fun to drive,” Draysen explains.

Terry Gabeletto’s 2019 ZR1 Corvette

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To a Corvette purest, Terry Gabeletto’s 2019 ZR1 Corvette is a problematic build, but Terry didn’t build his car for those people. This ZR1 is powered by a 388 cubic-inch LS that’s filled with some great parts, is topped off with a set of Trick Flow heads, and receives boost from a single 98mm Garrett turbo. The Corvette’s engine is backed by an RPM Transmissions-built powerglide transmission and torque converter. Racecraft in Texas built the well-hidden roll cage that’s inside the car. The potent combo has netted Terry a 7.939 at 180 mph time slip.

“This car was built the way I wanted, I wasn’t worried about what other people thought, or what they had done. I do a lot of street car stuff, so I wanted to be able to still drive the car anywhere without any issues,” Terry says.

Terry Garmon’s 1977 Datsun 280z

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It’s hard to miss Terry Garmon’s widebody 1977 Datsun 280z. The neon-green paint sits just right on the car, and the Invincible Solutions widebody kit makes the car look amazing. Under the hood, you’ll find a 408 cubic-inch LS that’s wearing a set of Frankenstein heads, and a 94mm turbo. Terry built the roll cage himself and also did all the other work on the car.

“This is the 15th Datsun I’ve owned. They’re just fun cars, and I’ve always swapped Chevy engines into them. I wanted this one to stand out just a little more, so that’s why I went with the bright green paint,” Terry explains.

It was really hard to pick just 10 cool drag cars at LS Fest. Hopefully, you enjoyed the cars we found and we’re already looking forward to see what people will bring to Beech Bend Raceway for LS Fest in 2025.