The LS phenomenon has really caught on and it couldn’t have been more evident after hanging out at this year’s Holley LS Fest in Bowling Green, Kentucky. If this event is new to you, then let us fill you in.
For starters, if an LS mill powers your ride, then you’re welcomed to join in on the fun. And once you step inside the gates, you’ll be surrounded with nonstop action throughout the weekend; think of it as a way to satiate your appetite for high-performance antics.
So whether you’re into drag racing, ripping around on the autocross, or want to let it all hang out on a chassis dyno, the LS Fest has it all. Then again, if you’re more into kicking it with the show crowd, you can do that as well.
Mark Carlyle and his ’07 Atomic...
Mark Carlyle and his ’07 Atomic Orange Z06 took home Vette magazine’s fastest Corvette challenge with an 8.17 at 172-mph run. Carlyle has already been well into the 7-second zone and last we heard he’s currently the fastest IRS Corvette in the country.
Of course, while we enjoyed every aspect of the event, our personal favorite had to be our Chevy High Performance High Noon Shootouts! Friday’s session included the autocross, where we had 18 strong competitors lobbying for the title. On Saturday, we had the Outlaw 8.5 drag race, and Sunday included the Show & Shine. Each winner earned a $500 gift certificate good for anything from the Holley lineup or brand family, and a personalized CHP jacket.
If you missed the excitement this year, then do yourself a favor and mark it down on your calendar for next year. Holley is really onto something, and we have a feeling it’s only going to grow exponentially. As for us, we’ll be back in full force, camera gear in hand, and covering all the exciting action online and in print!
LS Fest Grand Champion |
| Name |
Points |
| 1. Kyle Tucker |
67 |
| 2. Brian Finch |
63 |
| 2. Mark Stielow |
63 |
| 4. Edward Timmerman |
57 |
| 5. Jeff Schwartz |
55 |
| 5. Terry Neubille |
55 |
| 7. Mark Greenisen |
48 |
| 7. Jeffrey Cleary |
48 |
| 9. Al Miller |
46 |
| 10. Bret Voelkel |
39 |
Baer & PHR Speed stop Challenge |
| ABS Results |
Fastest Time |
| 1. Edward Timmerman |
0:08.23 |
| 2. Mark Stielow |
0:08.47 |
| 3. Al Miller |
0:08.63 |
| 4. Yancy Johns |
0:08.79 |
| 5. Jason Earley |
0:09.13 |
| 6. James Rowlett |
0:09.32 |
| 7. Nick Licata |
0:09.39 |
| 8. Wayne Furr |
0:09.57 |
| 9. John Bateman |
0:09.96 |
| 10. (Luke) Jeffrey Hawkins |
0:10.07 |
| Non-ABS Results |
Fastest Time |
| 1. Terry Neubille |
0:08.64 |
| 2. Brian Finch |
0:08.72 |
| 3. Kyle Tucker |
0:08.85 |
| 4. Greg Scheinder |
0:09.01 |
| 5. Jeff Schwartz |
0:09.02 |
| 6. Robert Bertelsen |
0:09.14 |
| 7. Bret Voelkel |
0:09.23 |
| 8. Jeffrey Cleary |
0:09.29 |
| 9. Curt Ukasik |
0:09.60 |
| 10. Mark Greenisen |
0:09.66 |
Terry Neubille’s ’68 Camaro...
Terry Neubille’s ’68 Camaro is a looker and performed well on the autocross, running as quick as 0:44.55.
Mark Stielow and his ’69 Camaro,...
Mark Stielow and his ’69 Camaro, also known as “Red Devil”, was an absolute blast to watch on the autocross course. The controlled powerslides through the corners seemed to be second nature for him and ran as quick as 0.43.92, putting him in Fifth Place.
Representing the fifth-gens...
Representing the fifth-gens was Erik Cederberg, who made the drive out from Miramar, Florida. Cederberg placed 38th overall and was rarely seen sitting idle
If you’ve been contemplating...
If you’ve been contemplating giving autocross a try, but feel a little intimidated from limited experience, don’t sweat it. There’s a drivers’ meeting to explain the procedures and plenty of people to get rides with to get a better understanding of what it’s like. Trust us, it’s addicting and you’ll quickly get hooked.
Meet this year’s LS Fest Grand...
Meet this year’s LS Fest Grand Champion: Kyle Tucker and his ’70 Camaro. To win, Tucker had to earn points in all of the events, including a cruise, Show-N-Shine, autocross, Speed Stop Challenge, and make quarter-mile passes. Think of it as the triathlon of motorsports. Here’s Tucker on his way to running his best autocross time with a 0:42.07
No doubt, the tech line was...
No doubt, the tech line was long. Even so, everyone was able to get through quickly and handle any last-minute prep work for the weekend’s outing.
James Shipka wasn’t able to...
James Shipka wasn’t able to make the event, however his One Lap Camaro was out in full force with driving duties being shared between Robert McGaffin and Randy Johnson.
Another highlight of the weekend...
Another highlight of the weekend was the dyno challenge. All pulls were free and a great way to validate engine or power adder upgrades.
Kudos goes to Brian Finch...
Kudos goes to Brian Finch for winning our CHP Autocross Challenge. It came down to the wire and during his final lap, he nudged out Kyle Tucker for this year’s championship title.
Holley brought out their rolling...
Holley brought out their rolling performance center, showcasing their latest LS products. One of our personal favorites had to be the Hooker cast exhaust manifolds and they should be available by the end of the year.
Another trick item was the...
Another trick item was the LS7 Cross-Ram setup.
We caught Jeff Cleary’s LS7-powered...
We caught Jeff Cleary’s LS7-powered ’67 Corvette participating at the Speed Stop Challenge. Cleary’s ride easily dips into the 10-second zone on the quarter-mile and grabbed the number 8 position in the Non-ABS class with a 0:10.36.