Gearheads Celebrate the Mighty LS Engine at Holley LS Fest

Builders, Culture, Events  /   /  By Mark Bach

This past weekend, the 2022 Holley LS Fest event was held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The enthusiast extravaganza—presented by eBay Motors—featured amazing builder cars, off-road dirt trucks, drag and drifting races, autocross, and a rubber-burning donut pit. Anything goes at Holley LS Fest, as long as the power comes from the LS engine.

See: How to Get Started with an LS Engine Swap.

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s drag strip saw three days of non-stop action, while the nearby dirt track hosted the off-road races. A plume of tire smoke emanated from the donut pit throughout the weekend.

Vendor booths and builder cars wound through the venue’s large asphalt lot, which was also the site for the 3S Challenge. The 3S stands for speed, stop, and steering. It’s a timed event that adds a steering element to typical speed-and-stop tests. Drivers ran the course for the fastest time—without hitting a cone. They had to stop inside an outlined box at the end of the course to finish their turn.

Shop now for a complete LS engine

eBay Motors Was a Proud Presenter

Blane Burnett, Holley event manager, said this was the fifth year for the show in Las Vegas. He sees the auto show as a big party for builders to show off their stuff. “The LS engine is so versatile that it is the perfect choice for builders large or small,” said Burnett.

Burnett was especially proud of the professional drifting event. It allowed skillful drivers to show off their skills. The most talented drivers competed in the Grand Champion competition. The driver who earns the most points at Holley LS Fest West’s three timed events—the drag race, autocross, and 3S challenge—takes the prize. Organizers limited the competition to 225 entries. (We will post the competition results as soon as they become available.)

Robert Prado, strategic partnership manager at eBay Motors, soaked up all the excitement. Prado said, “The biggest thing with LS engines in these cars is how customizable they are. People kept coming up to me all weekend to brag about how many parts for their builds came from eBay.”

The Donut Pit was a crowd favorite. A raucous crowd lined the square as drivers smoked their tires. Event emcees encouraged the drivers to “light ’em up.”

Crazy Builds and Dyno Numbers

For many attendees, the biggest thrill was checking out the wide range of creative builders using an LS engine. The variety of cars and trucks was astounding. In addition, vendors were on hand to explain what their products could do and offer solutions to complex engineering challenges.

Read this: The Drift-Racing Taxi Gives Thrilling Rides at Holley LS Fest West 2022.

Owners seeking bragging rights put their cars on a mobile dynamometer to document the raw power coming out of their LS engines. Most owners were proud to see their dyno numbers. But, of course, others were disappointed and vowed to produce bigger numbers at a future Holley LS Fest event.

If you missed the good times in Vegas, then start making plans for Holley LS Fest in Fort Worth, Tex. on June 17-18 or Holley LS Fest East in Bowling Green, Ky., on Sept. 9-11. These events are coming up fast, so start shopping right away for your LS crate engine or LS parts on eBay Motors.

Tell your friends:
About the Author

Mark C. Bach has oil in his veins and remembers feeler gauges and brake springs. He has a love for all things that move, especially old-school muscle cars. Bach writes for a variety of outlets, including Chevy Classics and FuelCurve.com, and maintains Route66pubco.com.