LS Fest West Was Amazing, and Here’s the Proof
Event brought in West Coast GM fans from all motorsport disciplines.
There is nothing better than being in company with a fellow enthusiast. Now, multiply that by the hundreds, or even thousands, and you’ll be in great company. LS Fest has been the gathering place to celebrate all things GM and LS V8, but the West Coast never got a proper chance to show what it has to offer, until now. LS Fest West took part on the first weekend of May at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Holley Performance took advantage at using every square inch of space at The Strip, The Z-Max Proving Grounds, and the Dirt Oval to make LS Fest West unique and showcase the very wide variety of applications the LS and new LT V8 engines see use in.
Drag Racing at LS Fest West
While drag racing will remain the large portion of LS-related swapping, it’s used in far more applications than many probably realize on the East. Out West, we use the LS for drag, drift, autocross, road racing and on the dirt. Everything from off-road trucks from Pre-Runners to fully-purpose-built racing machines show the Small Block Chevy love. However, the surprise class for many was the LS Truck drag class as it had one of the largest fields in nearly all disciplines at LS Fest West. There were also quite a few trucks out in force at the autocross and road course. We saw classic C10s, the ever popular mini-truck of the S10, newer mid-sized Colorados, and more recent Silverados. If you are a shop and haven’t been looking at trucks, now is the time to consider one for a build and not just as a drag vehicle, either.
Drifting at LS Fest West
Drifting, while viewed as a young man’s sport, is a popular home for the LS engine. It’s inexpensive; repairs and maintenance are cheap; and you can get big power out of even the 4.8-liter iron block with slight use of nitrous, turbos or superchargers. Its broad powerband also makes it a favorite to keep the tires spinning while at full lock. It doesn’t make drifting easier, but it helps make it more fun by being an inexpensive and somewhat quick way to three-hundred-horsepower – the perfect amount for a beginner – and the progression to more power is simple and budget-friendly.
On- and Off-Road at LS Fest West
It’s a similar case for off-road, too. The LS is easy to build, easy to maintain, and easy on the budget to upgrade to the power you want until you want to be ludicrous. Making a fast truck to run in the dirt or on the rocks is as simple as a swap and a Turbo 400 or even a 4L80E with a transfercase of your choice for four-wheel drives. Thanks to having such an accessible ECU from the factory, you can even use the electronics for the 4LXXE electronically controlled transmissions from simple programmers from companies like Superchips, Diablosport, or even use a Holley Dominator EFI for control and customization beyond your factory ECU. Even with a standalone ECU, like the Holley, you’re still not breaking the bank on your budget until you get to your tires.
With LS Fest West over, we got to see the best of the West Coast and their LS-powered vehicles. The first event was considered a success by Holley and they have promised to come back out to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for 2018. If you didn’t attend this year, you missed out but you now have one year to make your ultimate LS vehicle for the next one. Don’t rest on the laurels of the LS, though, as the West builds their cars to perform as they all proved here. If you want to win your class next year, you bring your A-game because you’re going to lose if you don’t. However, that is the point, LS Fest is a celebration of the best the LS is installed in and anything less goes back on the trailer.
