It’s rare to find an event that encompasses a wide range of automotive disciplines. However, Holley Ford Fest checks all those boxes, plus a few more with drag racing, autocross, drifting, off-road, burnouts, a car show, and a killer swap meet.

Held late September at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this extravaganza is a Blue Oval mega-party providing non-stop action on and off multiple tracks. We say “tracks” because, in addition to drag racing, Holley Ford Fest offers enthusiasts the opportunity to compete in a multitude of driving events that put enthusiasts to the test.

Matt Fint aired out his Cobra multiple times and won the TREMEC Street Stick Shootout. (Photo Credit: Evan J. Smith and Holley)

The action included the Grand Champion competition, autocrossing, drifting, off-road, and there’s even a circle-track race! Additionally, Holley Ford Fest has exhibitions by greats like Vaughn Gittin Jr., Ben Hobson, and Bigfoot, too.

With so much variety, Ford Fest truly provides a unique experience, but it also maintains traditional drag racing. Many of the former NMRA drag racing classes were contested as well. They included True Street, Street Stang, Open Comp, Truck & SUV, Factory Stock, Street Bandit, 8.60 Index, and Coyote Stock. TREMEC also hosted its Stick Shift Shootout category, and many gear-jammers clashed to see who had the quickest manual-transmission machine.

We loved this 390-powered big Ford hardtop with its formal vinyl roof and dog-dish hub caps.

There were also three bracket racing categories and special classes for Cobra Jets (any year and model) and Godzilla-powered vehicles, too. The top class was Ultra Ford, and those rides blasted down the eighth mile in 4 seconds!

Going Off

Still, another highlight was the Ford Fest 50 Crown Vic race that took place under the lights on Saturday night. The full field of big-body Fords raced wheel-to-wheel, beating and banging in true short-track style.

If you’ve ever been to Beech Bend Raceway, you know it’s the perfect setting for this type of event. The show field, drag strip, oval track, and swap meet are easy to navigate, and Holley provides a tram service to get over to the off-road track and from the parking area to the drag strip and oval.

Canadian Chad Stephens collected his usual frequent-flyer miles while topping the Coyote Stock field for a big Ford fest win.

And of course, Ford Fest wouldn’t be complete without a night-time tire-frying burnout contest. In fact, participants built some wild vehicles to compete in this portion of the event.

For those opposed to pavement, Ford Fest offered its challenging Off-Road Challenge. There was an off-road short course for driving at speed in addition to the slower, but more technical, obstacle course at Ford Fest 2025. The course is a purpose-built track where the mud and the jumps were flying high. There were many vantage points to watch from, and we took full advantage. It’s not every day we get to enjoy rooster tails of dirt slinging 30 feet in the air or see vehicles attack jumps and fly sky high.

Slinging Mud

Along with the built trucks, Ford Fest had a Hooptie X class where you could bring anything to chuck around the dirt. While off-road tires and suspension help, they’re not required. The only thing that’s required is your appetite for destruction and fun. Our favorite was a chopped-up Crown Vic that had off-road tires and got around the course in wild fashion.

New this year was the Bronco Skills Training. The team at MetalCloak brought experts to show you how to properly set up, drive, and recover your Bronco (or other truck) in an off-road situation!

Easily one of the biggest attractions to Ford Fest is the giant car show. The rolling hills of Beech Bend make the perfect backdrop for everyone to display their FoMoCo iron. And of all the aspects of the event, the car show is where you’ll find the biggest variety. Be it a fully restored 1969 Mach 1, a pristine Fox, or your favorite truck, the show offered all the color and style you’d expect to see. A few favorites were a stock-appearing yellow 1970 Boss 302, a four-door hardtop Galaxie with patina, three of the most beautiful modern Cobra Jets you’ll find anywhere, and a handful of 1993 Cobras, which we always love to see in the wild.

And while we can talk for days about it, it’s way better to enjoy the visual. So please enjoy our giant gallery from the Holley Ford Fest 2025!