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Brace yourself for the automotive gauntlet that is the LS Fest West Grand Champion competition. This unrelenting contest is the ultimate stage for performance fanatics, where mere speed isn’t enough. Thrashing through road courses, incinerating drag strips, and torturing skid pads, this decathlon of automotive prowess exposes every flaw and exploits 100-percent of a car's soul. Champions here don't emerge by luck or raw power – they triumph through unwavering abilities and hardcore versatility.
The quest for the Grand Champion title at LS Fest West is heating up! Competitors from all over are bringing their A-game, ready to tackle multiple events and prove their skills behind the wheel. The drag racing segment of the Grand Champion competition was held Saturday night, and drivers got three shots at their best E/T in the ¼-mile. One important factor is that competitors aren't allowed to swap tires, meaning there’s some added driving finesse required to get street tires to hook on these high-horsepower machines.
Competition is fierce among the Late Model, Vintage, and Truck classes. Each class winner will walk away with $1,000 cash, a plaque, and the prestigious LS Fest winner's jacket.
LS Fest West 2024 wrapped up with an awards ceremony that crowned three champions of their respective Grand Champion classes:
Duke Langley piloted his 2002 Z06 Corvette to the top of the late-model class, which was filled with talented competitors who fielded some seriously well-built Camaros and Corvettes. He made his way to the top by winning both the Autocross and the 3S Challenge, showing true skill behind the wheel. Of course, the hardware was also doing its job; the lightweight Z06 is powered by a destroked LS7 that sounded amazing as it revved to the stratosphere and rocketed Langley to the top of the podium.
Rick Lammi took home the Vintage Class trophy with his 1977 Nissan 280Z. Lammi has built several versions of his S30 over the years, with its first V8 swap being a Gen I Chevy small-block. A trip to LS Fest West a few years ago spurred the swap to more modern small-block power. Now it’s running an LS3 with an LS blower, a combination that puts down 640hp to the wheels.
David Carrol took home the win in the truck class with his 1973 C5 Blazer. The soft-top Squarebody is powered by a Gen IV 5.3L V8 force-fed by a pair of Turbonetic turbochargers. Carrol has tons of fun shifting the T-56 Magnum six-speed and hustling the heavy truck around the track. And it even has room for the whole family.
