24th Annual Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals Presented by Competition Clutch Featuring the Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival
Power Party
More than just drag racing, the Intergalactic Ford Fest filled the World Finals with full-throttle action
Written by Steve Turner
Photography by the author
The NMRA Ford Nationals series reached its crescendo in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with championships, decided on the drag strip, but there was more than quarter-mile action at Beech Bend Raceway. The Ford fun extended throughout the property with a sprawling car show, a massive midway, and all the features of Holley’s Intergalactic Ford Festival.
Several years ago, Holley expanded its events lineup, which includes the LS Fest franchise and MoParty, by partnering with NMRA to add its festival-style Blue Oval celebration to the already popular World Finals event.
“We set out to show consumers how they can use Holley products to have an awesome time with their ride and their family and friends!” Bill Tichenor, Director of Marketing at Holley Performance Products, said. “We hope they leave feeling like the Holley guys did something cool for them and they know us a little better too.”
A resounding success from the start, the Intergalactic Ford Festival steadily gained momentum with each successive event. In 2022, that energy culminated in the most successful installment yet. It has become the must-attend Ford event of the year.
“I think it was just the culmination of several years of activity and the word is starting to spread in the Ford market that this cool thing happens in Bowling Green,” Tichenor said. “A great weather forecast didn’t hurt either.”
It was a gorgeous weekend in Kentucky, and the result was a huge turnout of cars in all aspects of the event. However, one, in particular, seemed to gain some traction in the dirt. That was the Off-Road Experience, which saw Bigfoot crushing cars, the wild Hooptie X Challenge, the TORR Raptor Rumble, and of course, Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Loren Healy Funhaving in RTR Ultra 4 and street-going Broncos. All of this was to the delight of a big audience.
“Our emphasis is always on fun, but off-road was an emphasis in general. It’s just a fun part of the event for us as Holley guys to work on,” Tichenor said. “It is something new for us at all of our Bowling Green events, so we are enjoying it.”
Of course, the Autocross, Burnout Contest, Drifting, Grand Champion competition, and more kept fans enthralled at the circle track behind the drag strip as well. However, this year a new after-hours event injected excitement into Saturday evening as Harris Lue brought Retro Meet to Bowling Green.
“Anything new is always super cool to me, so things like Retro Meet got me pumped,” Tichenor added. “Allowing new groups like them to have a place to play gets me excited and then we leave with a bunch of new friends. I am an ’80s kid, so it was super cool to me personally.”
In all the event was a non-stop blast, and it looks to keep growing in 2023. There is no telling what Holley or NMRA might add, but one thing is for sure, you don’t want to miss it. To tide you over until the next installment, we present some photographic highlights of the 2022 Intergalactic Ford Festival action.
Power Party
More than just drag racing, the Intergalactic Ford Fest filled the World Finals with full-throttle action
Written by Steve Turner
Photography by the author
The NMRA Ford Nationals series reached its crescendo in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with championships, decided on the drag strip, but there was more than quarter-mile action at Beech Bend Raceway. The Ford fun extended throughout the property with a sprawling car show, a massive midway, and all the features of Holley’s Intergalactic Ford Festival.
Several years ago, Holley expanded its events lineup, which includes the LS Fest franchise and MoParty, by partnering with NMRA to add its festival-style Blue Oval celebration to the already popular World Finals event.
“We set out to show consumers how they can use Holley products to have an awesome time with their ride and their family and friends!” Bill Tichenor, Director of Marketing at Holley Performance Products, said. “We hope they leave feeling like the Holley guys did something cool for them and they know us a little better too.”
A resounding success from the start, the Intergalactic Ford Festival steadily gained momentum with each successive event. In 2022, that energy culminated in the most successful installment yet. It has become the must-attend Ford event of the year.
“I think it was just the culmination of several years of activity and the word is starting to spread in the Ford market that this cool thing happens in Bowling Green,” Tichenor said. “A great weather forecast didn’t hurt either.”
It was a gorgeous weekend in Kentucky, and the result was a huge turnout of cars in all aspects of the event. However, one, in particular, seemed to gain some traction in the dirt. That was the Off-Road Experience, which saw Bigfoot crushing cars, the wild Hooptie X Challenge, the TORR Raptor Rumble, and of course, Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Loren Healy Funhaving in RTR Ultra 4 and street-going Broncos. All of this was to the delight of a big audience.
“Our emphasis is always on fun, but off-road was an emphasis in general. It’s just a fun part of the event for us as Holley guys to work on,” Tichenor said. “It is something new for us at all of our Bowling Green events, so we are enjoying it.”
Of course, the Autocross, Burnout Contest, Drifting, Grand Champion competition, and more kept fans enthralled at the circle track behind the drag strip as well. However, this year a new after-hours event injected excitement into Saturday evening as Harris Lue brought Retro Meet to Bowling Green.
“Anything new is always super cool to me, so things like Retro Meet got me pumped,” Tichenor added. “Allowing new groups like them to have a place to play gets me excited and then we leave with a bunch of new friends. I am an ’80s kid, so it was super cool to me personally.”
In all the event was a non-stop blast, and it looks to keep growing in 2023. There is no telling what Holley or NMRA might add, but one thing is for sure, you don’t want to miss it. To tide you over until the next installment, we present some photographic highlights of the 2022 Intergalactic Ford Festival action.
