When thinking about the import drag racing scene in the America, your mind might wander back to the late 1990s to early 2000s and the era before drifting and time attack went mainstream on these shores.
During those years, import drag racing was at the forefront of America’s sport compact and tuner car scene from coast to coast. It’s amazing to think that youngest of today’s enthusiasts might not even have been born during its heyday.
Whether or not you were around for the peak of the sport, you’d be forgiven if you thought it had all but faded away. But you’d be wrong. Import drag racing is actually alive and well. We experienced that first hand over the weekend at Auto Club Famoso Raceway outside of Bakersfield.
It was there where hundreds of sport compact and tuner cars, and even larger number of spectators, gathered for Import Face-Off, a series of events held at drag strips across the country.
From pro front-drive drag cars to wickedly fast street cars, the staging lanes were packed all day with drivers competing both for money and fun.
If you or your ear drums wanted a break from the drag racing action, you could walk through the huge car show area featuring entries from all over the west coast.
We’ve prepared an extended gallery featuring scenes from both the track and the show area, and we’ll be back shortly with a closer look at some of the event’s coolest and most unique cars.
In the meantime, enjoy the photos, and rest assured that import drag racing is very much alive and well, just as anyone who was at Famoso could tell you.