FuelFest returns for second-year extravaganza at South Florida Fairgrounds

James Coleman, Palm Beach Post
·2 min read

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The wheels were in motion to return FuelFest to the West Palm Beach area after a roaring first year at the South Florida Fairgrounds in 2022.

Saturday's return event will again feature more than 600 cars along with celebrities, live music, a beer and food garden and, of course, live racing.

Last year more than 8,000 fans attended the high-horsepower, high-energy event that featured guest stars Dennis Rodman and Ludacris.

This year, the one-day show will showcase Fast and Furious stars Cody Walker and Tyrese Gibson. Fans will be able to see some of the world's top muscle cars at the Meguiar's Premium section, including well-known vehicles from the Fast and Furious movies.

Co-founded by Walker and Chris Lee, FuelFest is their vision of creating a world-class automotive celebration of entertainment and art. A portion of the proceeds from every show goes to Reach Out WorldWide, a nonprofit founded by Paul Walker. It was formed after a massive earthquake devastated Haiti in January 2010. The organization continues to respond internationally to natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes.

What is drifting?

A drift car generates tire smoke on the figure eight drift track at FuelFest at the South Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Center in unincorporated Palm Beach County, Fla., on February 25, 2023. Event officials announced an attendance of over 15,000 spectators at the event's second year in Palm Beach County.
A drift car generates tire smoke on the figure eight drift track at FuelFest at the South Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Center in unincorporated Palm Beach County, Fla., on February 25, 2023. Event officials announced an attendance of over 15,000 spectators at the event's second year in Palm Beach County.

One of the big draws at the event is drifting, a technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, losing traction but maintaining control and driving the car through a corner.

The wild, pressure-filled maneuver causes the front wheels to point opposite the direction to the turn. It's known as an opposite lock or a counter-steer.

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Drifting competitions were introduced to Japan in the 1970s and became popular. Now, they are held worldwide and judged according to speed, angle, showmanship and precision through the corner turns.

At FuelFest, there will also be a live-action drift course that runs the length of the venue and will feature professional Formula Drift driver Chelsea Denofa, multiple Formula Drift ProSpec drivers along with drivers from the region.

Fans can also participate in competition-style drift ride-alongs. There will be a Top 16 drift competition judged by both the fans and drivers.

If you go

  • What: FuelFest

  • Where: South Florida Fairgrounds, 9067 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach

  • When: 1-8 p.m. Saturday.

  • Tickets: Starting at $45. Kids under 12 are free. Event information, car registration and tickets can be found at FuelFest.com.

James Coleman is a journalist at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at jcoleman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FuelFest comes to South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach