NOVEMBER USUALLY WINDS DOWN THE RACING SEASON, but the first annual Southeast Face/Off presented by Force-Fed Performance in Fayetteville, NC, aimed to close out the year with a bang. Held on Veterans Day weekend (appropriate, as Fort Bragg is located in Fayetteville), the Southeast Face/Off was a two-day event that started on Saturday, November 12, 2011. The event drew racers from as far north as New York and as far south as Florida. David Buschur even brought the “Bad ‘Bish” out from Ohio to do battle down Fayetteville Motorsports Park’s 1320.

PRE-PARTY

Saturday’s festivities began at Force Fed’s facilities as visiting shops and competitors stopped by to do last minute tuning or catch last minute repairs before competition. According to Force-Fed Performance, a casual gathering Saturday night at the local Hooters Restaurant attracted over 300 attendees and 150 cars for a pre-race meet-and-greet event. From imports to domestics, the lot was packed throughout the evening.

GAME DAY

The weather was pleasant on Sunday, with moderate temperatures offering racers and attendees an enjoyable day for motorsport festivities. Insane Stance Offset (ISO) held a car show at the event next to the vendor row. Tim Carvey‘s 700 horsepower EVO X earned the DSPORT Magazine Editor’s Choice award at the event. Force-Fed Performance states that an estimated 1,200 attendees flocked to Fayetteville’s drag strip as 65 competitors battled for the top spots in their respective classes. Once the track went hot, anxious attendees watched as some of the quickest and fastest cars were staged up at the tree.

UNLIMITED CLASS PRESENTED BY EXTREME TURBO SYSTEMS

Out of the five competition classes for the day, the Unlimited Class presented by Extreme Turbo Systems proved most exciting and dramatic. The quickest competitors of the day were hungry for the win and put on a terrific and entertaining race. Emery Kapral of Street Tuned Motorsports out of Rochester, New York, piloted the infamous “Ricer” to do battle, along with his sponsored driver Chris Cessna. Chris Keagy’s home-built 1G DSM offered the greatest challenge to the EVO contenders in the field. As the eliminations progressed and the field narrowed, Kapral secured his spot in the final round. Cessna and Keagy also worked their way up the ladder to end up facing each other in the semi finals. But after his burn out, Keagy’s staging brake locked up and he was technically “broken” at the line, officially sending Cessna to the finals against Kapral. Kapral helped Keagy get his brake unlocked, which prompted the promoters to ask Cessna if he would be willing to run against him still. Ever the sportsman, Cessna agreed to run against Keagy, stating, “This isn’t the way I would have wanted to win the race. I’m out here to have fun.” Keagy ended up running well against Cessna, advancing to the finals against Kapral. These were the quickest cars at the event and nerves were on edge. Both Kapral and Keagy red lighted the tree as Kapral unleashed a 9.5-second e.t. and Keagy ran a 9.7-second e.t. But Kapral had red lit first, which placed the decision in Keagy’s favor.

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2012

As the Southeast Face/off closes out the 2011 import drag racing schedule for the east coast, Force Fed’s Justin Miller shares his vision for 2012. “We are definitely looking forward to presenting another event next year in conjunction with forums and other shops. We’re debating whether to race again at Fayetteville versus Rockingham or even Z-Max’s 4-lane strip. Regardless of the venue, the 2012 Southeast Face/off should be even bigger and better.” Force-Fed Performance would like to thank its sponsors Buschur Racing, Competition Clutch, Extreme Turbo Systems, Fortune Auto, Fuelab, Full Race, Insane Stance Offset (ISO), Kiggly Racing and Spoolinup Ignitions for their support of the Southeast Face/off and of import racing in the south.