For an opening day to a four-day celebration of all things Blue Oval, it has to be said: things were pretty quiet and chill at Beech Bend Raceway. For that matter, things were pretty chill, period. Waking up to a pleasant rainshower that tinged everything with a taste of fall weather gave the whole area of the race facility a bit of a calm mood. Racers were setting up their pits and preparing for the next few days of action. The cones were being laid out for the autocross course and the last of the banners were being zip-tied into place. The drift cars were parked underneath one of the big trees at the edge of the pits, looking as serene as can be. In fact, the only real noise was coming from the strip, as the Beech Bend crew were busy moving the last bit of water off of the track as the showers moved away, in hopes that the test and tune timeline could be salvaged.

Thursday at the Intergalactic Ford Festival was a rather peaceful affair. But there is no way that peace will last. Over the next three days, the Blue Oval contingent will get their revenge for everything LS powered. And we mean it in every possible manner…from the dyno challenge to the drag racing, the Fords will get to party all weekend long, and party they will. Cleetus McFarland will be running the burnout pit. There will be a Bigfoot Monster Truck Parade (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!) and there will be show cars aplenty pulling into the gates first thing Friday morning. Beech Bend is going to get rowdy again, and that one little rainshower is the only precipitation in the forecast. It might be fall, but summer just ain’t dead yet here in Kentucky!

We will be on the grounds shooting all kinds of photos, so don’t worry about coverage. Meanwhile, check out a little teaser of what was already on the grounds by clicking on a photo below.