‘Import Face Off’ Returns to Newly Rebranded Firebird Motorsports Park
NU Newsmedia
Chandler, Ariz. - Auto enthusiasts from throughout the Southwest revved their engines en masse at Firebird Motorsports Park on Sunday for the 11th annual Import Face Off (IFO).
Motorsport aficionados gathered at the newly rebranded raceway to participate in a full lineup of events, including a meetup, a car show, drifting, a stereo contest, a burnout contest, 1/4-mile drag racing, a 2-step competition, a low-car limbo and a dyno contest.
Joseph Warasky brought out his 2004 Toyota Celica all the way from Hemet, Calif., to participate in the day’s events, leaving his house at 3 a.m. in order to arrive at Firebird on time to stage his car. “I’ve evolved my car to be able to compete in a lot of different categories besides just the Toyota category… It’s always a good vibe here.”
Warasky had a professional display, and every inch of his ride was well manicured, which enabled him to take home his 173rd car show trophy to add to his growing collection. He also really appreciated the point-based judging system, which he said set IFO apart from other events that seemed to be more political.
“I get pretty lucky, my cars are pretty versatile. Normally I have my import, and this is my backup car,” says Jamie Wertz of locally based Narcissistic Car Club, and a veteran IFO award winner who brought his pristine bright yellow 1972 Karmann Ghia out to compete in the car show. “Last IFO I won best old school.” This year Wertz took home a trophy for Best European and his club received the trophy for “Best Club Participation” and a $300 prize.
The car show also brought out Greg Cooper of Tucson and his big turbo 500 horsepower 2015 Volkswagen Golf R to compete for the top European award. Cooper explained that the biggest power gain of his build came from an E85 conversion that allowed him to push 35 pounds of boost. “Once I hit 10 seconds (in the quarter mile) I’m like okay (that’s enough)… I run it every once in a while, mainly just around the streets is fun, it’s just a fun car, it’s fast as hell. I know what it can do. To try to chase nines is just (too much). This is gonna be just a show car, when I go for nines it’s gonna be in something different.” Cooper went home empty handed, but notably lost to Wertz’s Karmann Ghia; tough competition for such a clean and stout street car.
Legendary professional drifter and Arizona local Forrest Wang showcased his skills and was on hand to field some questions and offer his take on the day’s events. “Import Face Off is where we come out, we bring out our imports, we get ‘em sideways, go down the dragstrip, whatever you’re into…. It’s just a good time.”
What’s his advice for the next generation of drifters? “Keep it fun, that’s all I gotta say; don’t forget why we start doing this. A lot of us will forget that… you get too serious with it and it can take the fun out of it. Don’t forget your roots, don’t forget why we are here.” And Wang hasn’t forgotten his own ohana roots, as he still sports a Hawaiian license plate on the back of his 180SX drift car.
We also caught up with Michael Burrell of State 48 Performance & Fabrication, who has been coming to IFO for about seven years now. “Honestly, we just come out to support the community. We’re big in the Supra community, every Supra here we’ve probably touched. It’s a big community for us and that’s just what we do,” says Burrell, who won a trophy for Best Toyota Supra.
What was the fastest 1/4 mile pass of the day? A 2009 Skyline GT-R with a 7.8 second run at a 146 mph trap speed. Not to disappoint, but the domestic crowd also showed up to grudge match the wide array of formidable imports. One such Corvette ZR1 turned a 9.5 second pass, upsetting nearly every other import in attendance. But still, many other tuners turned out consistent high-10’s and low-11’s, which was impressive.
Import Face Off has been a huge success nationwide, with well over 500 past events in the books, as auto enthusiasts seek a healthy, safe and legal outlet for their motorsports addictions. Cliff Wallace, owner of Hybrid Entertainment, the organizer and promoter of the event, explains that “the main reason (Import Face Off) has succeeded while other import tours have failed is because it is run by true import enthusiasts.”
“(Import Face Off) is not some big corporate structure that is out of touch with the scene. We never worked for the media, and we were never professional racers. We are regular, everyday car enthusiasts,” said Wallace.
And the event proves this lineage with heads up drag racing, drifting and showmanship as its main staples. Power, technique and style are equally represented, and the car culture is strong. There is something for everybody, which makes this experience unique. No one category dominated over the other.
The event series had humble beginnings in Louisiana more than 23 years ago.
“I founded (Import Face Off) in 2001 when I was 22 years old,” said Wallace. “The local import enthusiasts and I were tired of only bracket racing for trophies against domestics every weekend at the local drag strip. … Since the track would never host an import event, I decided to step up, rent the track out, and host one myself.”
Wallace didn’t stop there though. He risked everything he had to pay for track rental fees and winner payouts.
“All of my money and hard work could all be for nothing and (Import Face Off) was looking to only be a dream,” continued Wallace. “Despite the bad weather and to everyone's surprise, (1,900 people) attended the first event. … I quit my day job as a medical technologist and took on promotions full time. (Import Face Off) has since grown from a small, local race in South Louisiana to the largest touring import series in the nation with (over 100K people) through the gates annually.”
Enthusiasts can look forward to a scheduled return of Import Face Off next year at Firebird Motorsports Park. But if you didn’t get enough thrills, Import Face Off’s next regional event is at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Dec. 8, 2024.
Event sponsors included: M&H Tires, Action Clutch, High End Autosports, TheFOAT.com, and Insane Shafts.
Vegas Drift sponsored and facilitated the drifting portion of events.