A Massive Car Fest Is Coming To Socal With Drift Rides That Feel Like 'throttle Therapy'

After stops successful Dallas-Ft. Worth and nan Bay Area, FuelFest, a world car-enthusiast festival, will cruise into nan OC Fair & Event Center successful Costa Mesa connected June 13.

Those successful attendance will get to watch nan rubber deed nan roadworthy connected a drift course, gawk astatine much than 700 performance-built cars connected show and behold immoderate of nan vehicles that introduced Japanese tuner cars to nan American marketplace successful “Fast and Furious.”

“FuelFest is wherever bully people, car-culture people, travel to meet 1 different because they stock a communal interest, a communal passion,” said Cody Walker, laminitis of FuelFest and nan relative of precocious character Paul Walker, who was known for his domiciled successful Universal Studio’s “Fast and Furious” franchise.

Audience members get to thrust successful nan rider spot of a master driver’s drift car.

(FuelFest)

Organizers expect thousands of group to flock to nan OC Fair & Event Center for FuelFest, moved not conscionable by nan show and sounds of musculus cars, but by what surprises are successful shop to observe nan 25th day of nan first “Fast and Furious” movie.

“This is simply a emotion missive to nan metropolis of Los Angeles and Orange County,” “Fast and Furious” character Tyrese Gibson, a co-sponsor of nan event, said connected a caller video telephone astir FuelFest.

The arena will beryllium thing of a homecoming for Walker, Gibson and nan “Fast” franchise. Walker, raised successful nan Sunland-Tujunga area, said nan arena will see tributes to cars made celebrated by nan seminal Southern California car scene, including a lowrider and exotic car display.

Of course, FuelFest is besides a tribute to Paul Walker. To proceed his brother’s legacy, Cody Walker discontinue his occupation arsenic a paramedic and took complaint of Reach Out Worldwide, a disaster-relief kindness founded by Paul successful 2010, and he created FuelFest arsenic a intends to raise money for his brother’s initiatives.

“[Paul] was 40 years old, and we thought he had astir 70 to go,” Walker said connected a video call, referring to his brother’s fatal car crash successful 2013. “He didn’t attraction astir being this important person; he didn’t spot himself that way. The kindness is nan benignant of worldly he cared about.”

As for this version of FuelFest, Walker and Gibson said they didn’t want to spoil each of nan surprises, but present are six things to cognize earlier you caput to nan event.

1. ‘Fast and Furious’ cars will beryllium connected display

Some of nan Japanese Domestic Market and American musculus staples seen successful nan “Fast and Furious” films will beryllium astatine FuelFest.

Gibson mightiness not cognize specs for illustration RPMs aliases cylinders, but he said he appreciates nan “Fast and Furious” characters’ gorgeous cars, including Dominic Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger and Brian O’Connor’s precocious ’90s Mitsubishi Eclipse. Those cars and different iconic “Fast” wheels will beryllium astatine nan fest.

“It was because of these films that group successful nan United States became acquainted pinch nan tuner civilization of Japan, which was ace niche up until that point,” Walker said. “We’re talking astir 25 years. There’s iconic cars from nan franchise, from a bunch of nan movies that will beryllium there.”

2. Children property 12 and nether get free admission

As children, Cody and Paul Walker were practically programmed to emotion cars. Their maternal grandfather was a race-car driver and mechanic, and their begetter was a photographer for Street Chopper Magazine. An arena for illustration FuelFest, Walker said, tin beryllium formative successful fostering a lifelong passion and imaginative outlet for car-curious children.

Gibson said organizers wanted to make tickets free for children truthful that full neighborhoods successful nan Los Angeles and Orange County areas could person a low-cost time out. Therefore, a wide admittance summons for SoCal FuelFest costs $58.24 including taxation and fees, but children property 12 and nether get successful free pinch a ticketed adult.

“If you’re a azygous mother and you person 3 kids each nether 12 and you want to bring your friends successful nan vicinity pinch you, whether they’re you’re kids aliases your neighbors, they’re getting successful for free,” Gibson said.

If you want to splurge, there’s a meet-and-greet pinch Gibson positive VIP Platinum admittance for $739.38, including taxation and fees.

At FuelFest, a world car-enthusiast festival, much than 700 cars will beryllium connected display.

(FuelFest)

3. Performances by DJ Quik, Flesh-n-Bone and more

In summation to DJ sets and unrecorded performances, ’90s rap legends DJ Quik and Flesh-n-Bone will big an evening performance connected nan show stage.

Walker and Gibson are mum astir who other mightiness show up during nan concert, but they promised that audiences driving successful from L.A. will find nan travel down to Orange County worthy it.

“There are nary limits to nan West Coast friends that DJ Quik has,” Gibson said.

During FuelFest, ’90s rap legends DJ Quik and Flesh-n-Bone will big an evening performance connected nan show stage.

(FuelFest)

4. A Lucha Libre sideshow

If that’s not enough, location will besides beryllium a Lucha Libre show with, according to Walker, a “full-blown” communicative that has extended crossed FuelFest locations.

Lucha Libre Voz, an independent master wrestling institution based successful California and Arizona, will big its worldwide title lucifer betwixt Tigre Uno and Septimo Dragon.

“It’s gonna beryllium insane,” Walker said. “Best show of nan year.”

5. Ride rider successful a drift car (with a helmet)

After signing a waiver, strapping connected a helmet and paying a $30 fee, assemblage members tin thrust on successful nan rider spot of a master driver’s drift car. Walker calls it: A “full-blown throttle therapy session.”

Reservations for nan drift car ride-along will beryllium handled on-site. Pro tip: Get location early to hit nan lines.

6. Reach Out Worldwide’s arena goal

A information of nan gross from nan event, mostly from on-site activities specified arsenic nan drift car ride-along, will spell to charitable efforts astatine Reach Out Worldwide, which has assisted pinch cleanup, repair and assets efforts for victims of earthy disasters, including Hurricane Melissa successful Jamaica and nan Los Angeles County fires successful 2025.

FuelFest has raised astir $1 cardinal for Reach Out Worldwide since nan kindness resumed successful 2024, much than a decade aft Paul Walker’s decease paused nan group’s work. Cody Walker predicts nan gross from nan SoCal show will thief Reach Out Worldwide walk nan $1-million milestone.

“I gave up everything to make judge that Reach Out Worldwide could function,” Walker said. “FuelFest started arsenic this elemental idea, but now we’ve held complete 30 events and we’re successful 11 markets. … Paul would beryllium very happy pinch wherever this has each gone.”