What to Expect from Spring Fest 2018 in Pomona, California

Drag Racing, LX Show Cars and Brand New Colors You Can Vote On!

If you’re a modern Mopar® owner and have never been to Spring Fest in Southern California, you need to reschedule everything and get yourself (and your car) to the Pomona Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 10th. Spring Fest isn’t just a car show, it’s a community of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® owners and enthusiasts, and it’s so influential that Dodge designers and engineers attend every year, just to get customer feedback and see how their products are working in the real world.

“Gosh, I can’t tell you how many years I’ve been going,” said Head of Design for Dodge and SRT® Mark Trostle. “It’s inspiring. It’s a shot of adrenaline for us.”

For Dodge, the highlight of Spring Fest is getting the chance to interact with customers. “I always try to bring out my new designers,” said Trostle. “Our customers are ambassadors. From those who customize their cars to those who like them stock, we can learn so much from talking to them.” For 2018, Trostle and his crew have a special treat — a chance to help the designers develop new colors for future Dodge cars. “In 2017, there was a B5 Blue Challenger on display, and in the sunlight, it just looked so good, it gave me the idea to show a bunch of color samples we’re working on and get feedback.” Trostle and his team will have a design display with Challenger-shaped models painted in various bright new hues. Show attendees can discuss the shades with the design team and vote for a favorite. “They’re Skittles colors,” said Trostle. “We had a lot of fun coming up with them, and the names. We’re excited to hear what customers think.” Along with the models, Trostle will be unveiling a T/A Challenger in a never-before-seen paint scheme. You won’t want to miss it.

For 2018, Spring Fest organizers are expecting close to 1,500 cars, and twice that number of people. It wasn’t always such a big party. The original meet, way back in 2004, was just four Chrysler 300 owners who wanted to show off their cool new LX-platform rides. A few years later, it got an official name: Spring Festival of LXs. As the platform expanded and changed, so did the show, growing to include the Magnum, the Charger, the Challenger and all their variants. Now in its 13th official year, Spring Fest 2018 features Chrysler/Dodge LX/LC/LD platform vehicles with a special dispensation made for SRT8 variants of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango.

For the first year, the show is open to the public; and for a mere $10, you can walk through the displays and watch Dodge thrill rides and drag racing, and maybe even win a ride in a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon! That entry fee also gets you access to the NHRA Museum of Drag Racing, so it’s a double value; and even better, the proceeds go to support a charity that focuses on preventing teens from drinking and driving.

If you want to show a car, it’s not too late to nab a display place, also only $10. Once you are registered, you can sign up to make drag passes on Pomona’s famous quarter-mile — the same strip where famous racers like Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney and Don Prudhomme set records in HEMI®-powered dragsters.

Along with the show cars and racing, there will be vendors, including many LX and LC-specific companies, perfect for getting advice on performance or customizing your car. If you’re bringing the whole household, stop by the Chrysler Kid Zone for bounce houses and other family-friendly activities for little ones, including a Chrysler Pacifica display. Hey, sometimes it’s hard to fit the whole family in a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon!

If you’re a Dodge or Chrysler owner, or just a car fan, Spring Fest is the perfect place to make new friends, learn more about the options for customizing and racing modern Mopar models, or just admire some great machines.

For more information, head over to socallx.com.

 

SoCalLx – Spring Festival

March 10, 2018

Auto Club Raceway Fairplex, Pomona

Gates Open 7:00 a.m.

 

By Elana Scherr

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