10/12/2026
Tom Macht Recap: HDAY CALI Brings Honda and Acura Horsepower to Famoso Dragstrip
BAKERSFIELD, CA — The sounds of high-revving engines, screaming turbochargers, and tire-smoking burnouts filled the air at Famoso Dragstrip as HDAY CALI rolled into Bakersfield for a weekend dedicated to Honda and Acura performance.
From purpose-built drag racing machines to custom street cars, the event brought together Honda and Acura enthusiasts for two days of horsepower, competition, and automotive excitement on October 10–11.
Established in 2002, HDAY has grown into what organizers bill as the world's largest gathering of Honda and Acura enthusiasts, bringing together a passionate community that shares a love for performance, innovation, and pushing the limits of these popular imports.
At Famoso Dragstrip, the quarter-mile was the center of attention as competitors put their machines to the test. High-winding engines, turbocharged combinations, aggressive launches, and hard-charging passes showcased the incredible performance potential of Honda and Acura powerplants.
These aren't your ordinary daily drivers. From lightweight racing machines to heavily modified street cars, the HDAY competitors demonstrated just how much horsepower can be unleashed from both four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines, turning Honda and Acura machines into serious quarter-mile contenders. With engines screaming and turbochargers building boost, the action delivered a completely different soundtrack to the historic Bakersfield dragstrip.
But HDAY CALI was about more than racing.
The weekend celebration also featured a car show highlighting custom builds, attention-grabbing paint schemes, and impressive engine combinations. A vendor midway, live DJ, entertainment, contests, and giveaways added to the festival atmosphere, while activities such as the popular low car limbo brought another dimension to the Honda and Acura celebration.
For enthusiasts, HDAY is more than another weekend at the racetrack. It's an opportunity to celebrate the culture, craftsmanship, and creativity behind some of the most recognizable performance cars in the import racing world.
Famoso Dragstrip has long been known for its rich drag racing history, and HDAY CALI added another chapter with a weekend that combined modern import horsepower with the excitement of racing down one of California's most historic quarter-mile strips.
From the starting line to the car show, HDAY CALI brought its own brand of horsepower and automotive culture to Bakersfield, proving once again that when it comes to drag racing, excitement comes in all shapes, sizes, and engine combinations.
