Subiefest Midwest 2026 at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet was something else, and this one hit a little different because I got to bring my own car. I wasn’t expecting that at all, so it turned into a pretty happy accident.
Let me back up. In July I bought a plane ticket to Huntington Beach, California, because I’d finally found the deal I’d been waiting on: a new VB WRX. I live in Wisconsin, so AWD is a must for winter, and the WRX makes an awesome daily to trot around town in. I flew out, picked it up, and drove it home across the country. It was one of the most epic road trips of my life, and I genuinely feel like part of me grew on that drive. But that’s a story for another time.
I signed up for Subiefest through work, and at first I wasn’t even planning to go. Then I bought my FIRST Subaru, and suddenly I HAD to go. It’s the largest Subaru meet in the Midwest, so how could I not? Subiefest Texas is up next, and I hear there might be drag racing. If that’s true, it’s going to be a blast to watch.
We were originally supposed to debut our work VB build at this show, but we got caught with our pants down and had to sort out some issues on the car first. We’re solid now. The build is officially underway, the air suspension is in last I heard, and fingers crossed the wheels are ready next week. I can’t wait to see them mounted up.
Because of those hiccups, I got to bring MY VB instead, and I displayed it with MAPerformance as a booth car. Being in the show instead of just covering it was a really cool feeling. I was off taking pictures most of the day, but when I came back to the booth they told me people kept stopping by to chat about the car. That made my day haha.
The Autocross Scene
Subiefest is a BIG autocross event, and I had no idea how deep that hobby runs in this community. I’d never been to an autocross before, so seeing one in person finally made it click. These drivers get seriously competitive over their times, and it’s wild watching different cars handle the same layout.
You can see setups make the difference right in front of you. Two of the exact same car can run wildly different times just based on how they’re built. You can figure that out at a track day too, but autocross makes it obvious, and it was a great way to get to know the community.
The People
The Subaru crowd was super friendly. Not that I expected anyone to be mean, but everyone was genuinely happy to talk about their car with you. The egos left the chat and all anyone cared about was having a fun day.
The VB Scene (and Why the Skirts Matter)
I was shocked how few VBs showed up in World Rally Blue. With all the heritage behind that color, I figured it’d be everywhere. I was one of only like 3 to 5 in WRB, and one of about 3 that were modified. I’m not mad about that.
There was one bagged VB that looked REALLY good, with paint matched fenders AND side skirts. The skirts are what make it work. If you’re going to match your fenders, you GOTTA match the skirts too.
This is where I think a lot of people get the VB wrong. You either go black fenders (which I personally love) or paint matched body pieces, which runs about another $1K. Most people who go paint matched stop at the fenders and forget the skirts and rear fascia, so the look never gets finished.
Still, it was awesome seeing how many cars showed up paint matched or fully wrapped. For the Midwest, people really showed out.
The Subaru Motorsports Cars
I didn’t expect Subaru to bring out their own heavy hitters, but they did: the Baja Brat, Bucky’s STI, and Project Midnight (the all-black, 670hp WRX built for hillclimbs like Goodwood and Mt. Washington). Getting to see some of the most iconic modern Subies up close was special, and so were the kids’ faces when they realized Bucky was there too.
Bucky Lasek Went HARD
One of the coolest parts of the day was watching Bucky Lasek, the legendary pro skater turned Subaru driver, go hard in the paint during his demos. He threw that STI around about as hard as you possibly could. He’d get literal centimeters from the Jersey barriers and still hold his line, then come flying by into a dragging burnout and drift around the cones. Talk about a smoke show haha.
Travis Pastrana was supposed to make an appearance too, but he couldn’t make it out due to an injury. Wishing Travis the absolute best and a quick recovery. Nobody likes being down!
Cars With Character
The show had a huge mix of Subarus, including rare ones I never expected to see. What I was really drawn to, though, were the cars that tell a story, and there were dozens and dozens of them.
There were fully built air trunk setups (talk about dedication), and one dude had a literal water feature, like a little pond display, in his trunk. That was NOT on my bingo card.
The overland builds were a highlight too. You don’t usually see a bunch of off-road and overland Subarus in one place, from WRXs to Outbacks to some of the newer Subaru SUVs. A lot of them were cars I never would have pictured as trail rigs, but lo and behold, there they were.
The Vendors
I walked around and talked with a bunch of the vendors, and a lot of them are staples in this community. People EXPECT to see these brands here. It reminded me of L’oe Show, the VW show Jamie hosts out in Pottstown, PA, where the community supports the brands and the brands support right back. I don’t think you get that level of respect at a lot of other shows this size. They know the platform inside and out, and they’ll go full nerd with you if that’s what you’re after.
The Dogs!!
Probably my favorite part of the whole event was how dog friendly the Subaru community is. I’m a total sucker for a dog. I could probably own one, I’m just not sure I’m ready for that responsibility yet. I travel so much for work that part of me feels like it wouldn’t be fair. Then again, when I’m home, I’m HOME, so maybe it balances out. The problem is I don’t have anyone to watch a dog when I’m gone for long stretches, and I’m not about to pretend I need a service dog just to bring one on a plane haha. So for now, I’ll keep petting everyone else’s.
Until Next Year
I can’t wait to go back next year. Hopefully by then my car is a little more modified so it represents me a bit better. Maybe some suspension, maybe a new set of wheels, and some tint. I REALLY need some tint LOL.
I suppose that’ll do for now. See you soon!
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