HondafestNW 2026
Words - Vinnie Nguyen
Photos - Neri (Valenti) Diomedi
It’s been a while since I’ve done a write up for HondafestNW. The past few years, life got the best of me, so let’s jump into it. Better late than never, right?
On August 9th, 2026, HondafestNW returned to Pacific Raceways in Kent, WA. NWMotiv has been putting on the event for over 10 years now, and somehow, each year, it never gets old. There’s always something memorable about the event, and it constantly reminds me just how special our automotive community is, especially the Acura and Honda community.
This year was no different.
For the car show, we had over 240 competitors, many of whom were either showing their cars for the first time or returning to HondafestNW after being away for a few years. It was a real treat to see so many old friends come back out to support the event, along with plenty of new faces joining us for the first time.
I’ve talked about this before, but what has always separated HondafestNW from other shows is pretty simple: if you have an Acura or Honda, there’s a place for you here. That means you’ll see everything from completely stock daily drivers to fully dedicated show cars, and everything in between.
Every year, I get the same questions: “Why not weed out the stock cars?” or “Why let cars that aren’t fully built enter the show?”
The answer is easy: we all start somewhere.
For a lot of us, our passion for cars started with an Acura or Honda. Maybe it was the first car we owned, the car we learned to work on, or simply the platform that introduced us to the car scene. From there, some of us stayed loyal to Honda, while others eventually explored different makes and models.
That’s exactly why we wanted HondafestNW to be a place where showing your car is accessible, no matter what stage of the build you’re in.
When you enter a car show, it isn’t just about bringing a finished build and winning an award. It’s about experiencing the entire process—from waking up early, getting your car staged and parked, spending the day at the show, having your car judged, meeting other enthusiasts, and maybe even taking home an award at the end of it all.
But the most valuable part of the experience is what happens when you’re surrounded by other builds.
If you’re in the early stages of your build, the next step might literally be parked right next to you. A few cars down, you might see what a fully dedicated show car looks like. You can walk around, ask questions, pick the owner’s brain, and learn from the choices they made along the way.
Maybe you don’t need new wheels yet. Maybe the next step isn’t new aero or another expensive part. Maybe it’s improving the fitment, organizing the engine bay, refining the interior, or simply cleaning up the small details.
That’s the value of bringing every stage of the build together.
HondafestNW isn’t just about showing off what you’ve built. It’s about being able to see where your car can go, learning from the people who have already been there, and sharing what you’ve learned with the person who’s just getting started.
Because the car you’re admiring today was once an early build, too.
We all start somewhere. And that’s what HondafestNW is about.
As I walked around throughout the day to make sure everything was going well, I found myself having conversations with people I had never met before, checking out builds I hadn’t seen before, and sharing laughs with so many old friends. Even though my team and I are technically working, we’re also having a hell of a lot of fun while we’re doing it.
We had some newcomers join the team this year who have competed in car shows themselves, so it was a great opportunity for them to experience HondafestNW from the other side. It’s safe to say they had a great time seeing everything that goes into putting the event together.
Our friends from RaceCentric came back this year to help us run AutoX. Instead of having the course tucked away at the end of the drag strip like in previous years, we were able to run it down in the drag bowl, giving attendees a much better opportunity to watch the cars attack the course.
It was a fast and technical course, and it was cool to see a mixture of not only Acuras and Hondas out there, but cars from other manufacturers as well. That’s another part of what makes these events fun—you never quite know what you’re going to see.
After AutoX wrapped up, Proformance took over the full road course for lead/follow sessions.
For those unfamiliar with lead/follow, a group of cars follows an instructor in a lead pace car, with another instructor following the group. Drivers get several laps around the track while learning the ideal driving line, where to brake, when to turn in, where to hit the apex, and how to properly accelerate out of the corner.
It may not sound like much until you’re actually out there.
Every year, people come back from the track talking about how fast and fun the experience was. This year was no different. In fact, we had several guys hit 120 MPH while following the lead cars.
One of the highlights of the day was a visit from Nancy Backus, the mayor of Auburn. She made time in her busy schedule to come check out HondafestNW, and I had the opportunity to talk with her about the event, NWMotiv, and what we’re trying to build within the automotive community.
It was a pleasure to share our vision with her and show her just how amazing this community can be.
She had just enough time to walk around the show and choose a favorite car for her Mayor’s Choice award. That award went to Alex Chac’s 1993 Honda Civic.
For anyone who had the chance to see Alex’s car, it’s easy to understand why it caught her attention. This is a car that has been built from the ground up and is a true culmination of all the time, effort, and attention to detail Alex has put into it over the years.
There are very few cars that feel as complete as Alex’s, which made it even more fitting when he was also awarded Best of Show.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the vendors who come out and support HondafestNW year after year. Our vendors are a huge part of the event, and it’s always awesome seeing the familiar faces return while also welcoming new businesses into the mix. Throughout the day, everyone had a chance to walk around, check out what our vendors had to offer, talk with them about their products and services, and maybe pick up a few goodies along the way. Whether you were looking for parts for your next build, some new gear, or just wanted to stop by and say hello, there was plenty to check out. So to all of our vendors, both the longtime supporters and those joining us for the first time, thank you. HondafestNW wouldn’t be the same without you, and we truly appreciate you being part of the event.
Make sure you guys check them out!
Aermachina
Backyard Boogie
Big Island Poke
Chasing Legends
Direct Import Parts Shop
Fit Fest
Group6ix
Hella Stance
Hiro’s Hotrods
Honda of Bellevue
ISPY Hot Wheels
Michino Shakai
RaceCentric
Racers on Rails
Seashucked
Social Craft
StanceWars
Stateside Garage
THATKIDDIGZ
Official judging was scheduled to wrap up at 3PM, so our judges made their final rounds through the show area to make sure no cars were overlooked. Once judging was complete, we began tallying the scores while the judges made one final walk through the show together. This was when they narrowed down some of the show’s biggest awards, including the coveted Judge’s Choice and Best of Show.
As the day started winding down, we began setting up for the awards ceremony in front of the DJ, and everyone slowly made their way over.
Before handing out the awards, though, we had a few prizes of our own to give away, along with plenty of donated prizes from our awesome vendors. We raffled everything off and watched as the winners were called up to claim their prizes.
Then it was time for the awards.
Seeing everyone come together to celebrate the winners was the perfect way to close out the day. After months of planning, preparation, and everything that goes into putting on an event like HondafestNW, it’s always rewarding to stand back and see the community enjoying itself.
HondafestNW 2026 was another incredible year, and none of it would have been possible without everyone who came out, showed their cars, participated in AutoX and lead/follow, supported our vendors, or simply came through to enjoy the day.
A huge congratulations to all of this year’s winners, and an even bigger thank you to everyone who helped make HondafestNW what it is.
We’ll see you at the next one!
2026 Award Winners
Best Of Show: Alex Chac - 1993 Honda Civic
Judge's Choice: Huy Hoang - 2002 Honda Civic
Mayor's Choice: Alex Chac - 93 Honda Civic
Pacific Raceway's Favorite: Robert Hawks - 1992 Acura NSX
Best Vendor Car: Eric Anderson - 1985 Wonder Civic
Best Acura Other: David Nguyen - 2008 Acura TL
Best Acura Integra (23 And Newer: Galileo Galang - 2024 Acura Integra Type S
Best Acura Integra (94 - 01): Terry Suvonnarith - 2001 Acura Integra
Runner Up Acura Integra (94 - 01): Cavie Am - 1998 Acura Integra Type R
Best Acura Integra (93 And Older): Josiah Backus - 1990 Acura Integra
Best Acura NSX: Richard Todd - 1991 Acura NSX
Best Acura RSX: Dino Eusebio - 2006 Acura RSX
Best Acura TSX: Jaemar Nonog - 2006 Acura TSX
Runner Up Acura TSX: Nate Daniel - 2004 Acura TSX
Best Honda Other: Austin Hironaka - 2007 Honda Element
Best Honda Accord (08 And Newer): Melv Singh - 2022 Honda Accord
Best Honda Accord (07 And Older): Tam Phan - 1993 Honda Accord
Best Honda Civic Type R (22 And Newer): Nic Buetner - 2025 Honda Civic Type R
Runner Up Honda Civic Type R (22 And Newer): Jose Pratts - 2025 Honda Civic Type R
Best Honda Civic (21 And Newer): Brandon Mcmullen - 2023 Civic Touring
Best Honda Civic Type R (17 - 21): Jerry Casipi - 2021 Honda Civic Type R
Runner Up Honda Civic Type R (17 - 21): Ace Robianes - 2021 Honda Civic Type R
Best Honda Civic (16 - 21): Tiffanie Nelson - 2018 Honda Civic
Best Honda Civic (12 - 15): Robert Thammavong - 2015 Honda Civic Si
Best Honda Civic (01 - 11): Bill Masters - 2003 Honda Civic
Best Honda Civic (96 - 00): Robert Keophilavong - 1999 Honda Civic
Runner Up Honda Civic (96 - 00): Ken Sugawara - 2000 Honda Civic
Best Honda Civic (92 - 95): Travis Kleven - 1992 Honda Civic
Runner Up Honda Civic (92 - 95): Joseph Pleitez - 1995 Honda Civic Coupe
Best Honda Civic (91 And Older): Justin March - 1979 Honda Civic Wagon
Best Honda CRX: Mike Bahre - 1991 Honda CRX
Best Honda Del Sol: Alex Tran – 1995 Honda Del Sol
Best Honda Fit: Paul Christian – 2013 Honda Fit
Best Honda Prelude: Joshua Luquette – 2000 Honda Prelude
Runner Up Honda Prelude: Jonathan Russakoff - 1990 Honda Prelude
Best Honda S2000: Randy Olivarez - 2007 Honda S2000
AutoX 1st Place: Emilio Cortes - Honda S2000 - 32.344
AutoX 2nd Place: Tyler Stanley – 1992 Honda Civic - 33.615
AutoX 3rd Place: Raymond Kwan – 2007 Honda S2000 - 34.6
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