Over 7,000 Fast and Furious fans and motorsports enthusiasts gathered from far and wide for the ultimate car show event that is FuelFest Mid-Atlantic at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, on September 9, 2023. This all-day event hosted by Cody Walker, brother of the late Fast and Furious star, Paul Walker, featured live drifting, roll racing, live entertainment, and guest appearances by Tyrese Gibson and Cody Walker, himself! A portion of the event’s proceeds contributed to Paul Walker’s charity Reach Out Worldwide.
“We’ve known for a while we’ve needed to do a show over here in the Northeast and you guys showed up,” Walker said to crowd from the Yokohama Stage.
Cody Walker announces plans to return to New Jersey Motorsports Park for FuelFest Mid-Atlantic 2024
The car show stretched across the entire one million square feet of the Thunderbolt Raceway paddock and featured over 600 top modified, exotic, performance built, and rare cars from all over the world. Among the exhibit filled with show cars, FuelFest sponsors and vendors, was the “Taste of Tokyo” display and cars that were actually featured in the Fast and Furious movie franchise, including the 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII used by Paul Walker in 2 Fast 2 Furious!
2001 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII used by Paul Walker in 2 Fast 2 Furious
Fans collected in the grandstands surrounding Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park to witness the spectacle of live roll racing and drifting like never before seen at the race track before. Drivers, both local and from across the nation, raced down the front straight throughout the day, entertaining the fans at all points during the event.
VIP ticket holders enjoyed exclusive access to the VIP Lounge in the event garage where Cody Walker spoke to select fans in a meet-and-greet fashion, providing them with a once-in-lifetime experience to interact with the heart and soul of the festival.
In addition to all the action on track and in the paddock, families could unwind from the beautiful 90-degree weather at the kids’ zone and concessions stand that contained a series of inflatable houses and food trucks located right next the Yokohama Stage.
The most memorable part of the event came towards the end of the evening when Tyrese Gibson, known for his role as Roman Pearce in the Fast and Furious franchise, arrived by helicopter and entered the paddock with Cody Walker riding a white Rolls-Royce! The two took the stage to lead a dedication to the late Paul Walker that is befitting the star’s passion for the car community. Drivers and show car owners revved their engines in unison to pay homage to Paul Walker who would have turned 50 years old on September 12th.
Before leaving the stage, the two hosts, Walker and Gibson, acknowledged the cheers and chants of the crowd and announced their plans to return to New Jersey Motorsports Park with FuelFest next year, 2024!
A portion of the event’s proceeds benefited Reach Out Worldwide, the non-profit founded by Paul Walker. Reach Out Worldwide is now helping those in Maui by shipping much needed supplies after its recent disaster in August.
Tyrese Gibson takes the Yokohama stage at FuelFest at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ.
“You guys showing up today has helped our brother, Paul Walker’s, charitable organization, Reach Out Worldwide, to cross the $400,000 mark in what we have raised for Paul’s charity,” Gibson announces to the crowd from the main stage while simultaneously reaching his global fans through an Instagram Live broadcast, “It’s cool to show up to events, but it’s even more cool to show up to events where you’re actually making an impact.”
New Jersey Motorsports Park was thrilled to help bring this world-renowned event to New Jersey and is looking forward to future collaborations with FuelFest. For more information on events coming to New Jersey Motorsports Park visit njmp.com and follow FuelFest’s journey at fuelfest.com.
