Wekfest Chicago 2026

Navy Pier was the venue for WekFest Chicago. GT-R shows of its underglow.

In the realm of import car shows, Wekfest stands at the top of the list for quality builds and show car presentation. Entering the GT-R at this event is a good way to see how our restoration stacks up against other car builders in the Midwest. This was my first time at Wekfest Chicago at Navy Pier, both visiting and displaying a car, so I was curious to see what the scene would be like. As the cars rolled in, it was easy to see the quality of the vehicles on display.

I brought out all the Bee Racing signage and accessories for this event.

My friend Serg invited me to park with his FullyDrivn crew at the show where they had a vendor tent and some merch for sale. Between Serg and FullyDrivn, Mark and Legit Manila, and Orlando and Team Nostalgic, it has been wonderful to hang out and connect with friends at the import car shows this year. They have all been attending these shows for years, and it is great to hear their perspective on the Chicago car scene.

The FullyDrivn crew car lineup at Wekfest Chicago.

Besides my Bee*R GT-R, FullyDrivn was also represented by Dave and his Marga Hills wide body NSX, Brett and his LS-swapped 240Z, and Chris and his FK8 Varis-kitted Honda Civic. Overall, it's a good mix of old and new import tuning. Special thanks to Gio, Nathan, and John who helped out at the FullyDrivn booth.

Elliot likes his Hondas in black, and they do look good together.

Elliot was parked up with Orlando and the Team Nostalgic crew. He brought both his Honda Del Sol and his matching black Integra Type R. His builds have a distinct style that stands out at these shows. His attention to detail and liberal use of carbon fiber also catches the judges attention.

Mike's EJ Civic sports a perfect, period-correct teal paint job.

Mike was there with his newly refreshed teal EJ2 Honda Civic. He was busting his tail getting this car ready for the show, and the car displayed well under the Navy Pier lights. Mike was a part of the FullyDrivn crew at the Chi Town Alley exhibit at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year.

It's nice to see an impressively clean DA Integra with premium Mugen parts.

Parked right across from us was the King Motorsports booth. They had an impressive collection of Honda and Acura automobiles on display. This DA series Integra caught my eye, sporting rare Mugen wheels and body kit. One of my first import cars was a 1992 DA Ingegra, and I still have a soft spot for the styling of these cars. They are rare to see on the road these days, and not that common at car shows either.

Even exotic cars like the MC20 are welcome at WekFest.

Chicago Eco Wash also brought out an impressive selection of cars, including an NSX, a Maserati MC20, a Mercedes AMG GT, and some Mercedes and Lexus VIP builds.

Team Emotion has an extremely tight presentation at car shows. Impressive builds!

Team Emotion came out all the way from the East Coast, bringing eight super clean builds to display, including an MR2, an R35 GT-R. an A90 Supra, and an old school Civic with an Integra face swap. Their display signage and car builds were top level. Their cars won numerous awards, including best team of the show.

Known as the Toyota Soarer in Japan, we knew it as the Lexus SC300 in the USA.

Emotion also brought this well-built SC300/Soarer, The stance, livery, and overall build are a good example of the high standard at Wekfest.

The Acura Integra Type R is a popular platform for tuning.

Even though there was a good mix of Import brands at this show, It felt like the Honda/Acura presence was especially strong. I used to own a 1997 Acura Integra Type R, so it was interesting to see the wide array of Integra builds at this show. Yellow paint always stands out to me.

A clean Honda S2000 from the BAS team.

I've seen this black Honda S2000 from team BAS at shows before, and it always stops me in my tracks. This car is a great example of choice part selection, clean black paint, and just the right amount of modification without going too far. If I was to build an S2K, it might end up something like this.

An impressive EG Civic with plenty of titanium parts under the hood.

Racecraft also had an impressive selection of Honda builds on display, including this fresh EG Honda Civic owned by the man behind the white car collection, Fish! ITBs, titanium hardware, and plenty of details made this build stand out.

Frank and the GT-R took home the award for Best Restoration at WekFest.

Even though the judges at this show are a bit reserved in their reactions, they listened to all the details behind our GT-R build. They presented me with an award for Best Restoration.

WekFest Award right at home next to the GT-R engine bay.

At the awards presentation, the organizer of Wekfest, Joey, shared all the details of our build and the Bee Racing story with the audience. His team of organizers and judges are true car enthusiasts who seek to elevate the car scene by showcasing the best builds in each region, including LA, Chicago, and other locations as far away as Tokyo.

Frank, Bret, Elliot, and Mike stand proud with their Wekfest Awards.

It was a great feeling to share the moment with Bret, Elliot, and Mike, who also took home awards in their respective categories at the show. We all speak the same language and provide support for each other when the car projects encounter challenges along the way. For me, hanging out with friends and meeting new friends is the main reason I attend these shows. It's nice to know people who understand and appreciate the time and effort that goes into show car builds.

GT-R strikes a pose at sunset.

It was an honor to take home an award at an import show as prestigious as Wekfest. This car had so many challenges and setbacks during its restoration, and the work is still not quite finished. For a brief moment, it feels good to stand back and appreciate the recognition this car receives everywhere it goes. Kiyonori Imai certainly created something special at the Bee Racing shop, and I am proud to be the custodian of this car for many years to come. As the summer car show season draws to a close in Chicago, I will have the memories of these car shows to keep me warm all winter long.