Import Face-Off is one of the longest-running and most accessible car events in the United States, and the pricing reflects that. IFO originated in 2001 and has grown into the largest continually running national import show and race series in the country, with 40+ events annually. It is not a corporate production or a high-ticket motorsport event. It started as a grassroots show in South Louisiana and it has kept its pricing in line with that identity for over two decades.
Here is exactly what it costs to attend, compete, and show a car in 2026, and what you get for each ticket type.
Spectator Admission
Adult admission at most IFO events is $25 at the gate. Children 10 and under get in free. That covers a full day of activities including the car show, drag racing, drifting, stereo contest, burnout contest, low car limbo, two-step competition, vendors, and a DJ. Gates typically open at 9am with racing starting at 10 and the event wrapping around 5pm.
If you want to park on the pit side or inside the venue, admission with pit parking runs $30. Most events offer this option for the extra $5, which puts you closer to the action and the builds.
Buy in advance online if you can. Online ticket sales typically close the Friday before the event at 4pm. Walk-up tickets are available at the gate pending availability but popular events do sell out.
Car Show Entry
If you're bringing a car to show rather than just spectate, there are two tiers. A non-judged car show entry runs $30 to $35 depending on the event. A judged car show entry runs $35 to $40. The judged category puts your build in competition for trophies and prizes. The non-judged entry lets you display your car in the show area without entering the competition.
The judged show covers cars, trucks, and bikes across a range of classes. The IFO series pays out $300,000 or more in cash and trophies per year across all events. Best in Show, best by make, best by modification category. If you're building something that deserves to be seen, the $40 judged entry is the right call.
Car show roll-in is typically from 10am to 1pm with a hard cutoff around 3pm, judging begins at 12, and the awards ceremony is around 5pm. Get there early. Late arrivals sometimes miss the judged window entirely.
Drag Racing Entry
Drag race entry at most IFO events runs $40. Some events run heads-up competition classes with qualifying rounds and eliminations. Others run open grudge and test-and-tune format with no competition classes, just open track time with time slips provided. The event listing on the IFO site or TheFOAT ticketing page will specify which format applies to the event you're attending.
The import car drag racing at IFO covers front-wheel drive, all-motor, forced induction sport, and outlaw classes at competitive events. Past outlaw class winners have run the quarter mile in the high sevens at over 180 miles per hour. The competition is real. The entry price is not.
Drifting Entry
Drift entry at IFO runs $150, typically hosted by a local drift promotion partner rather than directly by IFO. This is the highest single entry price at any IFO event, which reflects the equipment requirements and track preparation involved. The drift portion of the event runs alongside the drag racing and car show on a separate track layout.
Stereo Contest Entry
The USACi stereo contest entry runs $40. IFO partners with USACi, the United States Auto Sound Competition International, for sanctioned stereo competition at most events. Classes are separated by sound pressure level and system configuration. This is a serious competition with national points implications for competitors in the USACi series, not just a casual loudness contest.
What the Admission Price Actually Gets You
Twenty-five dollars for a full day of car show, drag racing, drifting, burnout contest, stereo competition, and vendor midway is one of the better value propositions in automotive events. Compare this to major automotive shows where spectator admission alone can exceed $50 before parking, or to NHRA national events where grandstand tickets start significantly higher.
IFO was founded by Cliff Wallace, an LSU graduate from Baton Rouge who started it at 22 years old while working as a Medical Technologist. The first event drew over 1,900 attendees despite bad weather. Wallace has kept the event accessible by design because the series is run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts rather than by a corporate structure optimizing for revenue.
The activities included in admission at no extra charge once you're inside are worth noting. Burnout contest, low car limbo, and two-step competition are all free to enter once you're through the gate. The $25 admission is a genuine all-day pass to most of what makes IFO worth attending.
Third-Party Ticket Sites vs Buying Direct
If you search for Import Face-Off tickets and land on a resale marketplace, the prices look very different. Third-party ticket sites show average prices around $325 per ticket, with cheap options starting around $30 and VIP or premium options exceeding $1,000. Some secondary market listings start at $64 or higher.
These are secondary market prices, not face value. Buy direct from IFO's official ticketing at TheFOAT or directly at the gate and you're paying $25 for spectator admission. The resale markup on a $25 ticket is substantial and entirely avoidable. Always check importfaceoff.net or tickets.thefoat.com first before any third-party site.
How to Find the Next IFO Near You
IFO runs 40 or more events annually across the country. The schedule covers most major metro areas and regional markets from coast to coast, with events concentrated in the South, Southeast, and Midwest where import car culture has the deepest roots. The full schedule lives at importfaceoff.net with direct links to ticketing on TheFOAT for each event.
Events run year-round, which means there's almost always one within reasonable driving distance within a few months. The format is consistent across locations. Same price structure, same activities, same day-long schedule. If you've been to one IFO, you know the format for all of them.
Bring Your Car and Rate It After
IFO is the kind of event that produces great car photos. The concentration of well-built imports, the competition atmosphere, the vendor presence, and the general quality of what shows up in the judged car show class means that almost any camera pointed at almost any car on the show field is going to produce something worth submitting.
If you show your car at IFO and want to know where it stands against everything else in the country rather than just everything else in the parking lot that day, submit it to WhipJury. The faceoff format gives you a verdict from people who weren't at the event, don't know your build history, and are making a pure visual call. That's a different and honest kind of feedback from the trophy you may or may not take home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cam Walsh has been obsessing over cars since before he could drive one. Based out of Atlanta, Cam covers automotive design, car culture, and the eternal debate over which whips actually look the part.
