A Big Beautiful Weekend: Wicked Big Meet 2025

It is also a great time for new enthusiasts to stand back and appreciate what some hard working modifiers have accomplished during their journey and what they contribute to the community. The event displays an assortment of Subaru models at different levels of modification and performance and hosts a number of product vendors who are positioned to share both their expertise and knowledge of the Subaru brand and their aftermarket product lines. If the idea of this meeting was not thrilling enough, some of the attendees and many more enthusiasts around the region eagerly planned to converge on the main event on Sunday, June 8th, at Wicked Big Meet at Stafford Motor Speedway, also in Connecticut, about 45 minutes east of the Pre-Meet gathering. Between the Subimods’ Pre-Meet and Wicked Big Meet, all in attendance will be primed to weave through the crowd, make new friends, and enjoy the camaraderie with like minded individuals from all walks of life. Now that we have given a small taste of the larger, more satisfying meal, let's break down each day from ground level. We will attempt to give more of an inside view of both events from our eyes to help inspire those who couldn't attend, be a review for those who could, and be a benefit to by sharing the overall experience.

Many of us sit back year after year and observe events like these take shape and bloom into reality without realizing the preparation and effort that goes into this massive weekend. A lot of individuals are put in motion to ensure that things go smoothly and deployment is successful. This year was especially challenging for numerous teams inside and outside the Subimods camp since it was a multi-event weekend demanding a significant workforce and staffing to be engaged at two parts of the country. Without dragging the reader through the details of event planning and logistics that are not really important at this point in time, we can clearly confirm that both events here in the state of Connecticut, starting off with the always anticipated Subimods Pre-Meet, pushed through and delivered on promises made during the month of anticipation. The Pre-Meet has always proved itself to be an exciting, encouraging, but intimate enthusiast gathering when compared to the others scheduled throughout the year since it concentrates on bringing the most dedicated Subaru fans together for an inspiring few hours to help launch and amplify the mood for the bigger event on the following day. The most rewarding observation for anyone is always the instant connection those in our community make with each other, whether they haven't seen each other in a year or over ten years. The modification spirit is being cultivated before our eyes for both the oldest souls and the youngest rebels within the group.

Years past have given us clear, cool days under a perfect sky where colors pop and there is not a care in the world for both organizer or attendee. In our most perfect dream scenario, these events should always happen without mother nature's dysfunctional hand waving over the recipe, but sometimes this comes to frustrate the ideals set in motion. This weekend started like most during this latest trend of "spring into summer soaking" that has fed frustration for any New Englander who wishes to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors to escape their demanding work week. This is especially true to the enthusiast who has had these events penned into their calendars for months. Well, waking up on Saturday brought some discouraging rain to our member's eyes, but did not flood out the level of excitement and spirit that blanketed the overall fellowship that the Pre-Meet always exhibits. One of Subimods' lead event coordinators, Kayley DeFranzo, commented on how their team effort, cooperation, and brand spirit makes these events exciting and successful even when the overarching situation is less than perfect and inviting. "When you hear assorted people say that they got everything for their various builds from us exclusively, that is both rewarding and inspiring.", she said. DeFranzo notes that hearing this level of feedback makes all the hard work and effort worth it by the end of a long day and weekend. "It's amazing being shocked and nicely humbled when lots of people knew each of us by name - somehow.", she said with pride. "They have been watching the team working together to get the work done without issue. This really proves reliability and trust to ourselves and to our dedicated customer base." The Subimods team pulled together and, as usual, delivered an energy despite the less than glamorous conditions that one could hope for on June's first weekend.

The primer created for Wicked Big Meet at the Subimods' event is a combination of a lot of important elements. Of course, those who come out to reunite, meet, and compare notes with their fellow community members is the most important ingredient since without these individuals these events could never happen and be so successful. Another element is the group of vendors who contribute their time, share their knowledge, provide their expertise, and showcase their products to help those enthusiasts who may be considering a new project journey or continuing with an existing upgrade. As enthusiasts began weaving through the event, stepping over puddles, and dodging raindrops, they were able to connect with some of their favorite brands, talk shop, and have a take away unlike any other event inside the car culture. Vendor participation is not only appreciated but cherished by many in the community since it gives drivers at all levels of experience to have conversations and consult without the hustle and bustle of the much larger, more time demanding event. Subimods' Pre Meet brought an array of the industries most respected providers of aftermarket products, including, AWE, XForce, HPS Performance, Whiteline, Cobb Tuning, and others like SubieChick and Overtake. Anyone familiar with Subaru's fandom will know that the promotion, encouragement, and pride behind its diverse and inclusive population is a cornerstone of what makes Subaru ownership so special and unique.

Attending these events is more than spending a few hours gazing distantly back and forth across an expanse of strangers and maybe drooling over several cars or products that you would never get to see on the street. We all know that there is a lot more behind the curtain than meets the eye. Community, lifestyle, creativity, education, and helping each other proves to be the common thread that runs through the energy of these gatherings. These are really not about pushing products, personalities, agenda, but more about connection, possibilities, and inspiration. In addition to the select number of vendors and manufacturers at the Pre-Meet, there were a few members of some regional clubs along with their cars parked proudly on the ground Saturday. These are dedicated people who represent just a small slice of what our community offers to the larger picture capturing this unique and passionate lifestyle. One example of spirit and ongoing motivation is SubieGirls, a car culture collective from Slate Hill, New York . Their group was founded by a crew of dedicated female enthusiasts in 2006 with a solid goal and vision to be educators who encourage, empower, and inspire women who both drive Subarus and take an active part in our vast, diverse community. Along with other woman-powered groups like Lady Driven New England (LDNE), their members brought some definite inspiration by the time the main event launched on Sunday. Saturday's Pre-Meet also brought another New York based group down for some fun and fellowship. The 845Subie group came out with a few cars on display and buckets of confidence to match. This collection of community members, impressive product offerings, bold and beautiful examples of automotive performance, and a whole lot of excited individuals is not really enough to ramp up for one of the largest car events to hit the Northeast.

The Subimods' Pre Meet event also includes an annual visit from one of Subaru's most unique and popular drivers, Bucky Lasek, who is known to famously spend quality time with those other enthusiasts in attendance - sharing stories, signing autographs, translating expertise, and expelling knowledge of the motor sport and lifestyle he loves so much. With his Vermont Sports Car (VSC) STI Hatchback known as "Betty" closely in tow for the weekend, Lasek will be a main focus and display of driving skill and personality as the event moves through Sunday. Along with the event's car show, line up of visiting vendors, and fun food offerings which included complimentary pizza, a thrilled raffle winner walked away with a limited edition Bucket skateboard deck from Lasek himself. Again, more than just a semi-organized community car event built around selling product and promoting personalities, the Subimods' Pre Meet has served as a place to hang out, meet new friends, connect with old ones, and also have the opportunity to network with some knowledgeable enthusiasts with a wide range of experiences that could prove to be one of the biggest values to the visiting Subaru lover. A beautiful take away from Saturday's event was aptly described again by Subimods' DeFranzo as she proudly explained, "There were candid conversations between enthusiasts and us, at all levels.", she said. "This includes people who are more into aesthetics of their car, track spec builds, drift builds, restorations, and purist builds." Commenting on both diversity and inclusion, she added, "People came from all walks of life and got together under a common theme. Having the opportunity to meet our customers in real life. Putting names to faces and expressing mutual gratitude. It’s nice to see. I wish the world could get along like that in real life."

Pulling into the Pre Meet event, taking in all of the day's excitement, and getting charged for Sunday's main event is something everyone should experience, whether you chose to move forward through the weekend or not. The intimate feelings gained through a smaller preparatory gathering like Pre Meet can get the most experienced enthusiast ready, but rolling up to Stafford Motor Speedway early on the following Sunday morning can prove itself to be a bit more dramatic, more intense, focused, and more electrifying than most things the novice enthusiast will experience all weekend long. The approach for someone who has never attended a large motorsports or car culture event in their life may equate this experience to landing on a foreign shore, touching ground in an unfamiliar land, or even discovering a strange planet. This is definitely the next step after an introduction to the workings of a culture and specific flavor of community. The roar of the engines, the sound of pure speed and performance in the distance, the unique language, the attitudes and the postures of the practitioners engulfs the environment like no other. The combination of tribal tradition, passionate ideals, and close knit community blend together as one dedicated voice which immediately affects all that are caught in its wake. The experienced enthusiasts may view the outline of Wicked Big Meet 2025 to be similar to events from previous years. This comes from a familiarity born from seniority and way of life more than anything, but it cannot discount the value that comes to the new member and all the aspects of education and experience that is unleashed in a short, single weekend day. Breaking down the schedule of events is not only thrilling for the first time attendee, but both encouraging and uplifting for the veteran car enthusiast.

As promised, this year's Wicked Big Meet growled into reality like a ferocious tiger who has been growing larger while chained up and caged for the past year. The organizers at SubieEvents, LLC launch this annual event with their traditional brand statement waving proudly and free for all those in and out of the vast community of Subaru lovers to see clearly. "Wicked Big Meet is the largest gathering of Subaru enthusiasts in the world...[and]connects the community with other members, performance shops, parts vendors, and Subaru itself. It's the marriage of endemic Subaru products and services to loyal Subaru fans." Truly, a massive statement, but one that keeps proving its legitimacy and provenance more and more as each year passes. Like throughout successful years and seasons of the past, Wicked Big Meet brings thousands of the Subaru faithful from around the country and the world together in one place to experience the glory of their brand, its capabilities, and those who have pushed it to its limits through the practice of motorsports. Along with the expected amplified attendance, WBM again brought the "All Subaru Autocross" to the arena which exhibits talent and captures the best times from an array of drivers and enthusiasts. The Subimods sponsored Flat Four Showdown Autocross gave show attendees and participants an opportunity to test and challenge their skill set and achieve the best time around their carefully designed course while proving the limits of their modified Subaru. The course allowed a timed run for one driver per session to both measure the drivers ability and build their experience on a challenging course. Those in attendance who didn't participate in this driving event could also observe both the cars and talent of professional Subaru Motorsports drivers including Travis Pastrana, Scott Speed, and Rhianon Gelsomino who spent quality time, giving rides, hanging out with the community, signing autographs, and discussing their passion behind their lives in motorsports.

Many in attendance look forward to seeing a wide array of creativity displayed proudly for the Subaru and car loving community to both promote envy and build inspiration. The Subimods All-Subaru Car Show is an exciting highlight in this event since it brings in Subaru models from all points in history allowing both older and newer generations to meet, blend, and encourage the birth of additional interest in both car culture, ingenuity, and mechanical creativity. A number of classes were invited to compete in this years event featuring ones that are more platform specific, including categories like "Best Old School Pre-1995", "Best Forester", "Best Impreza/WRX/STI 06-07" and " Best Off-Road", just to name a few. The event also included class categories that were less platform specific, but focused more on the creativity and aesthetic vision of the owner, which included, "Best Engine Bay", "Best Paint ", and "Best Interior", highlighting some real details on the vehicle which capture attention from some of the most discerning observers. One of the event's most impressive winners was Jose Wilfredo Quijano Quintanilla who captured three victories, the "Best Engine Bay", "Best WRX/STI 15-21" and the coveted "Best in Show" prize. Alongside Quintanilla was Michael Dobush for "Best Old School" and Jonathan Ofeldt in the "Best WRX 22+" category, among many others. All 1st place winners received a Subimods $50 Gift Card plus an exclusive custom trophy provided by Kartboy & BuiltRight, while those placing in 2nd place received a $25 Gift Card and a custom medal. These prize winners joined a list of almost 30 other vehicles placed both first and second during the competition which proved that creativity and ingenious modification projects are still alive and well throughout the Subaru community. This part of the event can truly be a stepping stone of interest which may propel the most casual enthusiast down the road of inspiration and encouragement to take a leap into a more dedicated pool of modification.

It was evident by the feedback received and the attitudes witnessed throughout both days that both the Subimods' PreMeet and Wicked Big Meet met with stellar success. Josh Barnett from Connecticut Modified, was one of the first participants to note, "We had so much fun at the Subimods event. We braved the rain and got to have more personal experiences with some of the Subaru owners as well as the companies." He exclaimed with gratitude. "Our favorite part of the day was meeting with Bucky early in the morning and really getting that one on one experience with him," he said with excitement. "We here at CTModified believe that what you at Subimods and Wicked Big Meet do for the Subaru community is extremely important to the Connecticut car culture and really helps aim the growth of the community in such a positive direction." The folks at 845Subie were also inspired by the weekend of events and shared both encouraging and positive accolades that should prove to be both helpful, inspiring, and uplifting for the community at large. "Wicked Big Meet weekend is a really cool reflection of the history and community that built it.", said Carly G, one of the 845Subie group representatives. "Every year our club agrees that it’s our favorite event — because it’s not just a typical car show.", Carly confirms. "Vendors and enthusiasts have genuine conversations, not just sales or product pushing.” While soon reflecting on the favorite parts of the weekend, Carly exclaimed, "Honestly, the best part about the events is getting to meet people and hear their stories. So many people joined car culture and built their careers out of the community. It’s refreshing to have real conversations with vendors and get to know other people who, even after a lifetime and career, still love it as much as we do.", Carly said. Related to the benefits these events bring to the community as a whole, Carly explained, "This event lets us meet the people who put their blood, sweat, and tears into creating it. It helps companies reconnect or connect for the first time with the people who represent their brand. It also helps clubs meet people from their communities to get them involved with people who feel like they do about the Subaru brand. There are no other events quite like Wicked Big Meet weekend."

Were you able to attend either this year's Pre-Meet or Wicked Big Meet events? Are you inspired by someone you met at the event or by something you read in this article? Do you want to start your own modification journey? We think it's time to get motivated.

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Subimods continues to concentrate on providing aftermarket innovations and products that take the Subaru platform of your choice to new levels in the present and the future, no matter if you choose a more exciting, dynamic daily drive, a more exhilarating weekend on the track, or a more aggressive adventure overland and in the wild.

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