Hot Rod Power Tour roll call

[Butch]

Someone explain the power tour to me. I guess it changes every year?

The route changes every year. Hot Rod Magazine has been doing this for about 18 years and it gets bigger each year. In fact, some believe it's gotten too big to be well organized. Last year's Power Tour began in Cocoa Beach, Florida and ended in Detroit. This year's Tour began in Detroit and ended up here. Next year will begin in Arlington and word is, it will go through Memphis, Little Rock, Chattanooga, and end in Charlotte, NC. That has not been confirmed yet, but we should know by next week. I'm for anything that takes us through the Great Smoky Mountains.

Each leg of the tour is roughly 300 miles, give or take. There is a venue set up in advance where everyone meets at the end of the day. There are vendors present with swag for the long haulers. There are give aways on the main stage each day. There are drivers meeting every morning but I don't think that is a MUST do. Bottom line, you'll do 7 cities in 7 days. Might be a tad overkill, but the wife and I are doing the long haul next year. If we get tired of it, we can always turn around and head for home.

[CJ]

The route changes every year. Hot Rod Magazine has been doing this for about 18 years and it gets bigger each year. In fact, some believe it's gotten too big to be well organized. Last year's Power Tour began in Cocoa Beach, Florida and ended in Detroit. This year's Tour began in Detroit and ended up here. Next year will begin in Arlington and word is, it will go through Memphis, Little Rock, Chattanooga, and end in Charlotte, NC. That has not been confirmed yet, but we should know by next week. I'm for anything that takes us through the Great Smoky Mountains.

Each leg of the tour is roughly 300 miles, give or take. There is a venue set up in advance where everyone meets at the end of the day. There are vendors present with swag for the long haulers. There are give aways on the main stage each day. There are drivers meeting every morning but I don't think that is a MUST do. Bottom line, you'll do 7 cities in 7 days. Might be a tad overkill, but the wife and I are doing the long haul next year. If we get tired of it, we can always turn around and head for home.

Sounds good to me, I think I might do it next year.

[KBScobravert]

The route changes every year. Hot Rod Magazine has been doing this for about 18 years and it gets bigger each year. In fact, some believe it's gotten too big to be well organized. Last year's Power Tour began in Cocoa Beach, Florida and ended in Detroit. This year's Tour began in Detroit and ended up here. Next year will begin in Arlington and word is, it will go through Memphis, Little Rock, Chattanooga, and end in Charlotte, NC. That has not been confirmed yet, but we should know by next week. I'm for anything that takes us through the Great Smoky Mountains.

Each leg of the tour is roughly 300 miles, give or take. There is a venue set up in advance where everyone meets at the end of the day. There are vendors present with swag for the long haulers. There are give aways on the main stage each day. There are drivers meeting every morning but I don't think that is a MUST do. Bottom line, you'll do 7 cities in 7 days. Might be a tad overkill, but the wife and I are doing the long haul next year. If we get tired of it, we can always turn around and head for home.

I think the majority do not attend the drivers meeting but get right on the road instead. Our group did the meeting and the exact route and got to Covercraft in time to watch everyone leave for Arlington. We had to make a short trip to the hardware store and were back on the road. Again we took the exact route and got to Arlington again, in time for everyone to leave. All be it we got stuck in traffic on 35 a few times but still.

In my opinion they shut the venues down too early for you to enjoy the route and the destinations at the same time.

Next year, DiAnn and I are gonna go as far as we can with asperations to Long Haul it. Skipping drivers meetings after day 1 though.

[Butch]

I had breakfast with a couple from Illinois Friday morning and we talked about the drivers meetings and he said they had done the long haul 3 or 4 times and went to a total of one meeting. If there are no route changes, no real urgency to attend. Plus, what from what I witnessed this year, the organization was just not there.

[cobrajet69]

The advantage of leaving a day early for each night is you have the choice of rooms at the next location, plus you have time to clean your ride and you get good parking at the venue but you miss the stops and road touring with other cars and to me, that's what it's all about. If you book early enough, rooms aren't an issue either.

When we went on the long haul, the morning meetings (call "Safety Meetings" then) were maditory and that's when you got a stamp on your card. I liked the meetings and often they had good info that wasn't given out on the blogs.

Also, the BAD thing about doing a long haul that doesn't end up in your home town, is the drive back home, after you've been driving for days in the heat. REALLY best to be able to drive out to the start and end up home - if you want to wait 10 years or so. lol


David

[90MarkVII]

I think the majority do not attend the drivers meeting but get right on the road instead. Our group did the meeting and the exact route and got to Covercraft in time to watch everyone leave for Arlington. We had to make a short trip to the hardware store and were back on the road. Again we took the exact route and got to Arlington again, in time for everyone to leave. All be it we got stuck in traffic on 35 a few times but still.

In my opinion they shut the venues down too early for you to enjoy the route and the destinations at the same time.

Next year, DiAnn and I are gonna go as far as we can with asperations to Long Haul it. Skipping drivers meetings after day 1 though.

The early shut downs were out of the norm.
What DOES happen is when the last decent giveaway of the day- The Painless drawing at 5:30- is done 75% of the participants head to the hotels.
Normally there will be a shitload of people NOT in a hurry to leave, and normally the venue coordinators are not trying to run cars out of the parking lot by 6 pm (as at QT Park).

There is also at least one day at a drag strip...full 1/4 mile, and one day of autocrossing. There are also usually official and unofficial "events" at night. In Rochester, MN the cops shut down a steet for burnout contests, just as an example.
It is USUALLY not such an asswhipping as Miami, Stillwater and Grand Prairie were.
And I must warn you, save your $$$ because if you leave DFW with aspirations of Long Hauling you WILL be scheming on how to finish. Mark My Words!

[KBScobravert]

The advantage of leaving a day early for each night is you have the choice of rooms at the next location, plus you have time to clean your ride and you get good parking at the venue but you miss the stops and road touring with other cars and to me, that's what it's all about. If you book early enough, rooms aren't an issue either.

When we went on the long haul, the morning meetings (call "Safety Meetings" then) were maditory and that's when you got a stamp on your card. I liked the meetings and often they had good info that wasn't given out on the blogs.

Also, the BAD thing about doing a long haul that doesn't end up in your home town, is the drive back home, after you've been driving for days in the heat. REALLY best to be able to drive out to the start and end up home - if you want to wait 10 years or so. lol


David

Heck it has been about 10 years, since they were here last. Man time has gone by fast.

I think the key to enjoying the route with the other cars and the venues at the same time is to skip the meetings and leave at 7-8a each day. We didn't pull out till 9:15 and were right at an hour to two behind the power curve. I didn't feel that our stops along the way held us up that much.

I figure take 2-3 days to get back from Charlotte, NC. Driving back will suck but DiAnn and I talked about me driving back by myself and her flying. 10 days for the whole trip if we long haul it.

Next time I am getting two GoPro cameras. One for the front and one for the back.

[03trubluGT]

Heck it has been about 10 years, since they were here last. Man time has gone by fast.

I think the key to enjoying the route with the other cars and the venues at the same time is to skip the meetings and leave at 7-8a each day. We didn't pull out till 9:15 and were right at an hour to two behind the power curve. I didn't feel that our stops along the way held us up that much.

I figure take 2-3 days to get back from Charlotte, NC. Driving back will suck but DiAnn and I talked about me driving back by myself and her flying. 10 days for the whole trip if we long haul it.

Next time I am getting two GoPro cameras. One for the front and one for the back.

I'd like to see some footage from this:

http://davisimaging.zenfolio.com/p278395978/h2a9566a4#h2a9566a4

I got all of the DVDs made and packaged. I will try to stop by the post office and get them mailed tomorrow.

[KBScobravert]

I'd like to see some footage from this:

http://davisimaging.zenfolio.com/p278395978/h2a9566a4#h2a9566a4

I got all of the DVDs made and packaged. I will try to stop by the post office and get them mailed tomorrow.

So would I. I saw him with the camera phone out the window rolling up on me and I gave him a nice blast from 4th or 3rd then let him catch up.

I actually went to youtube today trying for find videos. Of course hoping to catch ME.

It would have been great to see that fireball myself.

[cobrajet69]

I'd like to see some footage from this:

http://davisimaging.zenfolio.com/p278395978/h2a9566a4#h2a9566a4

I got all of the DVDs made and packaged. I will try to stop by the post office and get them mailed tomorrow.

Me too, but I would like to see the vid of a certain Mustang handing him his ass.

Also, great pix Matt. Can't believe you were able to get such good shots - hanging out of a window like that.

David

[KBScobravert]

Me too, but I would like to see the vid of a certain Mustang handing him his ass.
Also, great pix Matt. Can't believe you were able to get such good shots - hanging out of a window like that.

David

The driver mod is the only thing I forgot to fix before we left the house. That and the damn clutch was not holding on any of my full throttle blasts. Ugh. I see a new clutch of a 4R70 in the future.

[KBScobravert]

I thought this was a great pic of Brad's

http://Davisimaging.zenfolio.com/p278395978/e3e54ee6d

[cobrajet69]

The driver mod is the only thing I forgot to fix before we left the house. That and the damn clutch was not holding on any of my full throttle blasts. Ugh. I see a new clutch of a 4R70 in the future.

No worries Mate, there was another Mustang that drug him just a tad too.


In fairness though, that car was pretty damned sick. I just didn't like seeing him picking on our boy Chris (2165 turbo rail) and his Judge when his A/F numbers took a dump.


David

[Musbrad2]

Matt got some awesome shots of everything out there, anybody needing work should really consider using him.

I think next year we will try and do the whole trip as well, Garrett will be almost 4 by the time it rolls around next year, gonna have to take him. Dad has already been searching the net for an old station wagon to haul all the grandkids in lol.

[2165 Turbo Rail]

I'm glad you took care of him for me David