Have you ever been so tired that you can't remember falling asleep? Ever done so much in one day that you can't believe it's just been ONLY one day? That is how the start of this year's Hot Rod Power Tour has been for me. I had originally planned this blog for last night, but when I woke up this morning with the laptop still in my lap, headphones still on my head and the TV still yelling at me at 5:30am in a hotel room in North Carolina, I knew I was just having too much fun!
The Power Tour is a pretty simple concept: eight car shows in eight different venues, in eight different states--oh and did I mention, all in one week? Sound like fun? Sound like mayhem? Yep, that's what I thought also and I was in..... All in. the Power Tour starts on Friday, goes for the entire week ending on the following Saturday. For me the Tour actually started one day before everybody else, on Thursday I hopped into the company 1966 86,000 mile Impala at seven in the morning to drive the hundred or so miles to Indianapolis to help my fellow co-workers set up for a good guys show.
Once finished with that, I was dropped off at a hotel near the airport for a flight to North Carolina at 6 AM Friday morning.
Jumping from Indianapolis to Charlotte North Carolina is a quick three hours till boots are on the ground (old military term). I was quickly picked up by former SEMA president Jim Cozzi, and shuttled to the Z Max dragstrip in Charlotte, to pick up our 2010 RideTech Camaro. Once that was in my possession, I was off to find my hotel and get cleaned up for Friday night’s kickoff party!
The party was in Mooresville North Carolina hosted by Hotchkis. The event turned out to be a formidable car show of its own with about 300 cars and about 10 different vendors with music and food. It was good to see all the people getting ready for the week’s event. If you haven’t been to Mooresville North Carolina, it is the heart of NASCAR country and some of the best teams, if not maybe all, teams seem to be based out of this town.
Saturday morning came quick setting up booths at six o'clock in the morning, getting ready for participants and crowds to begin arriving at 9 AM. An extra bit of fun for me was that I got to autocross the company 2010 Camaro today...awesome! Giving rides to those who wonder how we can get a 4300 pound car to handle as well as it does--autocross is one of those things that I enjoy, probably more than I should. The ability to make a car do what I want it to do, is where my mind goes into overtime. It was a fantastic autocross course with long sweeping corners and small straight-aways where I was able to reach speeds of just over 50 miles an hour. Over 100 Participants came to race the course, 2400 cars showed up to have their paint polished in the parking lot and twice that came to see it all happen! Just as fast as it all started things came to an end at six o'clock. The crowds were ushered out and we began packing up the trucks. Many of the participants were already headed out to the next venue over 200 miles away in Knoxville Tennessee.
the Road kill boys were done signing autographs
Sunday morning started with a drivers’ meeting and the herding of 2000 cars out of the gate and onto the interstates to the next car show.
Honestly, for me the drive is just as much fun as the shows-- cruising in our vintage cars through the Smokies, over rivers and through many small towns – all the while at the helm of Lingenfelter's Vista cruiser wagon. I can’t be sure, but I’d bet that you’d give your left nut to be driving a car out of the Lingenfelter stable and here I was cruisin’ down the road with both my stones intact, awesome!
Many of the trucks and show trailers arrive around 11:00 or 12:00 and begin set up for the crowds who start arriving at one o'clock. The show begins just like the day before, with 2400 cars with three times that many people strolling in to look at all the candy hues of paint and shining chrome.
Rutledge signing auto graphs today
It’s fun to see the reunions and fellowship of the car lovers out here – I’m starting to understand why people go to the trouble of driving in traffic (nothing like 2400 hot rods hitting the road all at once, all going the same direction.) to go to eight car shows in a row.
Well, I've reached the end of day two we closed the gates six today and finished packing by eight. Now having made it back to my hotel room to quickly give you a small report and show you some pictures
Monday morning I will be pulling out of the Knoxville venue and headed to West Virginia, If you have a chance come out and wave to us on the road or stop by the show and say HI!
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
Hot Rod Power Tour 2014!
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