Anyone run the Hot Rod Power Tour?

I just watched the new Roadkill and it got me thinking about doing a...

Edited to fix my idiocy.

I meant one lap of America. And I just saw the entry fee is 3k dollars. Nevermind

I saw it cruise past once. It was amazing.

It's on my bucket list to do some day.

My insurance agent does it yearly, i really want to do atleast one leg of it!

I've spent a few hours at two of them when they stopped in the Dallas/Fort Worth messoplex (Arlington and Grand Prairie). Most of the carb/EFI, wheel, tire, etc suppliers are there with their new products. The vendor cars are insane. Some celebrities sign stuff if you want to wait in line (I got my picture taken with Linda Vaughn and Courtney Hansen, together). There are freebies, drawings, etc. There's usually some motorsport activity going on - chassis dyno, autocross, etc.

Even the parking lot is interesting.

I'm not sure how I'd handle a week of it, but I would like to try.

I rode it in the late 90's, car was featured a couple times in Chevy Craft. It was cool back then so I can't imagine the circus it is now. It coincided with Fastest Street car shootout at Joliet.

I was a Long Hauler. Did the entire tour in 2003 (IIRC)

Rode it in a 1960 El Camino (see my profile)

I'm glad I did it, but I probably won't do it again. It's a lot more fun to just show up and do part of the tour. Traveling three thousand miles with a few thousand of your closet buddies all driving fuel sucking hot rods makes a traffic jam over a thousand miles long. Hotels are full, gas stations run out of fuel, all the parking is taken at every restaurant and stop of interest.

Plus, I towed a teardrop trailer. It was cool, but it meant I needed 2 spaces end to end. That meant I had to park at the back of the parking lots, which meant I was always the last to get back on the road. It took hours every single morning just to get rolling.

I have not entered a car and completed any legs of the Power Tour but have gone to their venues about 3 times when they have been close by. Interesting group of cars anything from old coupes and roadsters to the new muscle cars like the Mustang, Dodges, Camaros and Corvettes. As time goes on seems to be a trend of moving from the hot rods to newer cars. God group of people willing to talk about their cars and the tour itself. Got to hand it to the Long Haulers who complete every leg from start to finish. I'm guessing but I think most Power Tours are somewhere between 1200 and 1500 miles. A long way and lot of dedication for some of the cars that require maintenance along the way or one guy I talked to in an open roadster with no top. They do have a midway set up at each venue with the vendors and sponsers and give a lot of stuff away.

The tours are about 1500 miles, but you have to get to the start, and back home. Most Long Haulers drive about 3000 miles.

My breakdown was the coolest part. That's when I met the old time Hit Rodgers who were more than happy to help.

So... I'm am idiot... I meant one lap of America, not power tour. I don't care for the circus that is the power tour. I want the battery of events, not all the mobile car shows.

"I got my picture taken with Linda Vaughn and Courtney Hansen, together."

I went to an event in London, Ontario and got a hug from both of them. Somehow Courtney knew my son, so Dad got hugs.

I don't know that I would call the Power tour a circus but as they say different strokes for different folks. I see the Power Tour as an event that exposes the car hobby to a tremendous amount of people and especially the young kids that are there with Dad and Mom. Six or seven venues in a week with big and different crowds each day. If you mean circus as far as big crowds probably so but everyone has the choice to go or not be there. Also the folks that are doing the tour (young and old) all seem to be having a good time together and seem very approachable.

In reply to pirate:

I'm pretty sure he meant the crowds.

But the Power Tour also has its share of dumbasses. You just have to make your choices- kinda like the $20XX Challenge!

singleslammer wrote: I just watched the new Roadkill and it got me thinking about doing a... Edited to fix my idiocy. I meant one lap of America. And I just saw the entry fee is 3k dollars. Nevermind

You also have to buy a set of tires. Then again, if you have a car that seats three, you can credibly claim that prepping the car is the equivalent to paying the entry fee, so the other two should pay for it. Although, they'll probably want track time. But that's between you and them. Then it's just paying for food, fuel, and and "f" word that means "hotel".

OneLap is an awesome time... and I highly encourage anyone to find a way out to it!

It sounds like it but I think I am 5 years away from being able to drop 5k on a solo vacation. The wife would not to be thrilled by this.

The circus comment was meant for crowds and a focus on vendors.