Hot Rod Power Tour 2018

Jonesn · Jun 4, 2018

I'm planning on running the Power Tour this year for my first time. Looking for suggestions on places to eat, and sights to see along the way.
I was hoping to take my LS swapped 63 Bel Air, but I just finally got it on the running last week, and I want to put a few more miles on it around the house before taking it on a 2000 mile road trip. So we are taking the G8 instead, not nearly as cool, but will be comfortable and dependable.

Schedule:
Saturday, June 9: Bowling Green, KY @ Beech Bend Raceway Park

Sunday, June 10: Chattanooga, TN @ Chattanooga State Community College

Monday, June 11: Birmingham, AL @ Hoover metropolitan Stadium

Tuesday, June 12: Hampton, GA @ Atlanta Motor Speedway

Wednesday, June 13: Darlington, SC @ Darlington Raceway

Thursday, June 14: Raleigh, NC @ NC State Fairgrounds

Friday, June 15: Concord, NC @ zMax Dragway (Charlotte Motor Speedway)

customcj7 · Jun 4, 2018

I was looking into doing this as well but will be out of town all week for work. Damnit.

So you're probably putting a couple hundred miles a day only right? So you'll have to time to stop a bit and look around?

Chattanooga has a neat downtown area that is riverside so you can stop and eat down there. Aquarium is kind of cool as well. But for a quick stop, there is a lot to pick from. No names off hand as everytime I find one I like, they change the name.

Birmingham, I'm trying to remember what part of town you'll be in for that one. That can make a big difference on location.

No help on the rest. I hope to have my Excalibur in tip top shape for this next year.

matth_85 · Jun 4, 2018

I'm hoping to come up to ZMax for that day in my car. Will just have to see how work goes. Have a buddy that's going to start the tour in Alabama.

P · Jun 4, 2018

Got a local guy doing it with his son in his C10 they built together.

ridered3 · Jun 4, 2018

Jonesn said:
I'm planning on running the Power Tour this year for my first time. Looking for suggestions on places to eat, and sights to see along the way.
I was hoping to take my LS swapped 63 Bel Air, but I just finally got it on the running last week, and I want to put a few more miles on it around the house before taking it on a 2000 mile road trip. So we are taking the G8 instead, not nearly as cool, but will be comfortable and dependable.

Schedule:
Saturday, June 9: Bowling Green, KY @ Beech Bend Raceway Park

Sunday, June 10: Chattanooga, TN @ Chattanooga State Community College

Monday, June 11: Birmingham, AL @ Hoover metropolitan Stadium

Tuesday, June 12: Hampton, GA @ Atlanta Motor Speedway

Wednesday, June 13: Darlington, SC @ Darlington Raceway

Thursday, June 14: Raleigh, NC @ NC State Fairgrounds

Friday, June 15: Concord, NC @ zMax Dragway (Charlotte Motor Speedway)

So I have a newbie question about trip/route planning for Power Tour. How do the routes work?

Meaning, do they give you a time to be at Chattanooga, TN from Bowling Green, KY, but they don't specify a route (ie taking I24) or do they have preset routes that should be taken along the way?

onepieceatatime · Jun 4, 2018

Sting on here did it last year in his Cadillac with a blower. Sounded like he had a lot of fun.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

Jonesn · Jun 4, 2018

ridered3 said:
So I have a newbie question about trip/route planning for Power Tour. How do the routes work?

Meaning, do they give you a time to be at Chattanooga, TN from Bowling Green, KY, but they don't specify a route (ie taking I24) or do they have preset routes that should be taken along the way?

They have a pre planned route, that takes you primarily on 2 lane roads, very minimal interstate. You have a 6.5 hour window to 'check in' each city if you're doing the Long Haul. but they encourage you to detour and see some of the sights of small town America. We will be searching for the mom and pop style restaurants for food, and stopping at anything that looks interesting. About 200 miles a day, so there should be time to take in the sights.

I've heard that traffic can get to be pretty bad since there are 3000-5000 vehicles on the tour any given day.

According to the schedule, they have events at every venue. Autocross, drag racing, dyno challenge, live music, vendors.
http://www.hotrod.com/events/power-tour/

sledneck · Jun 5, 2018

No way in hell they have that many cars each day on each leg of the tour. That might be a total number of all the cars through out the week but I bet even that's a bit of a stretch. We had planned on doing it this year but one of best friends (who would have been coming along) just passed away 2 weeks ago. Just not a good time right now. I have a buddy from another shop going, they are thrashing to get the car done.

Jonesn · Jun 5, 2018

sledneck said:
No way in hell they have that many cars each day on each leg of the tour. That might be a total number of all the cars through out the week but I bet even that's a bit of a stretch. We had planned on doing it this year but one of best friends (who would have been coming along) just passed away 2 weeks ago. Just not a good time right now. I have a buddy from another shop going, they are thrashing to get the car done.

This is my first time, so I don't know what to really expect. The 3-5k number is something I had heard in one of the youtube shows about previous years. I very well may have misheard it per day vs. per week. Sorry to hear about the passing of your friend.

5BrothersFabrication · Jun 5, 2018

I went a couple few years ago when it was in Knoxville for a day. Was BY FAR the most fun, organized, badass, +++ car count show I've EVER been to.

Had been planning to go do the Chattanooga Birmingham leg since they released the tour stops, but ol lady thought that would be a great ****ing week to go on vacation to DC. :dunno:

MoparMan · Jun 5, 2018

5BrothersFabrication said:
I went a couple few years ago when it was in Knoxville for a day. Was BY FAR the most fun, organized, badass, +++ car count show I've EVER been to.

Had been planning to go do the Chattanooga Birmingham leg since they released the tour stops, but ol lady thought that would be a great ****ing week to go on vacation to DC.

Well damn, if you could've made it to Bham we might could have met up.

ridered3 · Jun 6, 2018

Jonesn said:
They have a pre planned route, that takes you primarily on 2 lane roads, very minimal interstate. You have a 6.5 hour window to 'check in' each city if you're doing the Long Haul. but they encourage you to detour and see some of the sights of small town America. We will be searching for the mom and pop style restaurants for food, and stopping at anything that looks interesting. About 200 miles a day, so there should be time to take in the sights.

I've heard that traffic can get to be pretty bad since there are 3000-5000 vehicles on the tour any given day.

According to the schedule, they have events at every venue. Autocross, drag racing, dyno challenge, live music, vendors.
http://www.hotrod.com/events/power-tour/

Thanks for the info. Was hoping they'd send y'all from Bowling Green to Murfreesboro to Chattanooga via Highway 231 to Highway 41 vs the route they actually have y'all going on.

Here's a link to the rout they are taking:
http://st.hotrod.com/uploads/sites/21/2017/01/HRPT-2018-Complete-Directions-Ver-5-17.pdf

Yellowyj · Jun 6, 2018

There are a lot of good places to eat in Chattanooga especially down by the river. Sugar's Ribs is decent and you can sit out overlooking the interstate and downtown.

In Birmingham/Hoover Ford's Sports Bar is another exit or two down I-459 from the Hoover Met. They have some Cajun food and is decent. If you come in on the planned route down Hwy 119 to Hwy 280 there is a good local spot, Lloyds Restaurant, on Hwy 280 that is good for lunch. Lloyds is usually crowded during lunch, but they have bbq, meat and veggies. There are a lot of good restaurants downtown as well as several scattered across Hoover and the surrounding areas. Here's a short list: Jack Brown's Beer and Burger, Vecchia Pizzeria, Babalu Tapas & Tacos, Mr. P's Butcher Shop & Deli, Dale's Southern Grill, Saw's Soul Kitchen.

I don't have much close by the other stops. My youngest son is wanting to come out to the Hoover Met Monday so we will probably be out there at some point if I can slip away from work for a couple hours.

sledneck · Jun 8, 2018

Jonesn said:
I'm planning on running the Power Tour this year for my first time. Looking for suggestions on places to eat, and sights to see along the way.
I was hoping to take my LS swapped 63 Bel Air, but I just finally got it on the running last week, and I want to put a few more miles on it around the house before taking it on a 2000 mile road trip. So we are taking the G8 instead, not nearly as cool, but will be comfortable and dependable.

Schedule:
Saturday, June 9: Bowling Green, KY @ Beech Bend Raceway Park re
My buddy Will at Big Oaks hot rod shop is on the route down in Alabama stop by and check out his ever growing shop. Oh and post pics of the bubble top

Sunday, June 10: Chattanooga, TN @ Chattanooga State Community College

Monday, June 11: Birmingham, AL @ Hoover metropolitan Stadium

Tuesday, June 12: Hampton, GA @ Atlanta Motor Speedway

Wednesday, June 13: Darlington, SC @ Darlington Raceway

Thursday, June 14: Raleigh, NC @ NC State Fairgrounds

Friday, June 15: Concord, NC @ zMax Dragway (Charlotte Motor Speedway)

MoparMan · Jun 8, 2018

I've seen alot of cars coming through AL headed up to KY yesterday and today.

xjmarc · Jun 8, 2018

There was a sweet 69 Camaro SS396, wasn't aware that was an option that year but whatever, and a almost as nice Mercury Cougar, 60s or early 70s as I don't know those cars well, sitting by my wife's restaurant in Chattanooga today. Both had power tour stickers on the back windows and Florida tags.

halcat · Jun 10, 2018

Went from Sparta to cookeville and seen at least a million cars, old and new. Also a lot f pickups pulling trailers. "I'll drive it there but I'm hauling it home"

Jonesn · Jun 18, 2018

Made it back from doing the Power Tour. 2100 miles round trip. Ended up driving the G8, since the Bel Air wasn't 100% ready yet. Was really glad to have A/C on the trip, mainly for sitting in traffic. Only followed the tour route two of the days. The traffic was just to bad to follow it every day. Most of the venues were pretty cool.

Lots of really nice old cars. Way more 'show' cars on the trip than I expected. Also more newer Vettes, Camaros, Challengers, Chargers, and Mustangs than I expected.

sledneck · Jun 18, 2018

Jonesn said:
Made it back from doing the Power Tour. 2100 miles round trip. Ended up driving the G8, since the Bel Air wasn't 100% ready yet. Was really glad to have A/C on the trip, mainly for sitting in traffic. Only followed the tour route two of the days. The traffic was just to bad to follow it every day. Most of the venues were pretty cool.

Lots of really nice old cars. Way more 'show' cars on the trip than I expected. Also more newer Vettes, Camaros, Challengers, Chargers, and Mustangs than I expected.

???? I know they make a ton of money doing this but it would be awesome if they put some kind of year limit on this to get rid of all the newer cars.

5BrothersFabrication · Jun 18, 2018

Heard horror stories. Locked rears + 500 or more hp + rain = lots of tore up ****. Heard one guy left Bowling Green 2 hours before anybody else, still waited 2 hours trying to get into the Chattanooga venue. I still want to do it though.