[h=2]Friday, June 9, 2017 all posts are by Tara Bush[/h]HRPT 2017- June 7-9: Getting There- Orlando, FL to Kansas City, MO (1,246 Miles)

After what felt like an eternity, it was time to head out for the 2017 Power Tour. At first, I wasn't thrilled when the alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. I'd say we woke up "bright and early", but there was nothing "bright" about the weather. We didn't reach dry land until around Macon, GA. We have made the Florida to wherever, drive enough times, that I could practically predict our gas stops. The plan was to meet up with our friends Bobby and Sarah in Alpharetta for dinner before continuing on to our hotel in Chattanooga. Since we had some time to kill before dinner, Tara wanted to wash the car. Only, Alpharetta doesn't have those pressure washer car washes. The place we stopped had a tunnel, but instead of machines, there was an army of people at different stations who washed, rinsed, and then dried the car. Tara was nervous, but secretly, I know she enjoyed not having to clean it herself. After dinner, I continued on the few extra hours to the hotel, while Tara "rested her eyes"in the passenger seat.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Nothing like driving a 50 year old car in torrential rain.[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Speedy hand-wash- I had to stop Tara from trying to "help."[/TD]
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Thursday's weather was the opposite of Wednesday and was practically perfect. It was cool for most of the day. The drive through the Tennessee mountains is a really nice one. Early along, we spotted one of those brown roadside attraction signs for "Russell Cave national monument." We figured: "what the heck" and jumped off the highway to check it out. We crossed the line into Alabama (one state I didn't expect to go through this year). We missed the park entrance and drove down a two lane farm road that got rougher and narrower as we went. I know those cows have never seen an Acadian. Once we got to the park, we watched the 7 minute video about all of the prehistoric people who used the cave as a home. We hiked the boardwalk down to the cave and then went down the nature trail. It was an unexpected side excursion.


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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]If only they made an extendable pole to mount the phone for these kind of pictures[/TD]
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Then it was back on track to get to Kansas City. Tara lamented that we hadn't seen any Power Tour cars. We then passed a '56 Chevy and a new Mustang on the side of the road. I said there's some, and as we passed, we realized it was our friends Kym and Fred with a flat tire. Fortunately, the Mustang was another friend from Orlando, who just happened to pass by. We were in the left lane and by the time we realized it was Fred and Kym, we were well down the road, plus they looked like they had everything under control.

We stopped for lunch and an apple dumpling at Honeybakers in Marion, IL. We found the place on the way home last year and made sure to make it a lunch stop on the way back out. You really should find some reason to go through Madison just to try the place.


Finally, having crossed 5 different rivers named for states (Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri), we arrived at our destination: Kansas City, KANSAS. We had to go back to Kansas because we still had a room night credit from a snafu with last year's hotel bookings. That added an extra 40 minutes to a grueling 10 driving hour day.


Today, we slept in a little. While we slept, the hotel sprinklers undid all of the good cleaning that the car got in Alpharetta. Tara cleaned the car for what will be one of hundreds of times. Then we went to the Overland Park Arboretum. I'm not a big flowers and trees guy, but it was really an impressive place. We then met Mark McKee, CEO of Ace Café, for lunch at Joe's Kansas City (closely related to Oklahoma Joe's which Ace is bringing to Orlando- Fall 2017).

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]I call this one "My friend Claude."[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Tara and Mark McKee at Joe's- Coming soon to an Orlando near you.[/TD]
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Then it was on to pick up our credentials at Arrowhead Stadium. When we pulled into the parking lot, we ran into a group of buddies from Power Tours past. We spent some time hanging with them under a shade tree, then got registered. Tara complained about the "regular" car that went out of its way to park next to the Acadian. (that "regular car" was a twin turbo AMG Mercedes). Turns out, it was owned by our friend Jake who knew it would drive Tara nuts if he parked next to her. We caught up with the rest of our usual crew- Tim and Lori, Tim and Timmy, Jacob, and Ken and Bryson at the registration tent. It was then when the second tire casualty in our group appeared- Jacob found a screw in his tire- he drove all the way from Orlando with it.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]A little early for game day.[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Jacob's screwed tire[/TD]
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We all then went to a mini show hosted by Laid Back Garage at "Chux Trux." They had just laid new blacktop and if you stood in one place too long, you began to sink. It was the hottest part of the day. We didn't stay long.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Laid Back at Chux Trux[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]which of these things is not like the others?[/TD]
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We followed the local Kansas contingent of our group (Scott and James) back to the hotel where we took advantage of the free happy hour and the cooler weather in the parking lot. We ran into Mike with the two orange Camaros that got hit with the tent at the end of last year's tour. Both cars were fixed and gorgeous. Tomorrow is the official Power Tour kickoff at Arrowhead Stadium.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Anything this yellow ought to have the word Taxi on it![/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Car show in the parking lot![/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Changing an exhaust manifold gasket in the parking lot at dusk.[/TD]
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Here are some more pictures from today:

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]'56 Chevy Sedan and Wagon[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Yeah, It's got a HEMI![/TD]
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You are looking at Hot Rod Power Tour 2017
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ur-2017-a.html

Hot Rod Power Tour 2018 starts here:
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ml#post9405850

Here's the 2016 event Coverage on Tampa Racing:
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/event-coverage/824784-event-coverage-hot-rod-power-tour-day-day.html

from 2014:

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ur-2014-a.html

from 2007:
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/video-post/399624-07-hot-rod-power-tour-videos.html

from 2006: (by a Ford guy lol )
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/f...tour-pics.html

 

[h=2]Saturday, June 10, 2017 by Tara Bush[/h]HRPT 2017- June 10: Day 1- Kansas City, MO to Kansas City, MO (0 miles)
The Power Tour officially started today with absolutely perfect weather. It was cool in the morning and there was a constant breeze that kept the heat at bay all day. We all had breakfast at the hotel before heading across the street to the venue at Arrowhead Stadium. We got there a few minutes before they opened the gates, and waited in a holding parking lot. The holding lot rivals many car shows I have been to. There must have been 200-300 cars. When they opened the gates we all proceeded in a fairly orderly fashion around the stadium to the Power Tour lot. As soon as Tara, Jacob and I got in the gate, we made a bee line for parking spots along the grass median near a great shade tree. Others had the same idea and it didn't take long for the lot around us to fill up. Everyone gets excited for Power Tour. We passed a little kid in a Ghostbusters pedal car- complete with trapped ghost on the back.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Primo parking!![/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Who you gonna call?[/TD]
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Once we were parked, we grabbed our credentials and made our way to the sponsors midway and main stage to get clocked in and pick up the Power Tour freebies. I had already bought my Kansas City Participant's t-shirt yesterday, so I was able to skip the t-shirt sales trailer. For the rest of the stuff, it's like automotive trick-or-treating. Spray wax from Mother's, Magnets from MSD, T-shirts and hats from GM, more hats from Edelbrock, and, of course, the Hot Rod Power 2017 windshield sticker from Painless Wiring.

Not only do we get free stuff, but the sponsors also have some really unique cars parked around them. I was impressed by a Ring Brothers (big time performance car builders) totally custom yellow and black DeTomasso Pantera. While we were at the Edelbrock trailer, I made sure to thank the Edelbrock guys for convincing me to buy the supercharger for the Corvette (it's been a really fun year with that puppy installed) and we also offered our condolences on Vic Edelbrock, Jr's passing away. He was a Power Tour staple. He would long haul his supercharged Corvette and sit for lengths of time signing autographs. The automotive world will certainly miss him.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Ring Brothers Pantera[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Red White and Blue Beauty[/TD]
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After we made our rounds, we checked out some of the cars in the parking lot and then went back to the cars. Pictures cannot begin to demonstrate the sheer awesomeness of thousands of show cars (and a few "Plan B" normal cars) all gathered in one parking lot. Whatever your fancy, it's probably here somewhere.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]They just kept coming after this was shot too! We were parked towards the top of the photo[/TD]
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Camaros of all generations were by far the most plentiful. There are also Vipers, rat rods with wicked turbo engines, we counted at least 4 Mustang IIs. We even saw a 1970's tricked out motor home. This event is an gearhead's dream.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Oooh shiny![/TD]
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Once at the car, I added the "2017" to the six previous Power Tour years on the back windshield. It was a tight fit and I may need to move some of them around when we get home. To our benefit, not only did our tree provide plenty of shade, it was right by the entrance and exit and proved to be a great spot to watch the cars come and go. We talked to several long haulers we had met last year in Wichita. They had a beautiful orange 1969 Satellite. I didn't get a picture, but I will try and stalk them down at the next stop.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Tim and his '57[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]1967 Chevelle Gasser- "Stuck Up"[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Blue and white and white and blue[/TD]
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We had lunch via a Kansas City barbecue food truck. Tara and I split the "fat kid" which was an open faced sandwich loaded with brisket, cole slaw, beans and sauce. It was really good. We picked a different route back through the parking lot so that we would be able to see different cars.

Some of the amazing cars today included a 1971 'Cuda convertible, a Mercury Cougar on a custom car hauler that may once have been a fire truck,


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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]1971 'Cuda Convertible[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"] It doesn't look like much...
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]but TURBO!!![/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]For the discerning Corvette owner worried about turbo lag, there's always a blower option!![/TD]
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We spent as much time at the venue today and took full advantage of the great weather. There's a heat wave hitting many of our Tour stops this year and who knows how hot it might be tomorrow or the next day. Tara talked to tons of people about the Acadian. The car draws more questions than Alex Trebec.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Oh, it's a Canadian car, eh? You're from where?

How El Caminos are made.[/TD]
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We had dinner and more than a few drinks with our friends at the hotel before heading out to the Acadian to a bit of maintenance before our first driving leg. We topped off the power steering fluid, checked the oil and, most importantly, re-glued the mirrored centers of the "6" and "o" on Tara's front license plate. Tomorrow we are off to Newton, IA.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]A room with a view[/TD]
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[h=2]Sunday, June 11, 2017 By Tara Bush[/h]HRPT 2017- June 11: Day 2- Kansas City, MO to Newton, IA (260 miles)

Today marked the first driving leg of the Power Tour. It seems that everyone planned on leaving at the same time this morning. It's pretty sweet to hear 50 hot rods, sports cars, and muscle cars all start up at once. We would have left as planned, but we had to wait a few extra minutes for Scott. Tara's convinced he likes to make a grand entrance any chance he gets. We also were joined by our friends Ted and Lori from Texas in their silver Pontiac GTO who we met last year.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Our intrepid band[/TD]
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We hit the road around 7:45 and the morning started off perfectly cool. Our route was really nice. It was predominantly two lane winding country roads through farm country. Sunday is Tara's favorite driving day because of all the folks that come out to watch the Power Tour roll through. The traffic was almost exclusively Power Tour cars.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Sunday brings out the most roadside observers[/TD]
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Early in the day, we hit one stop sign where everyone had to turn right and traffic stacked up a little, but not bad. The route took us through Chillicothe, MO, which claims to be the home of sliced bread.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Best looking traffic[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The greatest invention since...[/TD]
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Lori found our lunch stop at a tiny place called Home Town Café in Lineville, IA (guess where it's located?). It was cafeteria style and seemed most of the town (population 2 ate there. The fried chicken was REALLY good and the service was great. The locals were super friendly and asked lots of questions about the Tour and were amazed we drove all the way from Florida.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]This place seats the entire town.[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The fried chicken was good. The McRib meat, not so much.[/TD]
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After lunch we made our way to the venue, Iowa Speedway. Our cool morning weather gave way to the heat wave we had heard so much about. One bank sign we passed said 89 degrees. That's when it's nice to have A/C. We rolled up the windows and hit the air and rode the rest of the way in manmade coolness. Somehow, we timed our arrival at the speedway perfectly. We drove right into the venue. Within a few minutes after we arrived though, the traffic coming in was backed up all the way around the track. After they initially parked us, Tara, Jacob and I promptly drove to find better spots. There were absolutely no trees, so we found the next best option, a grass spot at the end of a row where we could watch the cars pass by. It was hot, but there was a strong wind blowing. Unfortunately, the road and pathways were gravel and dirt and the wind and passing cars whipped it up pretty good.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]King of the Road[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]King of the Track[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The motivator for supercharging my Corvette. 840 HP and it's for sale!!![/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Yeah, it's got a HEMI![/TD]
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Once we were parked, Jacob and I went to get clocked in, pick up our magnets and buy today's "participant" shirts. I also bought a few of the special edition Hot Rod Power Tour diecast cars (only 768 were made) for my niece and nephew (I also bought one for me too. There was a vendor selling some cool plasma cut signs and they had an Ace Café one, so I had to buy that. I also bought a GTX sign for the garage. Who knows, before the end of the trip, I may have one for each of the cars. They don't have an Acadian one though, I asked.


Jacob and I went back to the cars and that's when Tara and I got the idea to climb to the top of the grandstands to try and get an overhead photo of the showfield. There were a steady stream of cars coming and going, yet there were at least a thousand in the parking lot. The wind up top was so strong, it blew us backward.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Blown away[/TD]
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The panoramic doesn't show the field as well as this video (mute your sound so you don't hear the wind



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We went back to the car and then decided to bail out of the heat, wind and dust. Jacob Googled a pressure washer car wash and we headed out. One parking guy threw a couple F-bombs at us for going the "wrong way", but all of the exit signs were pointing in the direction we left. We got the Acadian cleaned up and headed to the hotel for a shower and dinner. I got some rock star parking on the side of the building in the shade.

We had dinner at a La Cabana Mexican restaurant. It was really good. After dinner, we went back to the hotel and spent some time in the parking lot. Tara had some of Jacob's uncle's homemade moonshine.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Hot rod Buick 8[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Gasp, sssmooooth.[/TD]
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The night had cooled down significantly and it was a great evening to be outside. Tara and I walked across the road to the next hotel over and took in the sights at their lot too. My favorite was a big Lincoln powered by a twin turbo LS motor. Tara liked the Bugeye Sprite.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Twin Turbo LS in a Lincoln!!!![/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]It's all smiles (and a supercharger)[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]There's just about one of every car on this tour, including an old Datsun[/TD]
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[h=2]Monday, June 12, 2017 by Tara Bush[/h]HRPT 2017-June 12: Day 3-Newton, IA to Davenport, IA (130 miles)
Our route today was one of the shortest ones. It was also the shortest trip we've ever had from our hotel to the gas station. The station was in our parking lot. While those that needed gas fueled up (we filled up last night like good Long Haulers), Tara and I said our goodbyes to Scott and his wife Michelle who were heading back to Kansas. About the same time, I saw something that had to be 1 of a kind- a VW beetle pickup, or would you call it a Vee-Double-Ute or Beetlecamino. Either way, it was weird. The owner built it himself (of course).

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]First time I've ever slept at a gas station[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Why? Just why?[/TD]
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We had another cool morning and our route took us along Route 6 which pretty much paralleled the highway. It was a hilly 2 lane road through more Iowa farm land. We passed through Iowa City and the University of Iowa and along the Iowa River for a short period of time. One town, West Liberty, had a great police department who stood out in the heat and waved the traffic through several 4 way stop sign intersections that could have otherwise created hours-long traffic jams.

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The Acadian isn't the only thing from Canada in Iowa.[/TD]
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The highlight scenic attraction, if you can call it that, was the World's Largest Truck Stop on I-80. Jacob knew all about it from watching the reality TV show about it. Yes, really, they made a TV show about it and someone actually watched it. The place was big and definitely a tourist stop, but I don't know that it's bigger than a Buc-Eez. I didn't get a chance to ask our Texas contingent their thoughts.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]As seen on TV[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Couldn't pass up the easy photo op[/TD]
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We initially thought about having a light snack there until Tara found "The Machine Shed" restaurant a few miles down the road. It was a farm themed restaurant and they went for broke with the theme. The food was good ole comfort food and really hit the spot.
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[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The Machine Shed[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Decor is somewhere between Cracker Barrel and Tractor Supply Co.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Having completed lunch, we made our way to the venue at the Fairgrounds. Traffic getting into the place was a mess. It took us nearly an hour to get 5 blocks. Tara was frustrated that she didn't try to find another way in, but that's Power Tour, you have to take the awesomeness of traveling to the same place with thousands of cars as well as the suckiness of traveling to the same place with thousands of cars. Once we got into the venue, we were directed towards a dirt field way in the back. We ignored the parking directors and made our own spot in a grassy area. Then we saw a better area and ignored more parking people until we got parked in a DIY great spot by a shade tree and less than 50 yards from the main stage and vendors midway. Plus, everyone passed by the car. It meant plenty of people for Tara to talk to and made it a breeze to get clocked in and pick up our daily t-shirts and magnets. We stopped and talked with Clarence, the MC who busts his ass to entertain the crowds day in and day out year after year. He instantly remembered me and Tara and asked if we brought the Acadian. He'd never seen one until our first tour in 2011 and he now makes it part of his regular trivia questions and likes to play stump the Hot Rod magazine guys or anyone else by asking if they know what Novas were called in Canada.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Drone photo Tara stole from Facebook-we were parked under the trees by the grandstand building[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]perfect parking spot.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

It was too hot to walk around and take pictures of cars, so I joined Tara in the shade. We were witness to one of the most exciting and horrific scenes of the day. The modified blue Dodge Hellcat Challenger next to us that dyno-ed at 789 rear wheel horsepower was all packed up ready to leave when he decided to rev his engine a few times for the crowd. It sounded bad-ass and then it didn't. He threw a connecting rod through the block and completely destroyed his motor. There was nothing anyone could do as it bled out onto the pavement. It'll be a long trailer ride back to GA for them.

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]cleanup aisle 1[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"] [TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]This is not good[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]He didn't have a motor in the trailer[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Late in the afternoon, we headed for our hotel, the Blackhawk, in downtown Davenport. It's a historic hotel that was built in 1914. The lobby was beautiful and when we got to our room, we were stunned. It was a monster suite that took up the whole middle section of the u-shaped hotel, complete with balcony.

The hotel also has a basement martini bar and bowling alley, so we had some pre-dinner drinks with Jacob and then headed to the Duck City Bistro for dinner. It was a bit on the pricey side, but the food was AMAZING.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]A much different drinking experience than last night's moonshine[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]



[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The wine list is a duck!!![/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Before heading back to the hotel, we decided to walk off dinner by checking out the Radisson "VIP" Power Tour parking lot and then the tail end of a station wagon meet-up along the Mississippi River. On the way to the River, I saw a B5 blue Road Runner that looked an awful lot like my GTX.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]A familiar face[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

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[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]1969 Camaro with a 427 and a Viper Coupe[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]I have never seen so Buick Skylark/GS cars as on this trip. Here's 2 of at least 8[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]They may not have been cool back then (and some not now), but they make great Power Tour cars[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]It's a pretty good dam picture, if you ask me.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Unlike other stops, there were fewer Power Tour cars in the hotel parking lot. But, the Power Tour bus was there. Since there was no parking lot party, we took a picture with the bus and head inside. Tomorrow we depart for Champaign, Illinois and it's going to be a long run.

 

[h=2]Tuesday, June 13, 2017 by Tara Bush[/h]HRPT 2017-June 13: Day 4- Davenport, IA to Champaign, IL (201.3 miles)
Today's route basically followed highway 150 from Iowa to Champaign. It didn't take but 5 minutes on the road before we may have broken our first traffic law of the day. Tara misread the map and sort of missed keeping us on the on ramp. We made a U-turn and then a "gray area" left turn to cut back onto the ramp.


After that, it was smooth sailing. There were some highway legs, but mainly it was more farmland. We cruised through Galesburg, a small town with a roundabout in the town square that caused a bit of a snarl, but not too bad. They had their local police out controlling traffic. Most of the trip was spent with Ken razzing Lori over the radios. The drive itself was pretty uneventful and we avoided most of the worst traffic. We also passed through Morton, Illinois which is home to the Nestle plant where they can Libby's Pumpkin.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Not quite amber waves of grain[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Tara had time to get out of the car for this picture[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Power Tour is like time travel when gas stations used to look like this[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]mmmm, pumpkin[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Along the way, we passed our friends Rick and Lisa from Tampa in their 1973 Dart Sport on the side of the road. They were loading it onto a rollback tow truck. As we passed by, I realized that the tow truck was an antique. Turns out, the guy was long hauling the truck and just happened by at the right time. They loaded the Dart up and he hauled them all the way to the venue.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Saved some gas at least[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
We arrived at State Farm Center at the University of Illinois around 2 pm. I found Tara another great spot right across the street from the midway. There was a shade tree nearby, but she didn't need it. Shortly after she got parked, a 1970 'Cuda parked next to her and he set up a pop up tent (properly staked of course). Jacob and I got clocked in, bought our daily shirts and collected the day's magnets, plus Hot Rod pint glasses that the Champaign tourism board was giving out and headed back to the cars. By then, a spot near Tara opened up and Jacob brought his car over.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]This lot filled up and then some[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]State Farm Center[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]This was her third attempt at wiping the rain off[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The guy with the tent[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

We were also parked near the GM Motor Medics. The Medics are a team of GM engineers who travel with the Tour every year. They bring every tool imaginable and will fix cars for free if you bring them the parts. They focus on issues that keep cars from being driveable. It is grueling work on brutally hot pavement, but they are great folks. They helped Tara and I back in Madison in 2015 when our brake shoe disintegrated. We found out from Rick and Lisa that they will even push your car to their "shop tent" if it doesn't run. The Medics spent a good part of the afternoon diagnosing Rick's car. They pulled the plugs and they were fouled. Rick's friend Lee took his El Camino to the local parts store and bought 8 new plugs. While Lee was gone, the medics did a compression check, insulated the fuel line and verified that everything else seemed in order. Once the car was running away, Rick and Lisa parked with us for a while before heading out.

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
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[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]MEDIC!!![/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
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[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

We had a short rain shower which brought the temperature down enough for Jacob and I to walk around and look at a bunch of the cars before heading back to the hotel to shower and change for dinner. Lori made a reservation at the Ribeye for Kym's belated birthday celebration. The Ribeye slogan is "the steakhouse with one great steak." They only serve ribeyes. It was a bit dated inside, but the food was good. Tara wasn't super hungry and wanted to order off the kid's menu (under 12 only). Lucky for her, Bryson (10 years old) prefers to order of the real menu. So, Bryson and Tara worked out that he would order the kid's steak, Tara would order a bigger ribeye and they would switch when the waitress wasn't looking. They conspired about the cook temperature, so that the waitress wouldn't catch the ruse. Except they forgot to discuss sides. Tara smoothly sought Bryson's "recommendation" about which side sounded best to him.

The hotel blocked off several parking spaces and put out a hose for a makeshift car wash. Some of our group took advantage of the benefit. Tara, Jacob and I went across the street to our hotel's overflow lot was located. There are only 30 spaces at the hotel (we got one). Everyone else was in the convention lot across the street. There were probably 80 or more show cars in just this one lot and it was definitely a party. There was a rain front at the edge of town and it brought a perfect coolness to the breeze. It was a perfect night to hang out and trade Power Tour tales. We met some guys in a 70 Super Bee that had just finished changing out their broken rear end gear in the parking lot. They found a replacement on a local Craigslist/parts website. A bunch of guys set up a burnout box at the entrance to the parking lot and got more than a few takers. One guy in a turbo diesel pickup did the burnout equivalent of a mic drop and smoked out the entire parking lot. I have a great video, but can't get it to upload at the moment.



[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The Aftermath[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Here are a bunch more pictures from today:

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]COPO Camaro on Tour and not even street legal[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"] He badged it a ZL1/28
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Here's why- Supercharged LSA motor from a ZL1 Camaro[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]No gas stops necessary[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]I think this is some kind of death buggy[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Custom hot rod '57 Nomad[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Sooo clean[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Blown Gremlin!!![/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]69 Z/28[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Dart GTS[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


Posted by Steve Klein at 8:42:00 PM

 

[h=2]Wednesday, June 14, 2017 by Tara Bush[/h]HRPT 2017-Day 5: June 14- Champaign, IL to St. Louis, (195.3 miles)
Since this year's Power Tour is kind of a zigzag across the Midwest, we headed back to St. Louis for Day 5. Added to our group today were Travis in a Holden Ute and Rickie and Derinda in Rickie's Mustang Race Car (it doesn't look racy, but I'm told it is quite fast).
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"] Power Tour version of crop circles.
These marks mysteriously appeared during the night
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Our route today took us through more cornfields (this is a Power Tour standard). But, we also went through many more small towns than on earlier days. Several towns had roadside oddities. As we turned onto Route 51, there was a giant soda jerk holding an ice cream.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Not scary looking at all.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

On the way out of a town called Pana, Illinois, there is a giant hand with painted fingernails laying in the grass. We all got a good look at it because it was right there that we stopped to check out a noise from the front of the Acadian at low speeds. It ended up just being a noisy control arm bushing, so we pressed on.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Art???[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Hunting noises. Tour On!![/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

After Pana, we passed through Ohlman, IL where the locals set up a burnout box at a stop sign and posted a hand painted "Burnout HERE" sign. Once the smoke cleared, we kept cruising along the route.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Signs, signs, everywhere signs, blocking up the scenery and burning up tires[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The water in the road is not from rain[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
We passed a Christmas tree farm.

We then passed by a huge barn in a cornfield and saw some cars stopped in front of it. As we passed I saw the nose of an F-4 Phantom fighter jet poking out. Tara, Ken, Bryson and I decided to turn around to get a closer look. It was part of a POW museum and they are restoring it for display. We talked to the guy who said that government de-militarized the plane by cutting it into 9 pieces in order to ensure it would never fly again.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Secret Hangar[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


We took advantage of the photo opportunity and then headed onto our lunch stop-- Weezy's on Old Route 66 in Hamel, IL. It was a small place covered in "Route-66-abilia." The fried chicken special was really good, but not as good as the Home Town Café's in Lineville.


[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
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[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Weezy's[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
On the final stretch to the venue, we skirted some ugly weather that stirred up some wicked dust devils in the cornfield along the highway and buffeted the hell out of the less-than-aerodynamic Acadian. The storm brought the temperatures down for a little while, at least.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]It's a twister! (not quite)[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
When we reached our destination, Gateway Motorsports Park (technically in Madison, IL), we learned our lesson from last year and instead of following the parking directors into the oval track away from everything, we said we were going drag racing and they promptly pointed us toward the dragstrip and the manufacturer midway. I grabbed a spot along the oval track grandstands which gave us some shade as well as potential protection from the small rain showers that popped up.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]We are on the right path[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]No drone needed[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Manmade, but shade nonetheless[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Our friends from Orlando, John and Patty Smith, met up with the Tour at the dragstrip and John didn't waste any time getting his challenger out on the dragstrip. He ran a 13.4 sec quarter mile. I missed having my Corvette with me as it would have been fun to see how it compared to my passes here before I supercharged it. I definitely need to get out to the track when I get home.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]John Smith's real car is a SuperStock HEMI Tribute[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Our hotel is the Drury Plaza at the Arch. It's the same one we stayed in the last few times the Tour has come to St. Louis. It's a great location downtown and has a "complimentary" happy hour for guests. It also has the absolute worst parking garage I've ever been in. When you go in, you have to go up a 70 degree sloped ramp and then make a blind, sharp right turn at the top. This year, there was a big truck backed into a spot at the top of the ramp which made the turn even tighter. The aisles are narrow and the spaces themselves are tight and usually split by large concrete columns. I really like parking there.

After a few happy hour cocktails and food, Tim, Tim, Tim, Lori, Lori (seriously, we have multiples of each), Ted, Tara and I went across the street to the Gateway Arch. We had planned to take the ride up to the top. Except for Lori who's afraid of heights. When we got there, the Arch was under renovations and only one tram was running and it was sold out for the rest of the day. The museum was closed, too. Lori promptly claimed we had convinced her to ride up, but, alas she could not because it was sold out. It's still a cool view from below.


[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"] The museum was closed, but I am told Lewis and Clark built this Arch as a way to find their way
back east.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]




Posted by Steve Klein at 6:53:00 PM

 

[h=2]Thursday, June 15, 2017 by Tara Bush[/h]HRPT 2017-Day 6: June 15- St. Louis, MO to Indianapolis, IN (234.7 miles)
After a short stretch of highway, today's route took us down historic Route 40 through a bunch of small towns in Indiana. The route was really pretty and the weather was perfect. A rainstorm blew through overnight and beat down the heat for most of the day. We picked up Jacob at a gas station by the dragstrip and hit the road.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Coming through!![/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
We went through Brownstown where a local farmer on the route built some incredible car fountains in his front yard. He said he had just finished it two weeks ago.He had no idea the Power Tour was coming through and that he was an instant roadside attraction. He offered anyone who wanted to pull their cars in the yard to get them in the pictures. Tara wants to come back in a week when the zinnias in the bed of the old truck bloom.

There was a side benefit to everyone stopping, or at least slowing down to look at the flowers. It provided a prime opportunity for burnouts and we saw at least two good ones before we headed down the road.


Further down Route 40 was Casey, Illinois. Tara saw traffic backing up and had a shortcut planned to get around it. Unlike last year's shortcut, this one did not involve dirt roads. She didn't mention that Casey was famous for making "world's largest" objects and that several of them were on her shortcut. We turned off the route and about 10 cars who were not with us blindly followed her. They were glad that they did. We passed the world's largest pencil and stopped in front of the world's largest wind chime and world's largest rocking chair.

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]I don't want to be here when the world's largest granny gets back[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]World's largest wind chime[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]One big ass No. 2[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]More big stuff in the works- largest gavel and baseball bat[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
We all got back in the cars and headed down the Route to Terra Haute, Indiana. Lori found our lunch stop at a place called Fifi's Lunch Box. It may have been the best of the lunch stops on the Tour. As an appetizer, they had fried hash brown casserole balls that were really good. The BBBLT's were loaded with bacon (hence the 3 B's). Jacob got their signature burger which is served between two square glazed donuts.
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Brazil, Indian[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Cool old courthouse[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: tr-caption-container, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]"Where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases..." (actually, it's just a diner)[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
We got to the venue, Lucas Oil Raceway, around 4 pm because we forgot to account for our return to the eastern time zone. Jacob found a great pair of parking spots up front by where everyone had to pass by to get to the midway. This was the first venue without any shade whatsoever. At first, it was fine because it was still cool and cloudy, but it didn't take long for the sun to come out and start cooking. I may have looked goofy. but those blue cooling towel thingies fell pretty good draped over your head on a hot day (especially if it has been soaking in a cooler full of ice water all day).

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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The '56 Nomad next to us was really tricked out[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Very Sheik (yes, I meant to spell it that way)[/TD]
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Ken and Bryson didn't run with us because they got "display" parking for their Magnacharged GTO in front of the Magnuson supercharger vendor tent on the midway.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Bryson displaying his car- Ken just drives it for him[/TD]
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Jacob and I did the daily rounds and bought our T-shirts while Tara cleaned the car. Since the midway was on the back side of the dragstrip, we took the opportunity to watch a few cars rip down the strip.


The crowd eased up around 6, but there were still a ton of cars to see, so Tara and I got in the car, hit the A/C and did some drive-by car viewing before heading to our hotel and dinner. Tara still had leftovers from Fifi's. The rest of us ordered Chinese delivery to the hotel (it's not a chain, so it's within the rules).
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Super Cobra Jet[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Pontiac Star Chief[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]The license plate is "1 ONR"[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]1967 Stingray 427[/TD]
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I can't believe how fast this week has gone. Tomorrow is the last day and our longest route. Tara wants to be sure we have time to stop and check out the scenery, so even with the extra hour we gain back on the way to Bowling Green, we are leaving earlier than ever.

 

Friday, June 16, 2017 by Tara Bush

HRPT 2017-Day 7: June 16- Indianapolis, IN to Bowling Green, KY (276 miles)
Today's route was the longest of this tour, but also the best. It started in the hills of Indiana, through the Hoosier National Forest and then the scenic Kentucky byway before a 50 mile stretch of highway to the venue.

Tara and I hit the road earlier than everyone else in order to ensure we had time to stop along the way. It was a good thing we did. Even though we left nearly an hour earlier than usual and gained an hour traveling back into the central time zone, we still didn't arrive at the venue until around 3 pm. There was too much to see.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]What a view!![/TD]
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We couldn't have timed it better. We saw a sign for Cataract Falls and detoured about a mile to check it out. The park opened at 8 and we arrived nearly on the dot. The falls are the largest by volume in the state of Indiana. There was also a covered bridge that was built in 1876 and was in use until 1988 when they built the concrete bridge that is used today.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]140 year old bridge[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Upper Falls[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Lower Falls- right by a sign that says "no fishing from rocks"[/TD]
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After the falls, we passed through a small town whose name escapes me. The route took us into the roundabout that surrounds the courthouse. We saw a cool old hotel on the backside, so we decided to go all the way around and stop for some pictures.

From there, we followed the route along to West Baden Springs, Indiana where we made our next slight detour to the West Baden Springs Hotel. The hotel is the second largest freestanding dome and was built in 1902. It fell into disrepair at some point and underwent significant renovations. The place was indescribably cool. The interior has a massive domed atrium with ornate tile mosaics and paintings. We walked through the dome and out to the garden where the mineral springs used to be back in the day (they were capped). French Lick, Indiana, the adjacent town also had a historic hotel and we swung by it too.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]We thought this was a really cool hotel...[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]until we saw this...[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]and this.[/TD]
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Tara found our lunch spot, a place called the Pour Haus in Tell City, Indiana, but thought it was too far off the route to stop. Then, by happenstance, she missed a turn and we were practically at the place, so we stopped. I'm glad we did. The food was incredibly good. Better than the food were the people in Tell City. When we pulled up it was only street parking. A guy in a Jeep Cherokee told us to hold on and he'd move his car so we could park under a tree. In the restaurant, we met Diane who had lived in the area for 37 years. She was sitting at the table next to us asked if we were part of the Hot Rod Tour. Wegot to talking about cars and the farm truck she and her husband own and how her son skipped out on work to take his 1960s original patinaed station wagon to the route and watch the Tour roll by. She asked to take a picture with us. We were surprised when the waitress told us we had no bill. Diane surreptitiously paid it for us and welcomed us to her town.
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Great food[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Great Parking[/TD]
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[TD="class: tr-caption, align: center"]Great people. Thanks again Diane![/TD]
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We left the Pour Haus and didn't get to the end of the block before I saw this cool building with vintage gas pumps and bright red garage doors. We stopped and took some pictures with the Acadian in front of it. I later got a text from Diane who told us that the building was the body shop where her son works.

The bridge across the Ohio was under construction and reduced to a single lane for both directions. It created a pretty bad traffic jam between the Power Tour cars and the folks just going about their day. Tara used the traffic app on her phone to find a detour that took us along the river, under the bridge and with two left turns, we jumped to the front of the line. Tara's second shortcut wasn't as good. We detoured off the route in Fordsville to see what might be there and when the answer was "not much", Tara suggested I turn right and go around the block. The road got us where we needed to be, but the intersection was such a steep hill that I felt like I was sitting in the space shuttle on the launch pad. It was also a blind intersection that required Tara to keep telling me when it was clear to the right so that I could watch the gap in the trees to my left for oncoming traffic. I also had to use both feet and both pedals to keep the car from rolling backward.

Posted by Steve Klein at 10:29:00 PM

 

The Kentucky Scenic Byway was exactly that and is my favorite type of Power Tour road. It's a two-lane road with lush trees on both sides and lots of curves and hills. Curvy roads in a car that was not designed to carve them is actually loads of fun. It's far more exciting taking a 45 mph curve at 55-60 in the Acadian than the same curve at the same speed in the Corvette. It's not that I wouldn't mind being able to rip down the road in the Vette, but I'd have to go much faster to have the same excitement.
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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]1969 Road Runner Convertible and 1969 GTX[/TD]
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Today's venue was an Airport which they shut down for the day. The biggest problem with that type of venue is that there is no shade. However, our good parking karma held and we found a spot right between the Pilot Transport and Comp Cams display trailers behind the midway. The trucks provided all the shade needed to make it almost comfortable. For the last time, I clocked in at the main stage and collected the final magnets.
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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]Our best spot yet[/TD]
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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]In a pinch, trucks provide great shade[/TD]
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At the end of the Tour, they give the Long Haulers certificates, metal signs and other such stuff. There's always a long line and this year was no exception. Tara and I took our time watching the cars leave and the crowd thin out before getting in line.
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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]It's official: 7 cities, 7 states, 7 years in a row.[/TD]
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Tara, Jacob, Ken, Bryson and I had dinner at 440 Main in the historic downtown area. To Tara's dismay it was named for the address and not the MoPar motor displacement. The food was excellent and the executive chef and part-owner, Danny was great and welcoming. It was a good way to end the trip.

After dinner we went back to the convention center across the street and it was madness. Not only is the Power Tour in town, but the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion starts tomorrow and there are tons of cars in town for that. The roadway between our hotel and the convention center became a burnout zone. One guy ran a full-on dragster down the road. Eventually, the Police came in and shut it down.
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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]Hot Rod Power Tour meets NHRA Hot Rod Reunion[/TD]
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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]Tara cleaning the car, again.[/TD]
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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]That's about $500 worth of tires on the pavement[/TD]
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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]The burnout police (literally)[/TD]
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Here are some other pictures from today:

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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]Lingenfelter tuned Supercharged Corvette[/TD]
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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]1970 440 Six Barrel 'Cuda[/TD]
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[TD="class: cms_table_tr-caption, align: center"]1970 AAR "Tribute"[/TD]
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Posted by Steve Klein at 10:29:00 PM