Hot Rod Power Tour 2014

[CBR-ACR]

After attending the Tail of the Dragon run for the last 3 years, I have opted to join the Hot Rod Power Tour for my first time, just registered and made hotel arrangements for each city. I have wanted to this for years but never found the right time to do so and it was too tempting with the starting location almost in my backyard and I plan to do at least 3 segments and then decide to either make the return trip back to Charlotte or continue on. It begins June 7th. The seven-day, seven-city tour will wind its way from Charlotte, NC at the Kick-Off and will end in Wisconsin Dells. Hot Rod Power Tour always generates a nationwide buzz as the Tour journeys across the country, enthusiasts can bring their vehicles to be a part of the Tour to the first city, or to any city along the way. What is great about this is that you can veer off from the main group to see other things, there is a group of pro touring cars talking about hitting the Dragon on the way to Knoxville in which if that does happen, will join that group.

Is anyone else attending? If so, please let me know, and we can meet up. Looking forward to a great road trip!

Link:
http://www.familyevents.com/event/229

 

[Nine Ball]

I've done 9 Long-Hauls so far. Not going this year, due to work schedule and the extra distance to travel to the start, and back to Houston from WI. Best car event, ever. Done it twice in Vipers.

 

[fuelman]

I have done one segment, once. I was impressed with how well organized it was. I got in trouble though, apparently your not suppose to blow by the power tour official lead car at 160 mph. I am trying to make tail of the dragon, but I have a graduation to attend, so this could be an option.

 

[CBR-ACR]

I've done 9 Long-Hauls so far. Not going this year, due to work schedule and the extra distance to travel to the start, and back to Houston from WI. Best car event, ever. Done it twice in Vipers.

I appreciate your insight, for you to feel it's the best car event ever, certainly says a lot as I know you participate in many events! Its been on my list of things to do for a long time and how can I not do it with it starting in my own backyard. Its going to be a father/son trip, and viewing the HRPT forums, there seems to be some great side trips being planned along the route that I will definitely have to consider. I have received several PM's due to non-members not being able to post in this forum and they have shared the same sentiment as you so I am even more excited about participating. There may be a couple others attending, besides how can it truly be a "Power Tour" without an American made V10 Viper??? Sorry you won't make it, again, thanks for reaching out.

Chuck

 

[CBR-ACR]

I have done one segment, once. I was impressed with how well organized it was. I got in trouble though, apparently your not suppose to blow by the power tour official lead car at 160 mph. I am trying to make tail of the dragon, but I have a graduation to attend, so this could be an option.

Hey John, that would be great if you can. If you want to trailer up, you can leave your truck/trailer at my house and we can do three legs and return straight back into Charlotte from Charleston WV, just down I-77. Or if you are up to it, we could add a segment into Norwalk. They have some great events planned in each city during "cruise night" and expect over 3500 to 4500 cars to show up at each location. This year will give me a good feel for it and maybe in the next year or so, do the Long Haul. Let me know if you can work it into your schedule.

Chuck

 

[fuelman]

Hey Chuck, getting called away to New York. I need to retire so I can drive my Viper. Thanks for the offer to leave my rig at your house. May take you up on it at another time. Take pics and post them so others can live vicariously through you..... Enjoy..

 

[CBR-ACR]

For those of you that shared how great the Hot Rod Power Tour is, that was an understatement as it was that and even more. I have done a lot of fun events in my Viper, but nothing will ever compare to participating on the Power Tour for 4 of the 8 days. Best time ever!

To be honest, I can’t even begin to describe this experience and I ended up taking over 600 photos and hours of outrageous video. I am looking forward to watching the videos this weekend. Thousands of cars at the venues and the drive was awesome. For those of you that shared this with me (both on the forum and through PM’s), you were 100% right. I get it, and I am now hooked and looked forward to participating again and again!

Some quick highlights, top of the list, time with my son, so much fun and great to be with him one on one for a few days. Right behind that, had to be spending an entire day with Herb Helbig. We traveled together on day 1 on our way to Knoxville and followed the tour route for a couple of hours through beautiful Carolina back roads ( I am actually going back with my wife on some of these roads) but then we broke from the “tour” and headed for the Tail of the Dragon. I really wanted to do this as I missed the TOD trip this year in lieu of this event. I had a Porsche tailed me down and we had fun and no, he could not keep up with the Viper. Herb and a long time good friend of his (Mike) were fantastic and we even had dinner with them and sat in the parking lot listening to so many great stories, it was amazing.

I also created some excitement when I put the car up on the Dyno near the end of Day 1, it generated a large crowd around the dyno. The Viper lived up to its reputation, pulling 538hp at the rear wheels and 528 foot pounds of torque, but wait…. This was with 95 degree heat, incredible and highest HP of the day. To be honest, the ACR grabbed attention at every venue and along the routes, the photos taken and at two cities we had film crews shooting it, made me proud to be part of the Viper nation. It has to be that Snakeskin Green and Black color….. 

The people I met, at each venue, gas stops and traveling in different packs along the route to the next city were fantastic, and I have made several new friendships that I know will continue even after the tour is over. The route selected by Hot Rod was very good, the scenery was beautiful and the people who came out to welcome us along the sides of the road was unexpected and just great, waving, honking horns became the norm for my 900 mile portion of the tour! The cities welcomed us as we passed through their small towns, very nice.

I even was able to circle back and take a photo at the "iconic" barn in the movie “Days of Thunder” in which it will be torn down as it has deteriorated after all of these years.

Here a few photos of the Charlotte Venue and the Dyno sheet signed by Herb Helbig ( thank you Herb!)

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[CBR-ACR]

I also posted a couple of photos in the “Grail Keeper” forum above. A few others, here is a photo I found on the Hot Rod Magazine forum taken of my car traveling down the road through Kentucky towards Charleston, West Virginia, a photo of the venue in which parking was a challenge but the venue along the riverfront (closed the road) was beautiful. A photo of my Viper in front of the barn in the movie Days of Thunder.

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[Dirk Pitt]

Photos are awesome Chuck and glad you had a good time!