2018 Power Tour
By Denny Oestreich

Each year the Hot Rod Magazine sponsors a week long driving tour through a part of the US. In 2018 the tour route was in the Southeastern US taking lessor traveled roads. There were about 6000 participants with some driving one day and others staying for all six days of the event (the long haulers). The driving was between 186 and 295 miles daily. The route ended at a different interesting location each day. The June 14, 2018 stop was the PNC Arena in Raleigh.

The 2018 starting point was the end point of last year’s tour, Bowling Green Kentucky.  The stops on the tour included:

 1.  Chattanooga, TN State Community College,

 2. Hover, AL Metropolitan Stadium,

 3.Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, GA, 4. Darlington, SC Raceway,  

 5. PNC Area in Raleigh, NC,

 6. Lunch stop at the Petty Museum and Garage in Level Cross, NC and then on to the ZMAX dragstrip in Concord, NC. 

Next year’s Power Tour will start in Concord.

In Raleigh I got a chance to see the Tour participants and their cars on Thursday afternoon.  I guess I could say, “I drove on the tour for a half mile”.  As I drove up to the PNC Arena, I was directed into the flow of hot rods and into the parking lot where I decided to park with some other modern cars out of respect. The participants were from many states as this Tour has become a ritual for Hot Rodders everywhere. The cars were of all types and makes, but mostly modified and tuned for long tours. I saw everything from new Corvettes, hand built Cobras, Volkswagens, Rat Rods, Trucks, Mazda Miatas with Chevy V8s, an imported Nissan big car,  and many of my favorite 57 Chevys.  The parking lot was a 3000-4000 car show.

The drivers and passengers were all willing to talk to you about their vehicles. I met one man who told me that he and his son built a kit Cobra and they were taking a week’s vacation to drive the tour. He said, “My son actually built the car and my part was mostly a financial contribution”. It sounded like a terrific father-son adventure.  On that Thursday morning I had helped a friend complete an engine rebuild of his ‘64 GTO by setting the timing for the initial start. I talked to a lady and her teenaged son who were driving a similar ‘65 GTO about the coincidence.  She said, “Yes, I helped my husband put this rebuilt 389 into the GTO last week before we left. Does your friend have 3 deuces too?” There was much engineering to be admired everywhere. Some cars had many chrome parts from the Ecklers catalog while other were hand built “get bys”. 

There was a repair tent corner where you could get help diagnosing a problem and repair help on the spot. There was even a differential change being done on the parking lot asphalt and several hot engine overflows being tended. On the far side of the area were about 20 parts supplier semi-trucks and trailers with displays. Edlebrock, Lingenfelter and Petty Garage had big displays.  There was also a bandstand with some entertainment, food trucks, and even a beer tent.

With thousands of people there, I only met one person I knew, Bob Simpson. Bob and Judy had joined the tour in Darlington and then went on to Concord Friday.  If you get the chance, join the Power Tour for a day or visit one of their stops next year. Several others from the car club were there, but I missed them in the crowd while circling the PNC Arena and taking pictures. You could sit in a lawn chair in the shade and watch a big moving car show.  Look for pictures in an upcoming Hot Rod Magazine.