Pro-Touring well represented

[Steve Chryssos]

Maybe Power Tour is getting to be old news, but my brain is still buzzing from the experience. This morning while finalizing our little racing video, it occured to me that our group did a fine job of representing the true nature of pro-touring.

The average Power Tour vehicle was chugging along in the right lane at 60-65mph--presumably as a form of self preservation over the long haul. Conversely, our group of pro-touring cars would buzz past them in the fast lane at 80-85mph. Triple digit blasts were common. I can see how others might label pro-touring enthusiasts as arrogant. Envy will generate that kind of reaction. At one point, Hot Rod was photographing one of these 60mph packs when our group unknowingly blew past them at speed. David Frieburger was driving the Hot Rod Trailblazer SS while Wes Allison was riding shotgun and taking pix. They abandonded the pack of traditional cars and chased us down to take "at speed" pictures of our cars. That was a cool feeling. Charlie, my co-pilot said "Hey, slow down. They wanna take our picture"

Likewise, a good number of Pro-Touring cars flexed their muscles at the various dragstrips on Power Tour. Our cars are traction limited, so E.T's were less than stellar, but it was clear that true pro-touring enthusiasts are more than willing to use and abuse their cars. "Mile An Hour" numbers told the tale on traction. I now have a serious bug up my ass to improve my car's E.T. without sacrificing other performance aspects.

At each events, pro-touring cars clogged up the manufacturer booths as display vehicles. We would come in filthy and road-worn, shine up the cars, then put on a show. I'm not much for car shows, so I was blown away by the response. Flowmaster chose Bill Howell's GTO for their calender, then asked him to represent the hobby on FOX News. And Jason Huber's "Fuel" 69 Camaro was shot for a full Hot Rod magazine feature.

With the exception of Sam's AME chassis'd 55 (which suffered a failing rear), all repairs were limited to "nut & bolt" issues. Parts came loose, we tightened them up--and were on our merry way.



Drive, race or show, I wrapped up Power Tour with a sense of pride in my car, my friends' cars and our build style as a whole. This "well rounded performance" stuff just plain works. I gotta thank Hot Rod for hosting an event that helped me expand my perspective and enjoy this great hobby.

By completing Power Tour, you and your car will be better off.