2011 Schedule

[Bill Howell]

I found this on HotRod website. Interesting route. Seems like a lot of the same old venues though. I would have liked for it go have gone thru Memphis again, right Charley?


2011 HOT ROD Power Tour Dates & Cities

Saturday June 4, Cocoa Beach, FL Port Canaveral

Sunday June 5, Valdosta, GA South Georgia Motorsports Park

Monday June 6, Montgomery, AL Montgomery Motorsports Park



Tuesday June 7, Nashville, TN LP Field

Wednesday June 8, Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Thursday June 9, Muskegon, MI Downtown Muskegon

Friday June 10, Detroit, MI Metro Beach Metropark

Saturday June 11, Detroit, MI Long Haulers Ceremony (Location TBD)

Get all the Power Tour updates by texting "HRPT" to "59925."

[CamaroAJ]

to the guys that have done this before. whats a rough guess on how much you spent to make the long haul? i don't know if i'll be able to pull off getting the car done in time but i'm tryin my best.

[ProdigyCustoms]

I will most likly do just a few legs and U Turn at Nashville. Turns into Ground Hog Day pretty quick for me. Kinda like Bull Run without the speed!

Get up early, eat breakfast, rinse off the car, drive to the lunch break, drive to the event, walk the midway, go to dinner, drink with freinds,

Get up early, eat breakfast, rinse off the car, drive to the lunch break, drive to the event, walk the midway, go to dinner, drink with freinds

Get up early, eat breakfast, rinse off the car, drive to the lunch break, drive to the event, walk the midway, go to dinner, drink with freinds

[67 455 Bird ragtop]

I'm just glad it starts someplace close to home so I can check out the rides. Wish mine was going to be ready for a cpl of legs. But I doubt it. But, ya never know.

[Jon69RagTop]

Yes, but it's the best "Ground Hog Day" you'll ever have with your clothes on.

[Evldoer]

to the guys that have done this before. whats a rough guess on how much you spent to make the long haul? i don't know if i'll be able to pull off getting the car done in time but i'm tryin my best.

I have done 4 long hauls, and I usually start out with about 2 grand in my wallet, and I have always had money left over, but I usually take a copilot along and we split some of the cost. Instead of eating out every day I keep a big cooler with food and eat out of that alot. My car gets about 10 to 12 mpg, depending on how much I beat on it. So I would say if you have 2 grand for a weeks worth of the best time of your life, you should be ok CAMAROAJ, now get to work so your car is ready for the tour!

[Vegas69]

I will most likly do just a few legs and U Turn at Nashville. Turns into Ground Hog Day pretty quick for me. Kinda like Bull Run without the speed!

Get up early, eat breakfast, rinse off the car, drive to the lunch break, drive to the event, walk the midway, go to dinner, drink with freinds,

Get up early, eat breakfast, rinse off the car, drive to the lunch break, drive to the event, walk the midway, go to dinner, drink with freinds

Get up early, eat breakfast, rinse off the car, drive to the lunch break, drive to the event, walk the midway, go to dinner, drink with freinds

Waaaaah...

[kochevy67]

Is anybody going from the midwest? I want to go but am unsure if I will drive to Florida or pick up in Nashville and go to the end. Also for you verterans is it adviseable to get hotel rooms asap or can you wait?

[CamaroAJ]

I have done 4 long hauls, and I usually start out with about 2 grand in my wallet, and I have always had money left over, but I usually take a copilot along and we split some of the cost. Instead of eating out every day I keep a big cooler with food and eat out of that alot. My car gets about 10 to 12 mpg, depending on how much I beat on it. So I would say if you have 2 grand for a weeks worth of the best time of your life, you should be ok CAMAROAJ, now get to work so your car is ready for the tour!

thats better than i thought it would be. it would be me and the girlfriend making the trip, hopefully we can pull it off and atleast get to a few stops. thanks for the info.

[lower90xcab]

might have to try and make a couple legs of this......

[david068513]

I live in ga, gonna start in FL and go till al or tenn then go home.

[Flash68]

Apparently California does not exist.... yet again.

[wmhjr]

Apparently California does not exist.... yet again.

This has been discussed before. Apparently it's a money thing. It's hard to attract sponsorship and sufficient numbers when you either start or finish in CA because of the long distances to anywhere else. I can understand both the frustration for people wanting it there as well as the reasoning for why it isn't there.

[Flash68]

This has been discussed before. Apparently it's a money thing. It's hard to attract sponsorship and sufficient numbers when you either start or finish in CA because of the long distances to anywhere else. I can understand both the frustration for people wanting it there as well as the reasoning for why it isn't there.

Oh I have heard the reasonings many times.... not sure I completely buy it though. And is once a decade really too much to ask to bring it back to where it all started?

I'd still love to do a tour of the midwest and east though -- just makes it a logistical and expense issue for the vast majority.

[wmhjr]

Oh I have heard the reasonings many times.... not sure I completely buy it though. And is once a decade really too much to ask to bring it back to where it all started?

I'd still love to do a tour of the midwest and east though -- just makes it a logistical and expense issue for the vast majority.

I know it's frustrating for people out on the left coast, but think about it. It's very real - and very true. Look at the cities, population density, distance for travel to/from start/finish points, major cities along potential routes, and distances between the stops. Truth is that it's very easy to see how much easier and more convenient the midwest/east is to cater to a higher percentage of people. At the end of the day with diminishing sponsorship and higher costs, getting people there for more stops and events is the key. "Once in a decade" may be too much to ask if it won't be financially viable. Remember that "back where it all started" out of thousands of participants, there were only 6 long haulers in the CA-OH route. And there was LOTS more money to be had back then.

[Flash68]

I know it's frustrating for people out on the left coast, but think about it. It's very real - and very true. Look at the cities, population density, distance for travel to/from start/finish points, major cities along potential routes, and distances between the stops. Truth is that it's very easy to see how much easier and more convenient the midwest/east is to cater to a higher percentage of people. At the end of the day with diminishing sponsorship and higher costs, getting people there for more stops and events is the key. "Once in a decade" may be too much to ask if it won't be financially viable. Remember that "back where it all started" out of thousands of participants, there were only 6 long haulers in the CA-OH route. And there was LOTS more money to be had back then.

You honestly don't think a sensible route and schedule can be accomplished somewhere in the west? Maybe you haven't thought much about it then. And why should you? You're in the east. You don't think there's money in the west? Sure, maybe not as much as they're used to be, but there are cars and sponsors out here. If you have more empirical data on why the sponsors will only support a midwest/east coast tour, I'd be interested to see it. Hell, if I was one of the midwest/east coasters I'd want to do a different part of the country for once in 10 years. Driving thru the same cities and areas (albeit, great routes) could easily get a little mundane. If they don't get at least close to Calif soon, I will end up driving or shipping to a location and then doing a good portion of the tour. I will get it done either way.

And "lots more money" back in the mid 90s? Uh, no. Calif was still recovering from the early 90s economic and RE meltdown. Not as bad as this past decade, but it was very bad for then.

[wmhjr]

You honestly don't think a sensible route and schedule can be accomplished somewhere in the west? Maybe you haven't thought much about it then. And why should you? You're in the east. You don't think there's money in the west? Sure, maybe not as much as they're used to be, but there are cars and sponsors out here. If you have more empirical data on why the sponsors will only support a midwest/east coast tour, I'd be interested to see it. Hell, if I was one of the midwest/east coasters I'd want to do a different part of the country for once in 10 years. Driving thru the same cities and areas (albeit, great routes) could easily get a little mundane. If they don't get at least close to Calif soon, I will end up driving or shipping to a location and then doing a good portion of the tour. I will get it done either way.

And "lots more money" back in the mid 90s? Uh, no. Calif was still recovering from the early 90s economic and RE meltdown. Not as bad as this past decade, but it was very bad for then.

Dude, RELAX! Why don't you log onto the PowerTour site and you'll see some of the empirical data. I have no dog in this fight. I can simply recognize the simple financials of this. Please note that I did not say that there's "no money in the west". What I said was that sponsorship is far more difficult to achieve when there are fewer likely stops closer together, and where (whether it's all the way in the east or the west) coastal routes result in less potential participants. Please note that the current route is not in the "East". It's in the "South to Midwest".

Yes, there was "lots more money" back in the mid 90s. At that time we were in the height of the dot com bubble, with an artificially inflated economy. Money was flowing EVERYWHERE! Take a look at unemployment, interest rates, etc. Today is nuclear winter compared to then. Or, take a look at advertising revenues then compared to now.

BTW, I'm in the midwest. Pgh is not really the "east". Doesn't matter, though. I don't care where it is. I just understand the economics of it. Money is tight. Advertising and sponsorship money is REAL tight. Major vendors want the best bang for their buck. Cities on the left coast are a bit further apart, and you start getting into far less populated areas - meaning less exposure. Further, just look at the map. The closer a route is to the max number of potential participants, the higher the participation rate will be.



Why are you taking this as a personal affront? I can understand their reasoning (heck, they talk about it openly on the PowerTour site and have for several years - remember, it's really not run by Hot Rod any longer). I get it, just like I get the fact that because of our weather and roads, we'll never have it come through my local area. Do you think that the people planning it just have some sort of attitude where they hate CA? Or is it just possible that they understand the economics, know their potential sponsors, have metrics about participation and long haulers, and make decisions based on that?

BTW, I did not exclude the "west". I responded to "California".

[Flash68]

Uhh, I am relaxed. I am pretty calm actually, thanks. And with that... I am all done here. Take care.

[Charley Lillard]

Flash...You are in Ca. You have seen Ca. Ship your car back east and see places you have never seen. Make the best of it.

[Wesley J]

I did the Long Haul last year and had a great time. Bucket list kind of trip, if you know what I mean. BUT, who crosses something of the list twice? It was a 10,000 km long trip for me and the trip was the shake down run. Will I do the trip again, yes. This year? No fusking way, thats a long way for 50% of the continent...

To answer your question though, I spent on the order of 2 grand with 3 of us in the car. Any saving from splitting gas was offset by not splitting beer..... I get 23-25 mpg though.