It was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who wrote, “Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary”. And good ol’ Henry had it right. Some rain did fall, and it was dark and dreary.

Last year at the end of the Power Tour we encountered floods, a dam that gave way, and revised routes in Wisconsin. All because of rain. Lots of rain. Rainfall of biblical proportion. If Noah had been on the Tour, I have no doubt he would have been glad he had an ark. We figured there was little chance of a repeat. After all, what are the chances of rain one year later?

Friday night we ventured to a Madison suburb for a party at the local Quaker Steak & Lube.

The weather made for a great turnout, with hot cars and even hotter wings.

Yep, you’re reading that right. You need to sign a release before popping one of those puppies in your mouth. As much as I love wings, I passed. Ken and Jim found time to be the center of attention while waiting for dinner.

The cars were pretty hot, too,

as were the motors in the cars.

I guess the recent spike in gas prices isn’t keeping anyone from mega-motoring on this year’s Tour.

Saturday morning we arose to the dreary weather Mr. Longfellow wrote of. It seemed a little cooler, too. I swear I saw snowflakes, but figured I could tough it out. I packed one pair of long pants for the Tour, but thought I’d save them for a really cold day. This fella here, he knew how to dress for the weather.

I gotta get a hat like that. Maybe there’s a Nanook of the North store nearby. While our Chip Foose television commercials aired on the Jumbotron,

showing our new PowerCone in use,

I scouted the area for heretofore unseen sights. Being fairly close to Kenosha, there were American Motors cars in abundance. Anyone remember the Spirit?

Or a Donahue-themed Pacer?

Unique forms seem to dominate on the Tour. I understand cow-tipping is a popular sport in Dairyland, so you need to be prepared for cattle laying in the road. Ergo, a cowcatcher for the front of your van.

One thing I did notice was back in the old days car companies bragged on the engine displacement. Take a gander at how it was done:

If you have a hot motor, you need to find a way to vent the heat.

Of course, if your motor’s really hot.....

Like last year, an autocross course was set up for brave participants (and I’m not that brave).

You could watch new and old versions run the course — Camaro, that is:

and Challenger/’cuda

Cobras are fun in the curvies, but you still have to wait patiently in line.

One of the quicker cars on the course was a Ford Focus SVT. Autocross isn’t about horsepower, it’s about using what you have effectively.

Yeah, right. That’s why the ZR1 I’m driving has 638 horsepower.

If twisties weren’t your thing, there was always the dyno.

Just make sure you’re up to the task of twisting the big wheel around.

Works in progress sometimes mean you get the motor done before the bodywork.

The guys in the our Big Rig stayed plenty busy with helping folks out,

so I helped by staying out of the way and climbed up on the roof for a look around. Cars as far as the eye can see,

and even the state capitol building in the background.

Ken’s discerning eye

caught some tattoo art

while I caught the latest in automotive entry technology.

As the afternoon progressed, the rain continued. The good news is, there wasn’t much rain. The bad news was the rain was in conjunction with a drop in temperature.

Even the hood ornaments were cold.

When the rain started to stick around, we decided to leave. While I like this sight,

I’d rather not see it on the Tour.

Tomorrow morning we head for Racine. Last year there was a muddy mess on the banks of the lake. We’re told the drive this year will be easy and the ground will be solid. Now that the Tour’s starting in earnest, I’m ready for serious reporting and stretching the legs of the ZR1 on the roads of America.

Watch out World, here we come.

Your humble and obedient servant,

Forrest Tosie
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