Monday, June 6
“Indiana or Bust”
Early morning, Illinois. A Mustang gives up the ghost in downtown Springfield, and is unceremoniously carted away on a flatbed.
A few days after we returned home from the Power Tour, we received this letter, which shows just one example of Power Tour spirit and the helping of others...
We are the owners of the ’66 Mustang on the flat bed. Our alternator went out at the fair grounds, we got a jump start, and made it to a gas station in town where several other Power Tour members were gassing-up. Lucky for us a group from Oklahoma pulled-in to gas-up with an empty car trailer. They said they would haul it to our hotel, so all the guys helped push “Sally” up into the trailer. They took us downtown, out of their way, and stayed with us until we could get a space in front of the hotel to park the car, then helped unload it and push it in place (they would not take anything for doing this).
The next morning I had a wrecker service come to get it (your picture), and while we are hand-loading it with help from fellow Power Tourers, this fellow dressed to the nines walks-up and says, “This is not good.” He asked if we are in trouble, and I told him our alternator went out. He asked if we have called anyone, and we hadn’t been successful. Then he says, “Let me try.”
This man takes out his cell phone and calls someone... tells them the kind of car it is, what’s wrong. He states that we are with the Power Tour and that we need to get back on the road by nine a.m. He asked if they could do this. He says he will send us right over and hangs-up.
Then he says to us, “By the way I am the mayor of Springfield.”
Well, we were very surprised and grateful, he shook our hands and we thanked him, he told the driver where to take us. We were on the road by 9:15 and even had breakfast while they fixed the car. Springfield is tops for us!
— David and Jean R. of Evansville, IN
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The Renaissance Hotel, in downtown Springfield. The “official” Power Tour host hotel.
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The ’Tour cars line up for the drive back to the State Fair Grounds for the driver’s meeting.
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8:15 a.m., the Illinois State Fair Grounds.
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8:45 a.m. The meeting is called to order.
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Hot Rod Magazine editor David Freiburger commands authority with his take-charge personality and spiffy new bullhorn.
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David loses authority when his cargo shorts billow open, exposing his total lack of sensibilities when it comes to wearing underwear.
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We’re on the road. Next stop, Mid-America Corvettes.
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Mid America Motorworks. They have an incredible collection of Corvettes, which Forrest has covered thoroughly in past tours. So we decide to focus on what’s going on outside.
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The Corvette Summer car.
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The Deathrace 2000 Vette.
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It’s not a Power Tour without Hot Rod’s Whitney & Michelle. Like me, they live in Southern California. Yes, they’re California girls. And for that reason alone, I can honestly say that living in California is a really, really good thing.
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Scorching weather, traffic lights that NEVER change, and a broken cooling fan. That’s the magic combo that gave us this surprise pit stop just six miles away from the Indianapolis Raceway Park. The engine peaked at around 245 degrees just moments before the radiator parted with its antifreeze.
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Not being the kind of person to stick around and help, I hitched a short ride to the track. I did it for you, the reader — I swear.
Later on I found out Jim and Gary got the fan fixed, with a little help from the parts department of a local speed shop. It arrived at the venue a little late, but it did arrive.
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Indianapolis Raceway Park. Today is all about drag cars and hot rods — not a bad combination.
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This stop has a enormous turnout. It stretches from one side of the dragstrip to the other.
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This street legal drag car is for sale. Impress your family, friends and neighbors with late night burnouts and full throttle high jinx. And it’s the perfect car for soccer moms. What school wouldn’t be thrilled to have you drop off your kid in this bad boy?
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Someone stopped by with a Lotus Elise. If you haven’t driven one, think of it as high-end, super fast, street-legal shifter cart. On a road course track, this car is a blast.
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A Nash Metropolitan with a V8. Yes, there are wheels and tires under there.
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That’s it for my coverage of the 2005 Power Tour.
Tomorrow Forrest takes over. Sadly, it’s payback time for all the cheap shots I took at his expense. Forrest doesn’t realize it, but I only tease people that I really respect.
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Them and people with little freaky cellphone headsets stuck in one ear.
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Goodbye for now from all the gang, from somewhere deep in the cornfields of Indiana.
Ken Holland
Mothers® Polishes•Waxes•Cleaners
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2005 Cruise Night Schedule
Saturday, June 4
Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
Painless Performance Kick-Off Cruise Night!
Sunday, June 5
Illinois State Fairgrounds
Springfield, Illinois
Monday, June 6
Indianapolis Raceway Park
Indianapolis, IN
Tuesday, June 7
Gaylord Opryland Resort
Nashville, TN
Wednesday, June 8
Birmingham Race Course
Birmingham, AL
Thursday June 9
North Florida Fairgrounds
Tallahassee, FL
Friday, June 10
Osceola Heritage Park
Kissimmee-St. Cloud, FL
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