Power Tour - Questions
04-05-2018, 08:20 AM
#1
Power Tour - Questions
Hey guys, looks like the Power Tour is down south this year. Anyone ever done this before?
I can manage the schedule, but I have questions about the event. It's likely could only do the weds, thurs, fri locations. Darlington, Raleigh, Concord/Charlotte.
The tour is kinda legendary, but is it worth doing? What if you're not into the racing at each event? ....do most of the participants actually TOUR...(caravan) from location to location?
I ask because while I'd love that cool banner that says "POWER TOUR", and I'd love to say I did it, or at least a few legs, ....I wonder if it's worth it. I can do saturday cars shows big and small all summer long. Didn't know if this was just a big glorified over hyped car show.
I can manage the schedule, but I have questions about the event. It's likely could only do the weds, thurs, fri locations. Darlington, Raleigh, Concord/Charlotte.
The tour is kinda legendary, but is it worth doing? What if you're not into the racing at each event? ....do most of the participants actually TOUR...(caravan) from location to location?
I ask because while I'd love that cool banner that says "POWER TOUR", and I'd love to say I did it, or at least a few legs, ....I wonder if it's worth it. I can do saturday cars shows big and small all summer long. Didn't know if this was just a big glorified over hyped car show.
04-05-2018, 05:49 PM
#2
Moderator
Re: Power Tour - Questions
I did it in 2011 with the IROC-Z. Yes, I racked up a few miles on the car, but my son and I had a good time. We complained a lot about the routes they provided. Going from Alabama to Nashville was fine. It was nice cruising the back roads and seeing the locals hanging out by the side of the road, waving. There are thousands of cars on the tour, including many that are doing the local legs only, so you meet some nice people and see nice scenery and cruise through some small towns.
The route they took us from Nashville to Indy was horrible. Most of it was on 65, but they brought us into Indy on the wrong side of town. The roads were horrible, 65 had road construction, the back roads of south Indy were full of pot holes and the neighborhoods were shady. Many people complained that they should not have taken people's nice cars through roads and neighborhoods like that. Also, their directions were bad and many people got lost. By the time they got to the daily venues, the venue was closing up for the day. I pulled into IMS literally 5 minutes before they closed the gates. We were there for about 40 minutes when they said we could do our lap around the track. When you completed your lap, they directed you out of IMS and back to the streets of Indy, so you couldn't walk around and look at people's cars.
What I found many people doing, was getting up early, leaving before the daily announcement, and driving straight to the venue via the highways. This way, they got to the venue, and had time to enjoy it. If I had to do it again, I'd do the same and stay off the back roads and just get to the venue. Then you can enjoy the vendors, the cars and the people.
I do have to admit that my son and I did lose time on the trip by going to the Don Garlits Race Museum on the way to South Georgia, and we did the Corvette Factory tour on our way to Indy. So, the road construction and an accident on 65, and the stop at the Corvette factory is probably why we were late getting to Indy.
Oh, and we didn't get to enjoy the Alabama track day because my alternator crapped out on the way there and I had to get it fixed, so a couple hours lost there on that day.
It was fun, but you could do something similar on your own with a family member and just make a nice road trip out of it.
The route they took us from Nashville to Indy was horrible. Most of it was on 65, but they brought us into Indy on the wrong side of town. The roads were horrible, 65 had road construction, the back roads of south Indy were full of pot holes and the neighborhoods were shady. Many people complained that they should not have taken people's nice cars through roads and neighborhoods like that. Also, their directions were bad and many people got lost. By the time they got to the daily venues, the venue was closing up for the day. I pulled into IMS literally 5 minutes before they closed the gates. We were there for about 40 minutes when they said we could do our lap around the track. When you completed your lap, they directed you out of IMS and back to the streets of Indy, so you couldn't walk around and look at people's cars.
What I found many people doing, was getting up early, leaving before the daily announcement, and driving straight to the venue via the highways. This way, they got to the venue, and had time to enjoy it. If I had to do it again, I'd do the same and stay off the back roads and just get to the venue. Then you can enjoy the vendors, the cars and the people.
I do have to admit that my son and I did lose time on the trip by going to the Don Garlits Race Museum on the way to South Georgia, and we did the Corvette Factory tour on our way to Indy. So, the road construction and an accident on 65, and the stop at the Corvette factory is probably why we were late getting to Indy.
Oh, and we didn't get to enjoy the Alabama track day because my alternator crapped out on the way there and I had to get it fixed, so a couple hours lost there on that day.
It was fun, but you could do something similar on your own with a family member and just make a nice road trip out of it.
04-05-2018, 06:31 PM
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Re: Power Tour - Questions
We did part of it in 2013 and again in 2014. We plan to Long Haul this year in two cars. We had a ball and agree it is better in a group as opposed to solo. The venues are nice but they are a car show each day unless you get there in time to dig into things. We did a few venues and a few side trips, the pic above is the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's a great way to spend a few days. The routes are nice scenery for the most part. The off-route side trips are great too.
04-06-2018, 02:41 PM
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Re: Power Tour - Questions
I'm planning on doing Sun Chatt, Mon Bama, and Tues Atl
I think there are a few other TGO peeps trying to do some part of the tour.
I would really like to do the long haul but we are headed down to the beach the next week and cant afford the bill or the time off unfortunately. Hopefully we can link up Abubaca, but it looks like you will be taking over for me on Wednesday lol.
I think there are a few other TGO peeps trying to do some part of the tour.
I would really like to do the long haul but we are headed down to the beach the next week and cant afford the bill or the time off unfortunately. Hopefully we can link up Abubaca, but it looks like you will be taking over for me on Wednesday lol.
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