Iconic Bristol Motor Speedway, The World's Fastest Half-Mile and a bucket-list destination for NASCAR fans, is set to host the famed HOT ROD Power Tour for the first time when the annual roadtrip makes a stop here on Monday, June 10. The HOT ROD Power Tour is the largest hot rod roadtrip in the world.
The editors of HOT ROD Magazine selected The Last Great Colosseum to be the third stop on the 2019 tour, which will feature seven stops over seven days and will cover more than 1,300 miles. Hot Rods of all shapes, sizes and ages will travel from stop to stop during the tour, with enthusiasts showing off their machines and also putting the cars on the track at each different venue.
Other stops on the tour include zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C., Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky., Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Ind., Allen County Ware Memorial Stadium in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Summit Racing Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
It's the second time the HOT ROD Power Tour has come to Bristol, but the first time that the historic oval has served as the host site. Legendary Bristol Dragway hosted the tour back in 2009.
At Bristol on June 10, spectators will be admitted to BMS for free and those who want to participate in the tour can go to www.hotrod.com/events/power-tour to find out about registration and entry fees.
Hot Rod editor Jacob Davis says he started out as a participant many years ago and now as the tour celebrates its 25th anniversary, he serves as an editor for the legendary magazine and works on the tour. He says he loves it.
"The beauty of it is that the locals will come out at each venue and push the total number of cars on the show to around 6,000, and it's just madness," Davis said. "Any kind of car that you can think of, they will all be here. It's so much fun. The best thing is you get all those people at the same location with one common interest, and that's to celebrate all types of cars, and that's a beautiful thing."
One of the highlights for the participants during the Bristol Motor Speedway stop is that they will get to take their hot rods for track laps around the high-banked, all-concrete oval that has been the site of so much NASCAR history.
"Hot Rod Power Tour is mainly meant to be a roadtrip, but at some of the venues we do some different things and here at Bristol Motor Speedway many of the participants will actually get to take laps on the track," Davis said. "How many people get to actually drive their car on a NASCAR track? That's so cool. This place is incredible. You get to drive your car up on a steep bank and that's something that most people have never done. We try to create unique experiences for our participants and that's what makes the whole trip more special."
Kingsport hot rod owner Drew Heirwarter is planning to bring out his '28 Roadster to enjoy the fun of the Power Tour.
"I've been reading about this tour for many years in the pages of HOT ROD Magazine and it's finally coming to my town," Hierwarter said. "I can't do the full tour for a lot of different reasons, but the fact that I can participate in one day here at Bristol Motor Speedway is pretty special. That's why I built this ('28 Roadster) was to be able to participate in big car shows like that. It's one of the biggest events in the country and I can't wait to take my hot rod out on the track at Bristol Motor Speedway."
In addition to the thousands of unique cars from all over the country being on display and making laps, the HOT ROD Power Tour at Bristol also will offer a colorful midway of mobile display rigs from more than 50 performance manufacturers and aftermarket specialists where spectators can see the latest innovations in hot rodding and get expert advice. There will be a main stage positioned in the infield of the oval where there will be entertainment, games and dozens of giveaways on the main stage.
The HOT ROD Power Tour kicks off at zMAX Dragway on June 8 and will finish in Norwalk, Ohio on June 14. The Bristol Motor Speedway stop on June 10 runs from noon until 7 p.m. ET. For more information, please visit www.hotrod.com/events/power-tour.
