The old adage, "half the fun is getting there" really holds true in the world of building your own hot rod! There's only one thing better than spending your time building a wicked stoke hot rod, and that's burning up the road with it. With a union of sweat, grease, motor oil, and gasoline all becoming one once you hit the ignition, the only thing left to do is grab a map and let the asphalt take you to undiscovered (by you, at least!) territories.
Maybe it's an East Coast thing, but once the snow clears out and the weather starts to get prime, many a rodder experiences an adrenaline rush that seems to have been building for months, making him want to do nothing else but put down the miles on his hot rod. One of the most notable car shows across the country to have earned the reputation of being a true driving event is Cruisin' Ocean City. Now in its 16th year, it seemed natural to have the 2006 PPG / STREET RODDER Road Tour kick off its driving season there. The quaint little seaside town of Ocean City, Maryland, along with its 8,000 year-round residents, opens up its 10-mile strip to well over 3,000 enthusiastic car owners for an extended weekend every May, allowing them full reign of the city while leaving the scent of high-octane fuel hanging heavy in the air. If you hate lawn chairs, dig watching the odometer on your ride spin wildly, and have no problem tanking up daily, this is the event for you. The main deal starts at the absolute end of the strip at "the inlet," which serves as the epicenter for the weekend-long festivities. Surrounded by immaculately groomed beaches and killer surf, there is ample parking for up to 1,500 cars that's guaranteed to fill up by 10 a.m. on Saturday. Hanging out at the inlet is a gas thanks to an old campy amusement park that brings back childhood memories of wearing high-top Keds while drinking an ice-cold root beer and checking out the Ferris wheel or taking a romp through the haunted house. There is also a bitchin' boardwalk that stretches for as far as the eye can see, packed with more goodies than you could ever eat in a day, let alone a weekend! From cotton candy and caramel corn, to funnel cakes and tasty fries, be thankful that you can do plenty of walking between stops.
The cool thing about the inlet is that everyone keeps moving throughout the day, thus allowing plenty of car owners the ability to cruise in while others head out to experience other stops along the strip. As you blast off from the inlet, be sure to take in the Conventions Center, 'cuz there is always a surprise inside. This year, legions of fans were able to meet and greet the "King of Kustomizers" himself, George Barris, as well as Anson Williams and Donny Most of "Happy Days," along with the famous '29 Ford roadster pickup Donny drove in the opening of the show every week. There are also numerous other mini events happening all day long at Hooters, the Ice Cream Castle, and Phillip's Crab House, to name but a few.
Think this sounds like fun? You're only halfway there. Once the inlet closes for the evening, everyone grabs a bite, tanks up, and hits the strip for late-night cruising and even more car shows to check out. With crowds cheering you on from sidewalks, parking lots, and multi-level garages, it's amazing just how much fun driving your car can be. This year there were plenty of traditional rides mingling with high-tech slicksters, pro mods on methanol, and cool customs. It wasn't hard to find pairs of Pro Street rides pulling their front wheels off the ground when the lights went green as they screamed off into the night. On Saturday evening there was even a big-time rock 'n' roll show featuring Jay Siegel & The Tokens, the Vogues, and Jesse Garrison's Elvis tribute that was blastin' the plaster off the ceiling at the Convention Center. This year there were over 100,000 visitors to the event with car owners coming in from 16 states. The Road Tour kickoff was a great success, and all we can say is this is one event that will keep you talking about it all year long. For more information, visit www.specialeventpro.com.