It has been labeled the "Iron Man Run," and with good reason. The NSRA Golden State Nationals in Sacramento, California, ended on Sunday afternoon and the Southeast Nationals in Tampa, Florida, began the following Friday morning--not a lot of time to cover the 3,000 miles between the two cities.
The 2003 PPG/Street Rodder Road Tour roadster rolled out of the Sacramento Cal/Expo Center at 3 p.m. There were a number of other street rodders and vendors with the same destination, but on a run of this length (with limited time) everyone took their own route at their own pace. Road Tour pilot Jerry Dixey, traveling alone, spent the first evening in Bakersfield, California. The weather was good on Monday and Jerry spent the next evening overlooking the beautiful city of Albuquerque, New Mexico--covering 800 miles for the day.
Tuesday morning was rainy in New Mexico but things cleared up just past Amarillo, Texas. After experiencing Dallas rush hour traffic, Jerry spent Tuesday evening just west of Shreveport, Louisiana. It was a very foggy morning in Louisiana, but the skies cleared by Baton Rouge and the sun set with the Road Tour west of Tallahassee, Florida.
Up early on Thursday morning, Jerry covered the last 300 miles and rolled onto the Florida State Fairgrounds at 2 p.m. in the afternoon. It had been a good crossing with the weather cooperating nicely. Six of the seven street rods that started out completed the adventure and all of the commercial vendors were on site in plenty of time to set up for the show.
It was a fine weekend in Tampa at the Southeast Nationals. The prediction of rain did not hold true and over 1,200 rods were registered. While this event marks the end of the NSRA season, the Road Tour rolls on in two weeks to the Fort Lauderdale boat show and then out to California for the PGA Target World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California.
Like the famed Energizer Bunny, the Road Tour just keeps going and going and going. Check into www.streetrodderweb.com for all the updates, the remaining events, and news of next year's Road Tour highboy Deuce.
It was a beautiful sunrise...
It was a beautiful sunrise on Monday morning outside Bakersfield. Highway 58 is gorgeous as it crossed the Tehachapi Summit and on toward Barstow.
The weather was great on Monday....
The weather was great on Monday. The scenery on I-40 in Arizona and New Mexico is incredible.
This was the view on Tuesday...
This was the view on Tuesday morning. The lights in the valley highlight Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Wednesday evening was spent...
Wednesday evening was spent just west of Shreveport, Louisiana. It was a very foggy drive from Shreveport to Baton Rouge.
Finally the Road Tour rolls...
Finally the Road Tour rolls into Florida. The sign says it all. It really is the sunshine state.
It was a very long trip from...
It was a very long trip from Sacramento to Tampa. These hardy "Iron Men" and their street rods made it the entire way. Left to right: Vernon Walker, Jerry Dixey, Gwen and Jerry Mowery, Betty and Charles Manning, Linda and Jim Rowlett and Linda and Fred Drew.
The showers that were predicted...
The showers that were predicted for the Southeast Nationals stayed away all weekend. There were 1,232 street rods registered for this year's event.