The Road To The Final Four

Just as we have done the last few years, the 2005 Road Tour traveled to some unusual and very interesting events. The automotive events read like a wish list of anyone with high performance on their mind: the Woodward Dream Cruise, the IHRA National Drags at Norwalk, Ohio, and Air Ride Technologies' Track Day. These events occupied the time between the Street Rod Nationals in Louisville and the Nats North in Kalamazoo.

The week prior to the Nationals was spent at the EAA Fly-In at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. While this is a non-automotive event, this huge gathering brings together thousands of airplanes of all kinds and one million spectators. Like street rodders, they all appreciate the roar of an engine, craftsmanship and quality, and everyone who stopped by the STREET RODDER booth appreciated the work that went into the coupe. The Nationals in Louisville was extra special in 2005, as all 10 Road Tour cars were brought together and put on display in the lobby of the huge exhibit building. It was quite a sight. By the second week of September it was time to get back to the business at hand. The Nationals North in Kalamazoo was next up on the summer-long National Street Rod Association schedule. It was another great weekend at the "Zoo" with clear, crisp weather and the usual turnout of high-quality Midwest street rods.

The trip home on Monday took me near enough to Detroit to make a stop at one of the many Roush Performance facilities in Michigan. Our Roush Performance 342RE powerplant has performed flawlessly this season. Marketing Manager Todd Andrews gave me a tour of the plant where the Roush Mustangs are assembled. It was a very impressive sight, to say the least.

I also made a quick stop at Flaming River Industries in Berea, Ohio, near Cleveland. Their steering products have kept us on track all year. They have added yet another addition to their facility and, as with everything they do, it is high quality and first class.

It was a very short visit at home in Youngstown before heading toward Burlington, Vermont, and the National Street Rod Association Northeast Nationals. The great September weather continued for my 600-mile trip across New York and then north into Vermont. I arrived in Burlington at dark after a long day of driving. The coupe had performed flawlessly. While the event is billed as being in Burlington, it is actually held at the Champlain Valley Exposition grounds in Essex Junction about seven miles north of Burlington. Friday and Saturday were sunny and crisp. Due to the close proximity to Canada, many rodders from north of the border make the 90-mile trip south to the Northeast Nationals. By Sunday afternoon's awards program, the clouds began to roll in, but the rain held off long enough for folks to start their journey home.

I stayed in Burlington on Sunday night and caught the ferry across the lower part of Lake Champlain at 6 a.m., and I drove in the rain on and off most of the day. I paid a quick visit to Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation in Clarence, New York, near Buffalo. Products from SSBC have helped the Road Tour cars stop for the last four years.

I arrived home at dusk, with just three days to get ready to go again. The last leg of the Road Tour is by far the longest and most grueling. It involves a 2,400-mile trip west to Sacramento and the Golden State Nationals. Then comes a very quick Ironman Run across the country requiring 3,000 miles of travel in about 3 1/2 days to Tampa, Florida, home of the Southwest Nationals. The 10th anniversary of the Road Tour is coming to the finish line but it is not over yet--not by a long shot!