Many rodders from the area...
Many rodders from the area stopped by to greet the Road Tour participants. Intercity Lines, the official Road Tour transportation company, had driver Bob Shaw on hand to give a demonstration of the care that goes into loading a special interest vehicle that's entrusted to them.
Monday on the Factory Five Racing Tour was one of the fullest days of activity that we have ever seen on an AMSOIL/STREET RODDER Road Tour. The day included some history lessons, some very exciting laps on a NASCAR racecourse, and a visit to one of the nicest hot rod shops in the nation. Beginning in Portsmouth, the day began with our usual morning drivers' meeting as the details of the day's activities were discussed.
Our first stop was at the USS Albacore submarine, which is on exhibit near downtown Portsmouth. It was built in 1952 in Portsmouth and served in the Navy from 1953-72. It was the first of the modern submarines with a cylindrical hull, the standard shape of the modern submarines. In the '50s and '60s, it set speed records for submarines. In 1985, after years of inactivity, it was brought back to Portsmouth and put on display. It was a very interesting tour as we were able to walk through the ship and imagine what life is like on a submarine.
After our tour of the area...
After our tour of the area we gathered at Dave Perewitz's motorcycle shop in Bridgewater. He has been building custom motorcycles for decades and he gave all of us a tour of the facility. His daughter, Jody, made sure we all had enough to eat.
From the USS Albacore it was just a five-minute drive to downtown Portsmouth. Our stop and visit for the morning in Portsmouth was at the Strawbery Banke Village and Museum. This collection of buildings dates back to the earliest settlers of New England. Saved from demolition in 1958, the collection of 32 buildings represents life in the early days of Portsmouth and our nation. The folks at the museum were excited to see our group of vehicles and invited us to drive in and park on the lawn. Visiting Strawbery Banke on the same day was a group of Hupmobile owners who were also invited to drive their classics onto the grounds. It was a nice mix of hot rods and Hupmobiles on display among the historic buildings.
After our visit there and some lunch in historic downtown Portsmouth, it was time to get back on the highway. Our destination for the afternoon was the New Hampshire Motor Speedway about one hour away in Loudon, New Hampshire. It was a great drive through the New Hampshire countryside. When we arrived we were greeted by track officials and a pace car. Arrangements had been made and we were actually permitted to make a few laps on the road course that had been set up for the day. It was very exciting as we put our vehicles through their paces on the track. Thanks to all the folks at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for making our afternoon a very exciting one.
Sunday morning after our drivers'...
Sunday morning after our drivers' meeting we headed out on a tour of the nearby Plymouth Rock and Cape Cod area. Led by motorcycle legend Dave Perewitz in his own Factory Five '33 hot rod, we got a real history lesson as we saw both Plymouth Rock and this replica of the Mayflower that is docked in the bay.
Our final stop for the day was at Lowery's Auto Restorations in nearby Tilton, New Hampshire. Started by Jim Lowery Sr. 50 years ago, the quality craftsmanship has continued with Jim Lowery Jr. We were greeted by Jim Lowry Sr. and Jr. and family. It's an unbelievable facility that is a cross between a horse and a horsepower farm. Lowery's specializes in high-end auto restoration and the construction of period-perfect hot rods. Their work has been shown at Pebble Beach and on the pages of STREET RODDER. We enjoyed some great pizza and got a chance to enjoy their beautiful shop and setting in the countryside of New Hampshire.
After our busy day on Monday, activities on the Factory Five Racing Tour continued as we made our way to the Syracuse Nationals in New York. From our daily morning drivers' meeting on Tuesday we made a quick stop at the Tilt'n Diner for a group photo. From Tilton, New Hampshire, it was a beautiful drive across the state and into Vermont. We made a stop at the Quechee Gorge Village on the New Hampshire Vermont border. The Village is a collection of shops and a Farmer's Diner where we enjoyed an early lunch and some shopping before heading out on even more beautiful highways. Our destination for the afternoon was the Rolling Bones Hot Rod Shop just outside of Saratoga Springs, New York.