Chicago cruises?
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 14,176
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From: Central Il
These aren't in Chicago, but not more than a 3 to 3 1/2 hour drive for ya.
Hot rods coming to Springfield
Two national shows booked for summer
By CHRIS WETTERICH
STAFF WRITER
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for burnouts.
Two national car shows sponsored by Hot Rod magazine are coming to Springfield this summer, the Hot Rod Power Tour and the Hot Rod Super Nationals, city officials announced Tuesday.
The Power Tour is scheduled to hit town June 5 while the Super Nationals will run Aug. 26 to Aug. 28. Both events will be held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
The Super Nationals also will be held here in 2006 and 2007. City officials hope Springfield will become the event's permanent home.
The state will provide a $100,000 grant from the Illinois Bureau of Tourism to help promote the events.
It is estimated that the Power Tour will bring 3,000 cars to Springfield and that visitors will occupy 1,500 hotel rooms, said Tim Farley, executive director of the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Super Nationals will bring about 2,000 cars and up to 24,000 visitors over the three-day period. Springfield has about 4,000 hotel rooms.
The city will see a $2 million to $3 million economic impact from the event, Farley said.
"We're going to surely show everyone that we are a car community," Mayor Tim Davlin said at a city hall press conference. "Springfield is a prime location for these events."
Hot Rod publisher Ira Gabriel said many participants return to host cities later for vacations and other activities.
"The Hot Rod folks like to eat a lot of food. We like to visit a lot of the local facilities, getting some supplies, checking out the local attractions," he said. "The cities we've gone through have benefited not only during the event, but post. People across the country find this a unique destination."
For some Springfield residents, car shows could conjure up memories of the Car Craft magazine Street Machine Nationals, which ended its run in Springfield 21 years ago.
The event became known for many peel-outs on city streets and spectators throwing rocks, ice, beer and horse feces at police officers. Police wrote more than 1,000 tickets in 1984, the event's final year.
Davlin sought to assure the public that such mayhem would not occur this year.
"That was a trial and tribulation, but we're a lot older now," the mayor said. "The cars you're going to see are very expensive cars and they're not the kind of cars that we had when we were kids. You're going to see a lot more respect for vehicles. We weren't as organized as we are today."
Kathy Miller, a trustee in Boardman Township, Ohio, which along with Canfield Township, has hosted the Super Nationals the past several years, said her community has had no problems and lamented its loss.
Miller speculated that law enforcement in the townships and Mahoning County was too strict, despite the lack of incidents, leading the show to go elsewhere. The communities are near Youngstown, Ohio. Low attendance and bad weather may have also played a role, she said.
"I think we literally ran them out of town. We didn't have any problems," Miller said. "The people who come in are no problem. People line the streets with their lawn chairs. All our hotels were always filled. I loved going."
The 11th annual Power Tour takes participants from Miller Park stadium in Milwaukee to Kissimmee-St. Cloud, Fla., from June 4 to June 10. Springfield is the second stop on the seven-city tour.
Hot Rod magazine sees the Power Tour as a way for participants to preview Springfield before returning in August for the Super Nationals.
"This is an area of the country that we get a lot of response from a lot of our readership," said Hot Rod publisher Ira Gabriel.
The route for the tour changes each year, with the cars traveling about 250 miles per day. Groups of drivers cruise en masse, stopping for lunch and other points of interest at the same time, according to the magazine. The magazine says it is the largest gathering of hot rods and power vehicles in the country.
When the drivers arrive at their destination, a cruise and traditional car show are held along with dinner and other activities, including manufacturers displays and product giveaways. Registering a car costs $55 and can be done through www.hotrod.com or by calling (877) 413-6515. There is no cost for spectators.
The 26th annual Hot Rod Super Nationals will host a variety of events, including the naming of Miss Hot Rod Super Nationals, burnout contest, a family fun zone, a street cruise and a performance marketplace featuring various products.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27 and Sunday, Aug. 28, from 9 am. To 5 p.m.
Advance tickets for adults are $6 and $5 for children. Same-day tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children. Children under 6 are free.
To register a car, go to www.familyevents.com. Registration is $20 in advance and $35 to register at the fairgrounds starting Thursday, Aug. 25 at 2 p.m.
Hot rods coming to Springfield
Two national shows booked for summer
By CHRIS WETTERICH
STAFF WRITER
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for burnouts.
Two national car shows sponsored by Hot Rod magazine are coming to Springfield this summer, the Hot Rod Power Tour and the Hot Rod Super Nationals, city officials announced Tuesday.
The Power Tour is scheduled to hit town June 5 while the Super Nationals will run Aug. 26 to Aug. 28. Both events will be held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
The Super Nationals also will be held here in 2006 and 2007. City officials hope Springfield will become the event's permanent home.
The state will provide a $100,000 grant from the Illinois Bureau of Tourism to help promote the events.
It is estimated that the Power Tour will bring 3,000 cars to Springfield and that visitors will occupy 1,500 hotel rooms, said Tim Farley, executive director of the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Super Nationals will bring about 2,000 cars and up to 24,000 visitors over the three-day period. Springfield has about 4,000 hotel rooms.
The city will see a $2 million to $3 million economic impact from the event, Farley said.
"We're going to surely show everyone that we are a car community," Mayor Tim Davlin said at a city hall press conference. "Springfield is a prime location for these events."
Hot Rod publisher Ira Gabriel said many participants return to host cities later for vacations and other activities.
"The Hot Rod folks like to eat a lot of food. We like to visit a lot of the local facilities, getting some supplies, checking out the local attractions," he said. "The cities we've gone through have benefited not only during the event, but post. People across the country find this a unique destination."
For some Springfield residents, car shows could conjure up memories of the Car Craft magazine Street Machine Nationals, which ended its run in Springfield 21 years ago.
The event became known for many peel-outs on city streets and spectators throwing rocks, ice, beer and horse feces at police officers. Police wrote more than 1,000 tickets in 1984, the event's final year.
Davlin sought to assure the public that such mayhem would not occur this year.
"That was a trial and tribulation, but we're a lot older now," the mayor said. "The cars you're going to see are very expensive cars and they're not the kind of cars that we had when we were kids. You're going to see a lot more respect for vehicles. We weren't as organized as we are today."
Kathy Miller, a trustee in Boardman Township, Ohio, which along with Canfield Township, has hosted the Super Nationals the past several years, said her community has had no problems and lamented its loss.
Miller speculated that law enforcement in the townships and Mahoning County was too strict, despite the lack of incidents, leading the show to go elsewhere. The communities are near Youngstown, Ohio. Low attendance and bad weather may have also played a role, she said.
"I think we literally ran them out of town. We didn't have any problems," Miller said. "The people who come in are no problem. People line the streets with their lawn chairs. All our hotels were always filled. I loved going."
The 11th annual Power Tour takes participants from Miller Park stadium in Milwaukee to Kissimmee-St. Cloud, Fla., from June 4 to June 10. Springfield is the second stop on the seven-city tour.
Hot Rod magazine sees the Power Tour as a way for participants to preview Springfield before returning in August for the Super Nationals.
"This is an area of the country that we get a lot of response from a lot of our readership," said Hot Rod publisher Ira Gabriel.
The route for the tour changes each year, with the cars traveling about 250 miles per day. Groups of drivers cruise en masse, stopping for lunch and other points of interest at the same time, according to the magazine. The magazine says it is the largest gathering of hot rods and power vehicles in the country.
When the drivers arrive at their destination, a cruise and traditional car show are held along with dinner and other activities, including manufacturers displays and product giveaways. Registering a car costs $55 and can be done through www.hotrod.com or by calling (877) 413-6515. There is no cost for spectators.
The 26th annual Hot Rod Super Nationals will host a variety of events, including the naming of Miss Hot Rod Super Nationals, burnout contest, a family fun zone, a street cruise and a performance marketplace featuring various products.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27 and Sunday, Aug. 28, from 9 am. To 5 p.m.
Advance tickets for adults are $6 and $5 for children. Same-day tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children. Children under 6 are free.
To register a car, go to www.familyevents.com. Registration is $20 in advance and $35 to register at the fairgrounds starting Thursday, Aug. 25 at 2 p.m.
