Hot Rod Power Tour 2024
"Long" Hauling the Mail
It’s a bucket list thing for some and it’s a ritual for others, regardless, Hot Rod Power Tour is like the Mt. Everest of auto events. Whether the climb is getting your car done in time or getting back home in one piece. 2024 was a big year. It marked the 30th anniversary of HRPT (Hot Rod Power Tour) with nearly 7,000 participants. That says plenty for an event that has evolved so successfully since the 90s.
Twin Snail Mail
Why not take on the 2024 challenge with a twin-turbo Mail Truck? Our beautifully patina’d chariot, nicknamed, “Twin Snail Mail,” actually would have delivered your mail back in the mid-60s. It started on a stock 1965 Jeep chassis. It’s still a right-hand drive, and thanks to some ingenuity, and plenty of Speedway goodies, it’s built like a childhood dream toy.
Not only did it carry us through the week, but you wouldn’t imagine what’s packed inside. The idea spawned about 2 years ago when Mike Earley of FTP Speed Shop drug it out of his In-law's farm. It was basically rotting. Which is also why it’s the last thing you’d choose to drive across the country in.
So why not stuff it with a 4.8L spinning twin GT35 turbos, a built 4L80E trans, Mustang II front end, and 4-link rear, oh and why not throw it on air ride too! The result is absolutely hilarious, but also mind-blowing. And if the cardboard box-like aerodynamics don’t make you chuckle, then watching it run a 12-second quarter mile might do the trick.
Here’s the kicker. The first startup happened 2 days before we hit the road for the Power Tour. As you would imagine, the week prior was full of last-minute wiring gremlins, an alignment, tuning, dyno pulls, waiting on the windshield glass, oh yeah and things like getting it registered. Snail Mail, and any build like it, is just a test of character. When most people are ready to tap out, Mike Earley gets his second wind.
Day 1: Bowling Green, KY
Just picture the world’s biggest traveling car show. This year spanned 5 days across 5 cities from Tennessee to Indiana. We estimated roughly an 800-to-1,000-mile drive in total. Day 1 launched at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, KY. We learned quickly that Snail Mail doesn’t fare well in 3-mile-long traffic lines.
The old timers will tell you: if you’re gonna’ do the Power Tour you better damn well test your cooling system. Sitting in traffic is just part of the fun. The payoff is obvious: drag racing, drifting, autocross, burnouts, whole shots, good food, and great vendors, alongside plenty of fellow comrades.
Day 2: Lebanon, TN
After a late night that was spent gutting our thermostat in the hotel parking lot, we had a late start on the way to Nashville Super Speedway. We would later learn that being the ‘slackers’ is not ideal. The higher ambient temps made for higher engine temps and the later start meant longer traffic lines. All things to avoid. Nonetheless, we quickly became pros at pushing Snail Mail in slow traffic lines.
The show lot was circled by drift cars, autocross, and the fresh aroma of burning rubber. We spotted some industry celebs too, like Derek Bieri of Vice Grip Garage which drew some big lines.
Day 3: Louisville, KY
Day 3 was a long haul. After several stops and waiting on multiple road construction delays we spent 7hrs on the road to Louisville. We arrived to the Cardinals Stadium and got our lanyards punched with 6 minutes to spare before the show closed.
The good part: Power Tour comes in layers. You can bet on any hotel within a 50-mile radius of the event to be booked solid with cars and car people. This means, that by the time the event fizzles out – the party keeps going at any given hotel parking lot. The upside, if you’re short on tools, fluids, or even an extra hand you’ll have help nearby.
Day 4: Hebron, OH
We finally took a hint and hit the road bright and early on Day 4. Sunrise meant 50-degree morning temperatures that gave us a couple of hours of solid running engine temps. This time, we avoided the back roads and stuck to I-70 between Louisville and Columbus, which got us to the show in good time.
National Trail Raceway in Hebron, OH had a super cool spread too. The setting: sprawling green fields of dream cars alongside a ¼-mile drag strip. Mike took the opportunity to twist the screws a little on Snail Mail.
After hitting the strip twice, he learned the 4:88 rearend gears had to go. Snail Mail ran out of gear by the 1/8-mile. But on a modest 4lbs of boost, he was able to lay down a solid 12.86 @ 92mph. Special thanks to Barnyard Garage in Lincoln, NE for the last-minute tune.
Day 5: Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Raceway Park supported day-long drag racing, dyno runs, and participants who made each leg of the 5-day long journey were able to pick up their Long Hauler plaques.
Call it bittersweet. By the end, the hotels, parking lot fixes, and the copious number of inhaled hot dogs become one giant blur which is when you know it’s time to head home.
We now know that Mike Earley may just have the world’s quickest mail delivery service. Proven on the Hot Rod Power Tour. It certainly remains to be a successful event with one of the most dynamic ways to experience Hot Rodding.