Hot Rod Power Tour Thrill Ride

HRPT: These four letters, an acronym for the Hot Rod Power Tour, signify an annual thrashing—one that has been on my bucket list for years. In 2022 all the stars aligned, and we were able to make it out for the multi-state ride. 

The HRPT is the world’s largest traveling car show. With more than 3,500 registered participants and thousands of spectators at each venue, it truly is one of the most magical experiences you can have in this hot-rodding world of ours.

Taking the southern route this year, HRPT 2022 started close to home, which was nice. It started in Memphis, Tennessee, on Day 1. Then we headed to Nashville on Day 2. On Day 3, we made our way to Hoover, Alabama. On Day 4, we went over to Pensacola, Florida. And we ended the week in Atlanta.

My buddy Craig LoPresti (TheCraig909) and I took my 1978 Ford F-150 4×4 called “Snickers” on this trip. The truck hasn’t been on the road in over a decade. Sunday, the day before the event’s kickoff, we thrashed and got the whole truck up to road-trip ready. We changed out the fuel lines, sparkplugs, plug wires, distributor cap and rotor, changed the oil, installed all-new brakes, replaced some brake lines, rebuilt the carb, and so much more.

Snickers did well, but we started having overheating issues. Our buddies at Holley had our back and got us a direct replacement Frostbite Aluminum Radiator. They saved the day.

Overall, this was probably one of the best trips of my life. The people you get to meet along the way and the memories you make will last a lifetime. It’s always great when you get to hang out with your friends all day and night, and also get to make new ones.

If you want to see a little more of what all went on you can also visit my youtube channel by searching Ford Era. We made daily videos of the trip.