2011 Hot Rod Power Tour

On the Scene
Local boys make good on the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour
This past June, three delegates from Dakota Digital saddled up and hit the road, driving to Cocoa Beach Florida for the kick-off of the 17th annual Hot Rod Power Tour. This year took us from Florida to Michigan, with stops in Alabama, Tennessee and Indiana along the way. With temps in the upper-nineties for the first five days, we were pleased that Michigan rolled out the AC and blessed us with temps in the sixties. We even blogged about the adventure on our website; hit up dakotadigital.com/powertour to read up! For the uninitiated, the Power Tour is basically a seven-day car show, in seven different cities. It could also be described as a cross-country road trip with 2,500 of your new best friends.

With 2011 being the first year for us as the official gauge provider of the Tour, we got more than enough real estate for our booth, so we seized the opportunity to allow some very nice cars a primo parking spot with us. We put our feelers out for nice cars sporting Dakota Digital products that were already going to be on the Tour, and were lucky enough to find a good variety of hot rods.

On the digital team, we had the Farrington family reppin’ the A-bodies with their killer ’66 Chevelle. Sporting an LS and six speed riding on a complete DSE suspension, the Chevelle can more than hold its own on the autocross as well as the open road. Since completing the years-long project, the Farringtons have been thrashing the ‘Velle every chance they get, including driving the car out to the Indy stop specifically to be our booth model. In addition to the A-1 car, the Farringtons are incredibly nice folks, and their daughter (whom we didn’t have the pleasure of meeting), sent along a batch of home-made chocolate chip cookies. Too cool!!

Also carrying the digital torch was Gary Streeter and his unassuming ’57 Bel Air. A very nice resto with chubby tires, the car features a satellite radio (hidden) and sixteen-inch TTII’s. Oh, and a 393 small block plumbed with a Snow Performance injection kit as well as a healthy (250hp) shot of laughing gas. With 3.73’s and a loose converter in the TH350, Streeter knocks down 17mpg as well as 10.50’s at 140mph. Lemme rephrase that; mid tens at one-forty. And he drives it! A lot! The Florida resident (age 68) caught us in Indy just before he turned back to the Sunshine State for his 50th high school reunion.

One representative for the new VHX contingent was Mark Pecikonis and his brand new 1968 Camaro. Mark just finished the car and toted it out to Indy as well as Detroit. The Snakeskin Green paint (ala Dodge Viper) absolutely blazed in the sun; against the white rocks the car was positively lit up. The interior of the car is elegant, tasteful, and well equipped with direct-fit VHX gauges. Mark skipped the show in Muskegon to swing by his tuner and get the LS running to the best of its world-renowned ability, but he lined back up with us in the Motor City, only to have his freshly-painted F-body rained on.

All in all, the Power Tour was wildly successful but it wouldn’t have been quite the same without the support from all of our customers and the spectacular vehicles people are putting together. We ran out of space to discuss the big-block Cutlass that followed us for most of the week; head to our website to read up on that car (it’s worth a read). We’re honored to be a part of these vehicles; from everyone at Dakota Digital, thank you.

