The Bowling Green/Warren County Airport in Bowling Green, KY will host the Holley Performance Products stop of the 16th Annual Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour June 8th

The 16th Annual Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour will wind its way through car-crazy towns throughout the US, June 5 through June 12, 2010 including Bowling Green, KY Tuesday, June 8th.  The Hot Rod Power Tour is considered the ultimate road trip for thousands of performance car lovers who every year literally count the days until the 7-cities-in-7-days tour begins.  The Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour kicks off June 5th at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, IA.  From there, the Tour will work its way south through mid-America before finishing near the Gulf of Mexico in Mobile, AL.  On Tuesday, June 8th Holley Performance Products will host Day 4 of the 7-day, 7-city Tour at the Bowling Green/Warren County Regional Airport and the Power Tour will focus a nationwide buzz in the automotive aftermarket industry on the city of Bowling Green, KY. 

“The Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is proud to host the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour,” said Vicki Fitch, Executive Director of the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, as  the announcement was made at today’s press conference held at the BG/WC Regional Airport.  “We are continuously looking for new and exciting events to bring to our great city.  Hosting a Power Tour stop is an excellent opportunity to showcase the vast diversity of attractions that Bowling Green has to offer.  This event will give visitors the ability to experience the different flavors of the community.”

Over 4,500 participating cars and 65,000 spectators are expected for the Tour.  At each stop along the way, over 80 premiere automotive and aftermarket manufacturers will set up a travelling performance fair with booths and displays of everything on the car enthusiast’s wish list.  The event traditionally will leave a $1.2 million economic impact on a kickoff city including hotel room nights, event participants filling up at area gas stations, eating at local restaurants, etc.

Rob Barnett, Airport Manager of Bowling Green/Warren County Regional Airport said, “We are proud to be a part of the 2010 Hot Rod Power Tour. It will be a wonderful partnership – a prestigious magazine with a great following, a great state and city offering the finest Kentucky hospitality, and a fantastic venue offering 75+ acres of space to host Hot Rod’s signature event.

The legend of the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour grows with each year through the extensive coverage in Hot Rod, videos from the tour posted at www. HotRod.com and featured on Hot Rod Television on SPEED channel. But the really tall tales of the road that have built the iconic status of the Tour have spread word-of-mouth through the thousands of enthusiasts who have driven their beloved rides to a stop or perhaps even completed the revered “Long Haul” of every mile.  Here is the American car lovers dream come to life: with sightseeing, exploring back roads, sharing tales of the Tour with fellow participants, and becoming stars-for-the-day in each car-crazy town along the route.  In every city, huge crowds of spectators spend the day at the Tour sites enjoying a free stroll among one of the world’s finest rolling displays of all makes and models of high-end hot rods, street rods, custom trucks, muscle cars, sport compacts, and street machines.

Bill Tichenor, Marketing Manager for Holley Performance Products said, “We were excited to hear that Hot Rod Magazine’s signature event was coming straight through our home town, so it was a natural fit for us to sponsor the Bowling Green stop.  It truly is one of the premier events in our industry.   Power Tour participants are hard core, yet grassroots enthusiasts.  We use our involvement to keep up with the latest trends and get to know our customers first hand.  Holley has a lot of new products for 2010 and because the tour moves between seven venues in new cities each year, it gives us the chance to meet people we may not see at other automotive events.”

Hot Rod Publisher Jerry Pitt said, “The Power Tour is almost a religious experience for all of us at the magazine.  The adrenaline rush of meeting our readers, seeing the endless variety of car creations (many inspired by the magazine’s articles), and leading the most awe-inspiring parade of cool cars through town after town—well, there is nothing that even comes close for us.  On the Power Tour, Hot Rod comes to life–literally!  For 2010 we’ll wind our way through some of the most beautiful countrysides in America.  Every day, a new vista will fill our windshields.  We’ll begin in the nation’s breadbasket, and then wander through Bluegrass Country to the mountains of Tennessee, then on through the Deep South before ending up in the beautiful Gulf port of Mobile.  We can’t wait to meet everyone in Newton, start checking out the rides, and get rolling down the road!”

In 2009, many thought the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour would suffer due to the sharp recession and daily gloom-and-doom news stories about the U.S. economy.  However, Power Tour participants signed up and showed up in unprecedented numbers.  Most said that the reason is simple: some things are just too important and too much fun to give up, no matter what the economy.  Now that conditions are improving and the recession is abating, Hot Rod Power Tour officials expect to up the record again in 2010 in terms of participants and spectators.

• Saturday, June 5th     Newton, IA      Iowa Speedway
• Sunday, June 6th     Springfield, IL     Downtown – Springfield
• Monday, June 7th     DuQuoin, IL     DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
• Tuesday, June 8th     Bowling Green, KY     Bowling Green/Warren County Airport
• Wednesday, June 9th     Chattanooga, TN     Chattanooga State Community College
• Thursday, June 10th     Birmingham, AL     Regions Park Stadium
• Friday, June 11th     Mobile, AL     Downtown – Mobile

Registration is open to any year, make or model of vehicle!  Pre-register for $70 plus $3 handling fee or register on-site for $80.  Pre-register through Friday, May 24, 2010 at www. HotRod.com or by calling (877) 413-6515.  Join the Tour one day only for just $25!  One day registration available on-site only. 

Online information is available at www. HotRod.com or by calling (877) 413-6515.  For Hotel information, visit www. PowerTourHotels.com