HOT ROD Power Tour 2025 Day 4—Rolling Through the Heartland—Cruise Gallery
Rolling through miles of America on the way to Monroe, Michigan
Day four the 2025 Chevrolet Performance HOT ROD Power Tour Driven by Hagerty gave participants more time to cruise through the heartland of America. Our massive rolling car show tosses aside the fast-travel lure of the big interstates and instead hits the back roads through the sleepy towns and overlooked highways that make this country so unique.
AI Quick Summary
The 2025 HOT ROD Power Tour Day 4 featured a 165-mile cruise from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Monroe, Michigan, showcasing unique cars and activities. Highlights included Pro Street displays, a drive-in theater, and racing simulations. The event concludes with a cruise to Norwalk, Ohio.
This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article
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Thursday morning kicked off with a 165-mile cruise from the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Monroe, Michigan. Just like yesterday, it was a fairground setup, so there was no drag racing, but the events team came with a ton of activities for the participants and spectators to enjoy.
On the HRPT, it’s all about the journey and making new friends at gas stops and various roadside attractions along the route.
How often do you find a still functioning drive-in movie theater? Sadly, the answer is not often, but in America’s heartland they are still there, allowing couples, families, and friends a chance to forge these uniquely American memories.
No racing in Monroe, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t grab a steering wheel and have fun. For the young and young at heart, there were RC cars to pilot around a banked oval while those a bit older had video arcade NASCAR racing games to enjoy.
For others looking for more realism, AK SIM Racing had their trailer set up at the event complete with full motion racing rigs.
We never get tired of checking out Mike Cotten’s retro Pro Street survivor 1980 Dodge Mirada. The ride started out on Roadkill but moved over to Faster With Newbern and Cotten, where it got a new lease on life and a sick 512-inch 8-71 blown mill backed by a Gearstar TorqueFlight 727 transmission.
On each day HOT ROD’s John McGann and designer Murray Pfaff pick five rides for a Power Parker Award. Those selected got prime parking near the HOT ROD stage and a cool trophy.
Pro Street Alley was full of long haulers and those Pro Street rides that just came out for the day. It’s an over-the-top build style we love, and we’re glad to see it gaining popularity again.
Super weird stuff shows up each year at Power Tour, and this one was as creative as it was oddball. Who doesn’t love a W-18 powerplant made up of three straight-six engines totaling 718 cubic inches?
The manufacturer’s midway was slammed with traffic as people grabbed freebies and signed up for a chance to score a custom Craftsman toolbox from Hagerty. Many of the vendors had giveaways, celebrity signings, and other chances to engage with hot rodders.
On Friday the 2025 Chevrolet Performance HOT ROD Power Tour Driven by Hagerty wraps it up with a 116-mile cruise to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The track is open, so it promises to be the perfect finale for the biggest HOT ROD Power Tour ever.
31st Annual HOT ROD POWER TOUR 2025 SCHEDULE
- KICKOFF / Day 1: Monday, June 9—Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Brownsburg, Indiana
- Day 2: Tuesday, June 10—Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Illinois
- Day 3: Wednesday, June 11—Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Day 4: Thursday, June 12—Monroe County Fairgrounds, Monroe, Michigan
- Day 5: Friday, June 13—Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio
Born and raised in Southern California I started as the technical editor for Popular Hot Rodding (PHR) magazine where I learned the business before moving over to work with Nick Licata, at Camaro Performers, as his tech editor. At PHR I built a 1968 Camaro called Bad Penny that was one of the earlier pro-touring cars that actually ran the track hard. We won the first Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational in 2008 and placed well several other years. At Camaro Performers we started several project cars and did a ton of tech. Eventually I was made editor of Vette magazine for a short time before being slotted to run Super Chevy magazine. Running the brands was fun, but I've always enjoyed being a technical writer more. So after more than 15 years I'm back to writing tech content, this time for the HOT ROD network. I enjoy being with my family, shooting, and working on my latest car, a 1969 Camaro called Tri Tip.
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