Rod Run

2010 RUN THRU THE HILLS 6 Part 1

From here on out Run Thru The Hills 6 will be referred to as RTTH. The 6 stands for the sixth running of RTTH.

I was on my way to the Fall Rod Run in Pigeon Forge, Tn. I knew that RTTH’s autocross was being run at the Smoky’s baseball stadium parking lot. It was on the way so I thought I’d stop and spend an hour there and be on my way. I was wrong! RTTH is a Mecca of AmericanCars that are meant to be driven and driven hard. It’s called Pro-Touring. I spent the whole day at RTTH.

It’s a Run What You Brung competition. The only rules that I know of are D.O.T street rated tires, safety belts, and maybe a roll bar. Most of the guys brought 60’s style muscle cars that have been retrofitted with modern day wheels, tires, chassis, suspensions, engines, transmissions, etc. No matter the vehicle, it had been heavily upgraded. The weekend competition was a combination autocross, 1/8 mile drag, reaction time at the drags, and braking distance from the finish line at the 1/8 mile drag. There might have been a required cruise Friday to ensure streetability of every car. Competitors were required to run the same set of tires for all phases of the competition. The tire of chose seemed to be the BFG KDW.  It’s strictly amateurs, no prize money. Most of the guys there were for the comradery, to learn and just to see how they could do. A few of the guys were there for the comradery, to learn, and to win.

I didn’t make it to the Fall Rod Run that day. There were more hard core street performance AmericanCars at RTTH than at a dozen Rod Runs. Oh yeah, and a lot of AmericanGirls too!!

Rod Run

2008 SPRING ROD RUN

The 08 Spring Grand Rod Run was my very first AmericanCarAmericanGirls event coverage. While I did make my share of rookie mistakes by not doing enough car coverage I think I made up for those mistakes by having great girl coverage.

Pigeon Forge Tn. host both the Spring and Fall Grand Rod Runs.  The Rod Runs aren’t shows, events, or competition, no prizes or awards they’re just one BIG CAR PARTY. Thousands of people line their chairs and coolers along both sides of the ten mile main road of Pigeon Forge and watch the continuous unending, three day parade of every make, model, year and brand of American muscle car. The weather was perfect, the atmosphere was super fun and the AmericanCarsAmericanGirls were outstanding.

A quick note to the Ford and Mopar guys. My apologies.  Your brands did not get equal coverage at this event. I’ll make up for this at later events.

Rod Run

NIKKI

Talk about beginner’s luck it was Nikki.  Nikki’s from White House Tn. and was at the Rod Run with her mom, dad, and brother. They were all enjoying the atmosphere and trying to sell their gorgeous 1972 Olds 442. After an initial picture of Nikki with the top up 442, the whole family enthusiastically offered to take the 442’s top down. I guess they thought it would make the 442 and Nikki look better. Nikki didn’t need any help. 

Nikki works in an administrative position for the town of  White House Tn.. I personally think that if the citizens of White House had any sense they would make Nikki mayor.

Rod Run

SHELBY

After Nikki and Rebecca I could have gone home a happy camper but my beginners luck was just beginning. I walked a little further there they was SHELBY and her boyfriend Josh both from Ashville N.C. Quite frankly they didn’t look real happy when I first saw them uncomfortably setting in the little bit of shade they could find. When I asked Shelby if I could take some pictures of her with Josh’s car and the light switched and she immediately went into pose mode. It was evident she knew how and loved to pose. The picture of Shelby, Josh and Camaro is AmericanCarsAmericanGirls.com.

Shelby is a student in Ashville N.C.

Rod Run

KATIE and the PINK CADDILAC

Katie is a seventeen year old high school student from Rome Ga. Her boyfriend is a Marine serving a tour of duty in Iraq. In a couple of the pictures Katie seems to have this younger, fresher Angela Jolie thing going on.

Katie was attending the Rod Run with her boyfriend’s parents who were the owners of the outrageous Pink Cadillac convertible. In the mega cubed Cadillac engine the distributer is put in front of the engine. Huge Mickey Thompson’s on the rear, a super cool dual exhaust, sound and stereo equipment in the trunk and even video screens on the back of the front seats. I wish I would have gotten more information on the Caddie. Just a rookie mistake.

Rod Run

CHRISTY

Christy and her boyfriend were two of the thousands people sitting in their folding chairs on the strip watching the cars. I stopped and asked Christy and her boyfriend kind of at the same time if it would be ok to take Christy’s picture. They both said sure and I began to take some pictures of Christy next to a nice C4 Vette.  As I was taking the pictures there was a banter going on between Christy and her boyfriend and was obvious that they were both getting a little bit of a turn-on from Christy having her picture taken. Her boyfriend owes me big time. I have included a picture that has the boyfriend just to show there is hope for the rest of us regular guys.

Christy is a Registered Dental Assistant from Franklin, Tn.

Rod Run

Dwight Banks and his ’66 GTO

Dwight’s 1966 GTO is a absolutely beautiful full body-off  restoration. Dwight did the all the work himself  but that’s what he does for a living, Dwight owns ‘’Banks Restorations GTOs Only’’. Dwight’s a super nice guy and his work is impeccable. The shop is in Waynesville N.C. and the phone number is 828-506-0703. If you want your G.T.O. restored you know where to go.

The G.T.O. was restored back to numbers matching save a  few minor engine and exhaust upgrades. The 389 c.i.,  3 duce, Pontiac engine was given a Lunati cam with 245/245 degrees of duration with 490/490 inches of lift. The exhaust has Dyno Max headers, 2 ½’’ stainless steel exhaust with an X-pipe.

Rod Run

David Barger and his ’69 Camaro

There were a minimum of several hundred first generation Camaros at the Rod Run but David’s  just caught my eye. It was the simplicity of the car, nothing overdone, a beautiful, strong running driver. 

468 c.i. Chevy Big Block, Tremec 5 sp., 12 bolt 3.42 rear end, drilled and slotted rotors, power rack and pinion steering, American Racing Torque Thrust II wheels, 2’’ drop spindles. Most of the stuff it needs to make it go faster, stop better, with better efficiency but the remainder of the car looking stock inside and out.

David is from Mount Carmel, Tn.

Rod Run

EMILY

I’m walking back to my car to pack it in for the day thinking I couldn’t have been more fortunate my first time out. Fortunately I was wrong. There Emily was, poking her head out of her boyfriend’s LT1 4^th generation Camaro, smiling and vigorously talking on her cell phone. As I approached the car I heard her say into her cell phone “some crazy guy is taking my picture”. Truer words never came out of a prettier face.

Emily and her boyfriend were great sports. I wish I would have found out more about her boyfriend’s car. I do know he wasn’t pumping 87 octane and there was a nitrous bottle bolted behind the driver’s seat.

Emily lists her hometown as Lavernge Tn. and her occupation as a nurse.

Thanks for reading my stuff!!!!

Rod Run

2008 SPRING ROD RUN

The 08 Spring Grand Rod Run was my very first AmericanCarAmericanGirls event coverage. While I did make my share of rookie mistakes by not doing enough car coverage I think I made up for those mistakes by having great girl coverage.

Pigeon Forge Tn. host both the Spring and Fall Grand Rod Runs.The Rod Runs aren’t shows, events, or competition, no prizes or awards they’re just one BIG CAR PARTY. Thousands of people line their chairs and coolers along both sides of the ten mile main road of Pigeon Forge and watch the continuous unending three day parade of every make, model, year and brand of American muscle car. The weather was perfect, the atmosphere was super fun and the AmericanCarsAmericanGirls were outstanding.

A quick note to the Ford and Mopar guys. My apologies. Your brands did not get equal coverage at this event. I’ll make up for this at later events.