Hot wheels

The smell of exhaust and gasoline hung in the muggy air at Chattanooga State Community College on Wednesday during Hot Rod magazine's Power Tour.

As the tour made its fifth stop on a seven-day, seven-city journey, not even the occasional downpours pelting the campus could rain on the parade of chrome, rubber, vintage fenders and flashy new paint jobs.

By 1 p.m., thousands of cars, from antique muscle cars to cutting-edge utility vehicles, were backed up from the Chattanooga State entrance off Amnicola Highway.

The tour persuaded car lovers such as Gary Britt, 52, and his brother George Britt, 63, of Jackson, Fla., to return for their fifth year as part of the tour. This year, Gary Britt brought his 13-year-old son Houston along in a station wagon -- a change from their usual Chevrolet El Caminos.

"It is very family oriented," said George Britt.

Brother Gary said the event is simply a lot of fun.

"You get to see the country and go different places every year," he said.

Houston said the best part of the Power Tour is the free stuff from vendors.

The Power Tour, presented by GM Performance Division, began 16 years ago with just seven cars making a roadtrip from Southern California to Michigan, said Hot Rod publisher Jerry Pitt. "It's not just about the product. It's about the people," he said.

The tour now features more than 1,300 vehicles making the entire 1,370-mile drive and about 3,500 total cars participating at some point, Mr. Pitt said.

The event attracts participants from all over the world, with license plates from as far away as Australia in the lineup. It's expected to bring about $800,000 to the city, according to Bob Doak, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Convention Center.

The rainy weather Wednesday was not the only thing hot-rod lovers withstood for the sake of their cars. Both Mr. Pitt and Corky Coker, owner of Chattanooga's Coker Tire Co., which helped sponsor the tour's stop in the city, said enthusiasm has continued in the face of high gas prices and economic issues.

"This is not a requirement, this is something they do with passion, and people with passion are going to do it, regardless of price," Mr. Coker said.

Participants who make the entire journey, all the way from Newton, Iowa, to Mobile, Ala., earn the title of "Long Haulers" and are recognized at the end of the tour.

For "Long Haulers," the drive is about "taking time to smell the roses," said Mike Elliot, 63 of Compton, Ill.

This year marks Mr. Elliot's second year making the "Long Haul" with his co-pilot Lynnea Strong, 64, of Logansport, Ind. The couple met online and now enjoy the opportunity to indulge their shared love of cars and the road.