Driving instructions are out!

[george1861]

Hot-Rod-Power-Tour-2023-ROUTES-149.pdf (motortrend.com)

[Monster]

[BluLightning]

I divided the directions up so they have each day on a different page so that they are easier to read on the road.

[cstmwgn]

Thanks boB

[htrdharley]

Definitly doing something different leaving Mooresville Friday morning. The route from Concord out highway 73 is a disaster. Hopefully everyone is staying in Mooresville. Traffic jams going through Hickory will be bad also. It sucks on a normal day.

I drive the route below 2-3 times a week.

I suggest:

Leaving Mooresville and driving I 77 north 1 exit, exit 42.
Turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto HGWY 21 towards Troutman. Charming small southern town with 2 lights. There will be light congestion.
Turn left onto Old Mountian Rd at the north end of Troutman.
Follow Old Mountian rd to HGWY 64. Great drive.
Turn left on 64 towards Taylorsville.
Follow 64 all the way to Lenoir. This is a great drive mostly 55 MPH, no lights or stop signs with decent scenery.
After the traffic circle 64 has a red light, turn left onto 64/18 towards Lenoir. Get in right lane.
At 321 ( Burger King on the right corner ) turn onto 321 and pick up the official route.

The first half of the official route is congested, is a traffic nitemare any day of the week and does not have anything to look at. You will be picking up the route where it gets good.

I am usually a person that drives the routes, last year it was not usually what we have run in the past on PT. Some of this year is following that trend.

I will probably run a much more scenic route on day 1 also, avoiding I 20 all together.

[Impala_Guy]

So, Power Tour is coming through Boone! This might be a bigger traffic event than the All-Star Race in Wilkesboro this weekend. Boone was my childhood home as we lived there until I was 5. As luck would have it that's were we have a second home now as Soo is an Associate Dean at Appalachian State. Traffic through there is ridiculous for a small town but you can't really build a bypass around it due to all the mountains. Also, I don't know who planned out the Hiway designations but US 221, US 321, and US 421 all intersect there.

Anyway, the official route shows to make a left from 321 onto the 105 bypass at a traffic light. On a regular day that's a two-cycle wait to turn. While you're stacked up there look to the right and the gray house (now a realty office) between a repair garage and the Taco Bell was my childhood home. Anyway, If you're in the long backup for that light my advise would be; Continue north and turn left at the second stoplight onto Rivers Street (Convocation Center will be on your left). Follow Rivers Street (slowly, 25 mph zone through ASU Campus) one mile to make a right onto Water Street (no traffic light). Go 2 blocks and turn left (at the traffic light) onto King Street (aka US 321 and/or 421). The "official route" will join onto 321/421 in about 3 miles.

The drive on 321 towards Elizbethton can be fun and is quite scenic, especially once you get near the Watauga Lake area.

Look forward to seeing everyone and hope this helps.

[htrdharley]

So, Power Tour is coming through Boone! This might be a bigger traffic event than the All-Star Race in Wilkesboro this weekend. Boone was my childhood home as we lived there until I was 5. As luck would have it that's were we have a second home now as Soo is an Associate Dean at Appalachian State. Traffic through there is ridiculous for a small town but you can't really build a bypass around it due to all the mountains. Also, I don't know who planned out the Hiway designations but US 221, US 321, and US 421 all intersect there.

Anyway, the official route shows to make a left from 321 onto the 105 bypass at a traffic light. On a regular day that's a two-cycle wait to turn. While you're stacked up there look to the right and the gray house (now a realty office) between a repair garage and the Taco Bell was my childhood home. Anyway, If you're in the long backup for that light my advise would be; Continue north and turn left at the second stoplight onto Rivers Street (Convocation Center will be on your left). Follow Rivers Street (slowly, 25 mph zone through ASU Campus) one mile to make a right onto Water Street (no traffic light). Go 2 blocks and turn left (at the traffic light) onto King Street (aka US 321 and/or 421). The "official route" will join onto 321/421 in about 3 miles.

The drive on 321 towards Elizbethton can be fun and is quite scenic, especially once you get near the Watauga Lake area.

Look forward to seeing everyone and hope this helps.

Your spot on, came through there again today. I am looking at possibly jumping on the Blue Ridge Parkway on the north side of Blowing Rock and meeting up with the route a little further down the line.

Working in the Boone area 3+ days a week the traffic is definitly congested. Bring a couple thousand old cars through will be a nightmare.

Are you going on PT this year?

[Impala_Guy]

Your spot on, came through there again today. I am looking at possibly jumping on the Blue Ridge Parkway on the north side of Blowing Rock and meeting up with the route a little further down the line.

Working in the Boone area 3+ days a week the traffic is definitly congested. Bring a couple thousand old cars through will be a nightmare.

Are you going on PT this year?

Yes, of course. I never miss it. I'll be traveling with Kim. I'm pretty sure ya'll met. He had the loud, orange SS sedan at the Cars & Cones tour.

[cstmwgn]

Anyway, the official route shows to make a left from 321 onto the 105 bypass at a traffic light. On a regular day that's a two-cycle wait to turn. While you're stacked up there look to the right and the gray house (now a realty office) between a repair garage and the Taco Bell was my childhood home. Anyway, If you're in the long backup for that light my advise would be; Continue north and turn left at the second stoplight onto Rivers Street (Convocation Center will be on your left). Follow Rivers Street (slowly, 25 mph zone through ASU Campus) one mile to make a right onto Water Street (no traffic light). Go 2 blocks and turn left (at the traffic light) onto King Street (aka US 321 and/or 421).

Charles, how bad to you think the traffic will be with that many cars coming through town?

I noticed you suggested cutting through the college instead of continuing straight and turning left onto 421/221.

Sooo, going outside the box
What about cutting through the back roads and completely avoiding Boone?
Something like just past the BRP turning left on Edmisten Rd and wandering all around and coming out at NC 194/Abby Lane?

I have mapped it out in my garmin and it is about 20 miles and 45 minutes

[moparjim71]

It was nice in the old days when the local authorities provided traffic police at those bottleneck intersections to move things along. So much idling in the heat could be avoided if they still did that. Better for the Tour cars and better for the locals.

[PacerRacer]

It was nice in the old days when the local authorities provided traffic police at those bottleneck intersections to move things along. So much idling in the heat could be avoided if they still did that. Better for the Tour cars and better for the locals.

Police in Boone, NC will be doing this on Day 5.

[htrdharley]

Anyone thinking of doing a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway there were multiple closures yesterday in the Boone ( south ) area. Not sure how long they are closed, might be a day or two or open by now. They also had signs about a detour on the north side past 421.

[cstmwgn]

Police in Boone, NC will be doing this on Day 5.

Well, if they are, they had NO CLUE about it a few days ago when I called to ask what their plans were!

[PacerRacer]

Well, if they are, they had NO CLUE about it a few days ago when I called to ask what their plans were!

Not sure. I've been keeping up with aanddhotrodshop's videos on the tour this year and they said at 12:30 into this video that there would be a police escort through that turn: https://youtu.be/HaJ5PozehnM

So, that being said, I haven't called them myself since I'm watching from home this year. I would hope that it's accurate info, but if you followed up with Boone PD and they didn't know about it, maybe not. Sure hope they come out and lend a hand, though.

[cstmwgn]

Not sure. I've been keeping up with aanddhotrodshop's videos on the tour this year and they said at 12:30 into this video that there would be a police escort through that turn: https://youtu.be/HaJ5PozehnM

So, that being said, I haven't called them myself since I'm watching from home this year. I would hope that it's accurate info, but if you followed up with Boone PD and they didn't know about it, maybe not. Sure hope they come out and lend a hand, though.

Well that sounds very encouraging! I hope the person I talked with hadn't been informed at that time.