With the Grand National Roadster show coming up here in So Cal, we know a lot of people that are coming in from out of town for “vacation” at the Grand National. It seems a little strange to us, mostly because for 30 of the 40 years of my life I’ve lived within an hour of the show’s location, but for folks that didn’t have that luxury, I guess we can understand the draw. And of course we’ve spent plenty of time on vacations that were car related ourselves, sometimes after serious griping from our better halves, but what if you had jillions of dollars and all the time in the world? Where and what would you do for the ultimate automotive vacation?
I have tons of scenarios, ranging from the simple week in Indy for the 500, or a week in Monaco for the Grand Prix, or 3 month road trip throughout the United States attempting to see every car builder, parts builder or former automaker plant in existence. Or maybe it’s Goodwood for you, or the Isle of Man TT.
Regardless of time and expense? Attend every Formula 1 race this year. Realistically, the 24 hours of LeMans.
Goodwood . . . .
Of course because the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival are in different months, I’d need two vacations.
Second choice — 24 Heurs du Mans
Bonneville or Viva Las Vegas
Nailed it!
Road trip on the Lincoln Highway, coast to coast. With plenty of time to stop and explore every little town along the way.
go to germany buy a Merc Benz AMG E63 wagon, drive Nurburgring then drive around north western europe then have the car shipped back to the states
Bonneville, Mopower Tour, Drag Week.
Judy and I love Italy and the south of France. I would like to ship my Camaro to Nice so we could cruise in style.
I have done the full week of the US Nationals a few times before and I need do it again.
Also Mooneyes Yokahama Hot Rod & Custom Show looks pretty killer…
Gnrs and the Petersen. I’ve tried twice, gotten fouled both times.
ECTA Ohio as a partipant with a big gun
Bonneville
Goodwood and/or Monterey Festivals, US Nationals, Hot Rod Power Tour, Bonneville Speed Week, Pike Peak Hill Climb, Indy 500, Daytona 500, this list goes on!
Take the motorhome, start in Pomona at the Winternationals, then it’s off to Bakersfield for the March Meet. After that, hit every NHRA event on the schedule, but mean while between events, take time see the rest of these here United States. Throw in a race or two for good measure, like the Indy 500 and/or Tallegeda. Or meet up with the hotrod tour. Could also take in a cruise along the way, like Hot August Nights and/or Woodward Dream Cruise In. Check out an automotive museum or hit The Smithsonian.
Retirement can be fun! To bad I’m not there yet but my day will come.
Everything NitroNut said, but throw in Dragweek and the SCSN in Vegas and that would be my icing on the cake…
First I would have to learn it’s not getting there,it’s the trip. For me I would have to learn to stop.
I’ve been road tripping the last 30 years but it’s aways point to point,get there,get out.
San Antonio to Indy,18 1/2 hours.,SA to LA 21 hours,SA to Daytona 22 hours. See I would have to learn to enjoy the drive,get off the intersate.
Things have changed,health wise,so taking an epic road trip with my wife will have us in something much less noisy than my Mustang,or the BMW Z3 she wants to cruise.
I want to do PCH from San Diago to Canada,I know it’s not all PCH. in my Mustang. Would also like to do Drag Week,Power Tour,Hot August Nites,B-Ville,El Marage,All Our “miles”,the open road races too. I would like to do a track day at all the UK tracks,and of course the “ring”. It would also be fun to track down the old banked tracks in France and Italy. Maybe a run along the South of France in a Sunbeam Tigar.
I would just like to drive my car to the Street Machine nationals this year. I have no time to do that so its not happening. My true ass kickin car vacation would be a new CTS V sedan in Europe start in the UK and wind my way all the way down to Sicily. Rather quickly I think .
Would love to attend either the March or Fall meets at Famosa! The Mooneyes Christmas show would also be high on my list. Petaluma, Ca’s slaute to American Graffiti held each May would be awesome to be a part of as well. NHRA US Nationals is also on the cruisin’ bucket list! NHRA Museum, John Force Race Headquarters in Yorba Linda, Ca, any weekend cruise night in SoCal!!!!!……Being that I have never been to California, if I ever do make it for a visit, I would have a lot that I would want to do and see……
Road trip the ’67 throughout the west, hitting the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, northern Cali and visit my old stomping grounds in the pacific northwest, and time it to hit Speed Week at Bonneville before heading home.
Rt 66 East to west and back again.
Targa Tasmania in my 74 Camaro. I will do it before I die!
it used to be PRI in Orlando. Now with it moved to Indy in December, no longer an automotive vacation!
Drag Week
Working on checking a few of them off the list. Power Tour, done. Drag Week is still on the list, and Woodward will be crossed off this year. With a jillion dollars the answer would be EVERYTHING. Aussie Power Festival (sp?) would be cool.
we’re planning an epic PA to Bonneville in 2014.
Using the 72 Chevelle wagon to tow the 67 shasta with my wife and kids.
We will be using mostly back roads and camp at night.
Arizona to Louisville, KY in a black primered ’40 Ford coupe. Gonna do it this August for the Street Rod Nats. I’ll be thinking Two Lane Blacktop all the way.
Number one of the many trip on my bucket list: End-to-end on Route 66. From Chicago to El Monte, Ca. In any form of roadster, and for as long as it takes…
Monaco Grand Prix first class
From Kansas to Bakersfield for the Hot Rod Reunion, then stop in Colorado on the way back to ride trains!
Bathurst 1000 and Sumernats ….all in Australia
Monaco
Alright…you asked. If money (nor time) was not an issue; this is how my year would look:
Chili Bowl Nationals Jan. 8 – 12 Tulsa, OK
PRO Winter WarmUp Jan. 18 – 20 Palm Beach, FL
NHRA Winternationals Feb. 14-17 Pomona, CA
NHRA Arizona Nationals Feb. 22 Phoenix, AZ
Daytona 500 Feb. 23 – 24 Daytona, FL
U.S. Gas & Fuel Championships March 7-10 Bakersfield, CA
March Meet
Daytona Bike Week March 11 – 14 Daytona, FL
NHRA Gatornationals March 15 – 17 Gainesville, FL
NASCAR Sprint Cup March 22 – 24 Ontario, CA
Lucas Oil Series March 28 – 30 Las Vegas, NV
NHRA Nationals April 5 – 7 Las Vegas, NV
Arizona Fuel & Gas Championships April 13 – 14 Phoenix, AZ
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals April 19-21 Charlotte, NC
NHRA Spring Nationals April 26-28 Houston, TX
NASCAR Talladega May 3 – 5 Talladega, AL
25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals May 17-19 Topeka, KS
Indianapolis 500 May 22 – 26 Indianapolis, IN
NASCAR Charlotte May 22 – 26 Charlotte, NC
NHRA Summernationals May 30–June 2 Englishtown, N.J.
Ohio Bike Week June 6 – 9 Sandusky, OH
Thunder Valley Nationals June 14-16 Bristol, TN
Inaugural NHRA New England Nationals June 20-23 Epping, NH
Route 66 NHRA Nationals June 27 Chicago, IL
ADRL Summer Drags IX June 28 – 29 Martin, MI
NHRA Nationals July 4-7 Norwalk, Ohio
Nostalgia Reunion July 12-13 Sacramento, CA
NHRA National Open July 19-21 Mission Raceway
NHRA Sonoma Nationals July 26-28 Sonoma, CA
NHRA Northwest Nationals Aug. 2-4 Seattle, WA
Pepsi Nightfire Nationals Aug. 8-11 Boise, ID
NHRA Nationals (Camp Zoo) Aug. 12 -18 Brainerd, MN
Governor’s Cup Aug. 23 – 24 Sacramento, CA
NHRA U.S. Nationals Aug. 28–Sept. 2 Indianapolis, IN
ADRL Dragstock X Sept 6 – 8 Rockingham, NC
NHRA Nationals Sept. 13-15 Charlotte, NC
NHRA Fall Nationals Sept. 19-22 Dallas, TX
NHRA Midwest Nationals Sept. 27-29 St. Louis, MO
NHRA Nationals Oct. 3-6 Reading, PA
NASCAR Charlotte Oct. 10 – 13 Charlotte, NC
California Hot Rod Reunion Oct. 18-20 Bakersfield, CA
NHRA Nationals Oct. 24-27 Las Vegas, NV
NASCAR Dallas Nov 1 – 3 Dallas, TX
NHRA World Finals Nov. 7-10 Pomona, CA
Street Car Super Nationals Nov. 13 – 17 Las Vegas, NV
I’m a simple man. A guided tour with Jay and Bernard of The Big Dog Garage and a week at The Petersen.
Dan
I already do automotive vacations…Power Tour, Drag Week, Bonneville, HAMB drags, Petersen, etc. I doubt there’s an “ultimate” one. They’re all a blast.
One Lap of America or “the Great Race” road rally, but the entry $ is too high for me. Until that time comes I’ll just have to keep on going on Power Tour.
Route 66 from east to west and top it off with a day at the Petersen.
I would ship my 71 Chevelle from Hawaii and chase the NHRA West Coast Swing, SEMA, hit Petersen’s, Pomona Museums (and others) and collect time slips from every drag strip possible and In-N-Out receipts along the way.
My Crossfire, the autobahn and a lot of cash…
Would love to go to the Paris-Dakar Rallye Driving there of course, one spin though, driving there, hitting all the racing enroute.
Overseas – Goodwood Festival of Spring
USA – Jan Roadster Show in Pomona
Motorcycles – Sturgis
I’d include Bonneville but I cook in the hot sun.
Make that ‘Festival of Speed’ (Festival of Spring might be OK too, but not really into flower shows)