I was elected as HRIA (Hot Rod Industry Alliance) committee member and had to attend a meeting at Goodguys Nationals in Columbus Ohio, so I decided to drive our Chevy HHR and show off our new Speed Master wheels.
Left on Monday July 3rd around Noon and headed east. With schools out and being 4th of July holiday, traffic weren’t too bad. Started out on I-91 east bound and jumped on I-15. got over Cajon pass and just before Barstow, I got rained on. Surprise. I continued on to -40 east bound. Rain continued for about 30-40 minutes. I-40 runs along many of old route 66.
With 2.5" drop, I wasn’t sure about ride, but it rode good. 80-85mph getting 27miles to a gallon. 252 miles and I’m in Arizona. Stopped for quick fuel and got back on freeway. 615miles, now I’m in New Mexico and I’m getting tired. After 700miles and 9hours and 15minutes of driving, I called it quits for the day.
Next day I got up early and got on the road by 6:30am. Still on I-40, 988miles since I left California, I’m now in Texas. By 1165miles, I’m in Oklahoma. I got off I-40, got on Kilpatrick turnpike. You talk about pounding rain. I thought the windshield would break it was coming down so hard. I couldn’t even see 10feet front of me. But it only lasted for 20minutes. Now I’m on I-44 still heading east. 1522miles I’m in Missouri. I decided to spend a 4th of July night in Rolla, Missouri. We stopped here last year on Tom’s fun run, and it was 4th of July too.
By now I drove 1708miles and I only have 530miles to go. Piece of cake. With constructions and traffic, I was only able to go 75-80mph, but it showed I was averaging 29-30miles per gallon. 4:45pm local time(eastern standard time) I made it. I’m in Columbus. Total driving time of 30hours and 50minutes, total mileage 2236. What’s amazing is when I printed mapquest it showed 2233.92miles. if I deduct couple of miles when I missed an on-ramp in Flagstaff, this is very accurate. Wow!
I normally don’t even listen to radio in car when I drive, but with XM satellite radio, I was entertained all the way.
Goodguys nationals were something else. They had 6000 cars and 80,000 spectators!! Everywhere you look there were cars and people. Amazing weather, it was 74Eand hardly no humidity. Unheard of in this part of country. Pete and Jake were celebrating their 30th anniversary with Pete and Jake themselves with California kid and Jake’s coupe.
Editorial and photos by Chico Kodama
