GRAND ROD RUN - 39 CAR SHOWS IN ONE! The 26th Annual Spring Grand Rod Run brings in 1,000's of Classics & Rods to Pigeon Forge, TN By Shaun Smith

Sevier County, TN— The Grand Rod Run doesn't kick off officially until Friday, April 17, which is tomorrow. But this classic car fest started bringing in rides since the beginning of the week. On my way to the Grand Resort Hotel & Conference Center, where I stay everytime I come to Pigeon Forge, I counted 39 mini-car shows along the way. That's right. Thirty-nine car shows is what I witnessed while traveling down the highway that leads you to Pigeon Forge, which is most commonly referred to in these parts as “The Strip.”

The Strip is a long, 20-mile stretch of pavement that connects Pigeon Forge back to Sevierville and back to Interstate 40. Classics burn rubber up and down The Strip all night long into the wee hours of the morning. It kinda reminds me of a mini-Route 66 that interconnects with itself, because “The Strip” has many turnoffs where you can make legal U-Turns, which means that a cruiser can continuously roam through this 20-mile paradise for hours upon hours, or until they run out of gas.
Friday finally came, and so did the spectators. At least 15,000 car enthusiasts came to Pigeon Forge for the weekend (which is a very conservative number). Every hotel room in Pigeon Forge was booked and sold out. Along with these car lovers came 5,000 hot rods, classics, convertibles, and cars for sale that lined the entire strip.

 

 

Not only that, the Grand Rod Run produced a record number in vendor spaces, meaning the event is not only gaining popularity, but is becoming the premier show in the southland.

Because of it's location, along with the hundreds of area attractions, the Grand Run promises to be a show you shouldn't leave off of your calendar.

On Friday evening, the Grand Resort hosted a banquet party for all participants of the show and offered some great food and drink.

Later on that night, I remember people honking their horns burning their tires up until about 2AM on Friday night, when everyone finally decided to call it a day and get some rest.

Saturday came, and so did the rain. “Despite the bad weather and rising gas prices, we had a record number of vendors and the spectators flooded the gates,” said Byron Cooper, founder and owner of Cooper Events, LLC and MCS Promotions . “That shows that the hobby is still very strong in these times.”

Stong indeed, and when the storm finally broke and the sunshine peeked out, the rest of the weekend was a comfortable 68 to 72 degrees.

Free concerts were being played in the Pigeon Forge streets as everyone enjoyed the roaring thunder of the past cruising up and down in the sunset.

Before the day was done, I ended up running into some good ole' boys who restore cars for the Hormel turkey bacon company owner. Good luck out on the road fellows!

Sunday was here, and so was the sunshine. As I took a look around, Shawn Greene of Camaro Central was selling camaro parts like crazy and Big Tony's Chevelles were glowing the sunshine, not to mention the calendar girls he brought along with him!

To get hooked up with Camaro Central , who will give you the best parts for the best price and provide the best service, call 1-800-990-1969.

Cooper has been preparing for his next show: The Fall Grand Rod Run on September 11-14 and The Horsepower And Hot Rods Show. “New additions are being made to the new Sevierville Events Center in Sevierville, TN. There will be a Wilderness Resort open as well as another hotel or two.” The Horsepower & Hot Rods show promises to bring in ultimate hi-performance cars and is expected to draw in over 10,000 spectators and hundreds of classics on Oct. 17-18 later this year. There will also be an auction, swap meet and a sales corral—so mark this one on your calendar. If you would like more information on this event, please call 865-687-3976.

Well, it happened to me again. Just when I get settled in to one place and get comfortable, it's time to move on. Just as it had begun, it was ending and the fun was over. It was time to pack my bags and head north to Dave & Ed's Swap Meet in Canfield, OH. As I cruised back to the interstate in my Auto Round-Up cargo van, I ran into none other than Byron Cooper himself, who was cruising in his yellow 1966 Pontiac GTO loaded with a tri-power 4spd. Oh, what fun!

The shows held by MCS Promotions and Corvette Expo in this part of the country are the best. You get your money's worth and the people are so much fun. If you would like more information on these events, please visit www.CorvetteExpo.com or call 865-687-3976.

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