|
Hot Rod Drag Week cuts through
Logan County on its way to Joliet
[September 19, 2026]
The 22nd annual Hot Rod Drag Week
road tour passed through Logan County with a checkpoint stop in
Atlanta on Thursday. The race, sponsored by Hot Rod Magazine, is a
five-day, 1,000 mile road race with stops at racetracks along the
way to participate in drag race competitions. At the end of the
race, the driver with the best accumulative times is declared the
winner.
The race began on Monday, September 14th at the Route 66 Raceway
near Joliet, went across the state to Byron, then Cordova before
heading south to the Wide World Technology Raceway in Madison near
St. Louis on Thursday. The race then ended on Friday back at Joliet.
The Thursday stretch of the race was a celebration of the 100th
anniversary of Route 66, with drivers traveling that historic route
from Madison back to Joliet.
Thursday began in Madison with the drag race competitions starting
at 8 a.m. Those races continued through the day, wrapping up around
2 p.m.
The cars and drivers were expected to compete in their races at the
speedway, then make their car road ready and head up 66 for the home
stretch. For all the cars this meant switching from racing slicks to
treaded highway tires, and for most it also meant detaching
parachutes and wheelie bars before they could leave the racetrack
for the road portion of the competition.
Cars were scheduled to arrive at a check point in Springfield, then
move on to the Atlanta location at the American Giants Museum. After
leaving their second checkpoint they then traveled on to Joliet.
In Atlanta, the cars were expected to pull in against the park
across the road from the museum, have a photo taken with the museum
or the outdoor giant supply and then they could move on.
[to top of second column] |
The first car arrived in Atlanta
just after one, and for several hours thereafter cars came in one,
two, or a few at a time. Because the cars raced in Madison until 2
p.m., the road race continued into the evening, and even at 6 p.m.
on Thursday evening, the loud motors were heard passing through
Lincoln on the I-55 business loop which is also a part of Route 66.
For those interested in reading the highlights of the race, visit
this link for
Hot Rod magazine.
Hot Rod Drag Week photo slideshow
[Nila Smith]
|
