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Pigeon Forge Annual Run Through The Hills - Speed FreaksCamaros Gather From All Over The Country To Compete In The Annual Run Through The Hills Event In Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. From the January, 2010 issue of Camaro Performers By Steven Rupp Photography by Nick Licata, Steven Rupp
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Meet the world-famous "Tail... Meet the world-famous "Tail of the Dragon," officially known as Highway 129. There are over 300 turns in the 11-mile stretch of asphalt and, with the exception of 1988, this stretch of tarmac has had fatalities every year since 1995. People come from all over the world to drive this road, so yes, it's that much fun. There are even photo stations set up along the route to catch the corner carving action. Check out killboy.com or us129photos.com. To find our group, search for September 18. September may mark the end of summer and be the bane of schoolchildren across the country, but for those with a penchant for muscle cars in motion it's also when the annual Run Through The Hills event is held. For five years, this cornucopia of driving has pulled in gearheads from hundreds of miles away like some sort of speed junky magnet. Held in and around the picturesque town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the event has grown and evolved into one of our few "must do" events. Pretty cool since the inaugural event consisted of just 11 cars. The deal is pretty simple. The organizers of this event got tired of static car shows where polishing took preference over performance. Maybe they just had an attention deficit disorder or maybe they just figured that the cars we love are much more fun when they are in motion. Whatever the case, the result is an event with something for everyone. The three-day festival starts out with a cruise. In years past it was limited to a relaxing 60-mile cruise through the rolling hills around Pigeon Forge, but not this year. This time, event organizer, Bill Howell, wanted to step it up a notch. What he came up with was a 120-mile round-trip blitz into the Smoky Mountains. Best of all it would include testing our rides on the infamous "Tail of the Dragon." This 11-mile section of Highway 129 has well over 300 turns and is certainly not for the faint of heart. Saturday was set for a day of autocrossing, while Sunday was reserved for a crack at the local eighth-mile dragstrip. Sprinkled amongst the driving events were picnics, a people's choice car show, and enough automotive fellowship to make even the most jaded car guy smile. Since our '68 project car, Bad Penny, was still back east, we had the folks from Bowler Transmission bring it to the event so Steven Rupp and Nick Licata could share driving duties. After all, going stag to a race is even less fun than at prom. When we started the 120-mile cruise, the weather was great. As we climbed the mountain, and entered the most treacherous part called "The Dragon," the rain started pouring. Still, the cars powered through the winding wet roads. Even our California-equipped '68 (no wipers or heater) made it through no problem. The cruise on Friday was a blast, even with the occasional downpour, but we lucked out with good weather on Saturday for the autocross. Sunday was washed out, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the 80-plus car owners that reveled in the first two days of the event. After all, the only thing more fun than polishing a car at a show, is getting one dirty on the road.  We made sure everyone was...  We made sure everyone was bunched together before making our way up the famous Tail of the Dragon.  The prize at the end of the...  The prize at the end of the cruise was a tasty BBQ at Keisler Performance's HQ. In addition to the grub, there was a tour of the facilities and a chance to check out all the soggy survivors of the cruise. Even with the rain, we would do it again in a heartbeat.  At the end of the day, the...  At the end of the day, the top five cars, all Camaros, were assembled to battle it out for the big prize. Rupp actually came in 5th place (time of 37.844), but gave up his spot to Licata, as two drivers weren't allowed to compete in the same car. That meant that Jason Huber in the Sonoco-themed '69 moved up a slot.  The most anticipated event...  The most anticipated event was the autocross. We must have banked up some good karma since Saturday's weather held and we even got a little sunshine. After a safety talk from Howell, and a walk of the course, the first cars lined up to hit the track.  The most anticipated event...  The most anticipated event was the autocross. We must have banked up some good karma since Saturday's weather held and we even got a little sunshine. After a safety talk from Howell, and a walk of the course, the first cars lined up to hit the track.  Frank Sarafine, of Prodigy...  Frank Sarafine, of Prodigy Customs, pilots Will and Shanna Blanton's '69 drop-top through, and sometimes over, the autocross cones. If this '69 looks familiar it's because we featured it in the December 2009 issue.  The last time we saw Matt...  The last time we saw Matt Altamore's '69 was at the Motor State Challenge in Michigan. His '69 is still primered, still a little battered, and still one cool ass ride.  At first glance Bobby Fowler's...  At first glance Bobby Fowler's 69 RS looks more like it belongs in a car show, but looks can be deceiving. His Camaro features an LS2 mill backed up by a six-speed manual and a host of suspension widgets. As Fowler told us, "This was my third time attending this event and I don't plan on ever missing it. I've never had so much fun with my car."  Cover alumnus (July '09) Payton...  Cover alumnus (July '09) Payton King was again at the event in his super cool yellow '69 RS/SS. Payton first autocrossed his '69 last year and has since become hooked on it.
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