Редактор журнала HOT ROD вспоминает, как 23 года назад автомобильное путешествие изменило его жизнь

HOT ROD Power Tour brought me back to the road that changed my life. It was almost exactly 23 years ago to the day when I loaded my Subaru wagon and left Cleveland, Ohio, on a journey to Los Angeles. My path was going to be as much of Route 66 as I could do along the way. That was 2003, and I had just accepted an internship at MotorTrend. This year, it was to start the 31st running of the HOT ROD Power Tour. We started in Joliet, Illinois, and the destination was Tulsa, Oklahoma, with as much Route 66 as we could fit in between. Power Tour is great fun and something I look forward to every year—I believe this was my eighth so far—but this year was special for personal reasons. I loved my inaugural trip to California, a week of excitement, anticipation, kitschy tourist traps, and postcard-perfect sunsets in the desert. It was how I would begin my career, though I didn’t know it at the time, nor did I have any clue where my career would eventually take me. ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW This year, instead of a 1999 Subaru Legacy station wagon, I was behind the wheel of Hertz’s finest 2026 Ford Expedition, and instead of my dog and my mom accompanying me on the trip, I usually had a photographer and a social media editor with me. A road trip is different when you’re working an event, but I still took time to enjoy the experience on a personal level, and I happily recognized many of the sights along the way. Our trip ended in Tulsa, whereupon I boarded a plane and flew back to Los Angeles, but what I really wanted to do was finish the trip by car by myself so I could fully take in not only the nostalgia but also the wonder and sense of adventure a road trip offers. In a recent column, I recommend taking road trips because they will change your life. It certainly did for me 23 years ago, and each subsequent trip I’ve taken adds to the set of experiences that make up my life. To be able to point your wheels down a path and not know what is there to greet you on the other side is literally how the best epic tales ever written begin. Make it personal, make it yours; we only have the time allotted to us in life, so make the best of it while you can. Oh, and take lots of pictures along the way! Here are some of mine. ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW "Starting Line" is HOT ROD editor-in-chief John McGann's monthly look at life in the hot-rodding world. Shoot an email to McGann and the rest of the HOT ROD editorial staff at [email protected] and let them know what's on your mind. A subscription to Car and Driver at age 10 set the stage for what would be John's career path. A voracious reader of car magazines and lover of all things automotive, he set out to learn as much as he could about cars. An automotive technology program provided the foundation, while fumbling around with large American sedans provided real world experience. Finally, a Bachelor of Science degree in photojournalism provided the focus. John accepted a five-month photography internship at Motor Trend magazine in 2003. Upon completion, he remained with the publishing company, managing a photo studio for 18 months before becoming photo editor for HOT ROD and Car Craft magazine. After three years on the production side, John accepted an editorial position at Car Craft in December 2006 and eventually became editor of Car Craft in 2014 and retained that position until March 2018 when he moved to HOT ROD as Executive Editor. He was promoted to Editor-in-Chief of HOT ROD in April 2019. Read More ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW