The Hot Rod Power Tour stop at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet ended with multiple high-end muscle cars stolen from hotel parking lots overnight. Police say thieves followed cars from the event, smashed windows and used devices to start vehicles without keys, indicating an organized crew. Reports differ on the totals — Joliet police cited four stolen and four damaged, while local station WJOL reported up to nine stolen — and one recovered Corvette later crashed in Dolton. Investigators are reviewing hotel video and other leads.
Organized Heist Targets Power Tour: Multiple Muscle Cars Stolen Overnight in Joliet
Thieves Followed Power Tour Muscle Cars Back To Their Hotels And Gutted Three In One Night
Participants in this year’s Hot Rod Power Tour spent Monday showcasing high-end muscle cars at Route 66 Raceway. By Tuesday morning, several owners awoke to smashed glass and empty parking spaces after thieves followed the convoy back to Joliet hotels and struck during the night.
What Happened
Investigators say the incident was more than opportunistic theft. At the Holiday Inn on Rock Creek Boulevard, three Chevrolet Corvettes and a Camaro were reported stolen, while a Chevrolet SS, a Dodge Challenger and another Camaro were found damaged but left behind. At a nearby Comfort Inn on Commerce Lane, a Dodge Charger was also hit and officers reported broken glass at the scene. Authorities believe the incidents at multiple hotels are connected.
Evidence of an Organized Operation
Joliet police and the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force say the thieves smashed windows to gain access and then used a device to start the cars without keys — a sign of preparation and technical know-how rather than random opportunism. Sgt. Dwayne English told reporters it quickly "became clear...this was an operation, not the work of one or two people." Police were called around 5:30 a.m.; by then the stolen cars had already been taken.
Possible Scouting and Aftermath
Investigators are probing whether suspects scouted targets earlier at the Raceway and followed selected cars to area hotels. One of the stolen Corvettes was later recovered after a crash in nearby Dolton; no driver remained at the scene, suggesting reckless use of the vehicle after the theft.
"These were high-end vehicles — exactly the kind of targets a crew like this would seek," an investigator said, noting the financial and emotional toll on owners who spend years building and protecting these cars.
Impact On Owners And Event
Enthusiasts reacted online as owners shared losses and warned fellow participants. A Facebook post from Tammara Frank said her husband’s Arctic White 2017 Corvette Z06 was among those taken. The Power Tour has faced similar targeting in the past, and the overnight hotel stop remains a recurring vulnerability for the rolling event that draws thousands of show cars along a multi-day route.
Investigation Status
The investigation is active. Reports of totals vary: Joliet police told ABC7 that four vehicles were stolen and four were seriously damaged, while local radio station WJOL reported as many as nine vehicles taken from three hotels. Police say they received video from a hotel guest and are pursuing leads aggressively.
Sources: Joliet Police, Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force, ABC7, WJOL.
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