Tired after years of owning unreliable cars from Detroit, in 1980 my parents took a chance on an up-and-coming Japanese manufacturer: Honda. They purchased a beige Honda Accord hatchback. That car proved to be a fun, reliable, economical vehicle, and it began my love of the brand. Since then, I’ve owned five Honda Accords, one Honda Civic, (briefly) an Acura Integra, and now my Acura TLX. To say that I’m a “fan” would be an understatement. So when I learned that the world’s largest gathering of Honda and Acura owners happens every year in southern Maryland, approximately four hours from my front door, you better believe I bought a ticket!
Held every year at Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville, “HDay” is a gathering of Honda and Acura enthusiasts who come to watch drag racing, wander through an expansive car show, and enjoy the company of other fans of this auto manufacturer. With plans to meet up with friends at the racetrack, I packed up my TLX and began driving south.
Let’s begin:
HDay 2024
It has been a while since I took a lengthy drive in my Acura, but this weekend gave me an opportunity to stretch the TLX’s legs.Setting off at midday on Friday, I missed most of the heavy rains that had fallen earlier in the morning. The overcast skies were accompanied by gusting winds, however, buffeting the car as I drove.New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York… and now Delaware! On this trip, the TLX notched the its fourth state under my ownership.Check that… five states! Welcome to Maryland!After a week of rain, my car was covered in a layer of grime, making it look more gray than black. Flagship Carwash in Bowie, MD, to the rescue! The facilities were excellent, and the staff was friendly. The cashier complimented my Acura several times, and before I knew it, he had talked me into the top-of-the-line wash. That’s ok – my car needed it!As the sun began to set, I crossed the Potomac River on the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge, which connects Maryland and Virginia.One more state to add… Virginia!Maryland International Raceway is kind of in the middle of nowhere, so the closest hotel I could find was this Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Dahlgren, Virginia. This would be home for the weekend.Also staying at the hotel was my friend Justin, whose 2003 Honda Accord coupe should be familiar to readers of this blog. Last year it passed a million miles on its original V6 engine.The next morning, I arrived at Maryland International Raceway at 10:30 am. While there were lines to enter at 8:00 am when the gates first opened, by mid-morning I was able to drive right in and find a spot. Whoever parked beside my car has good taste in vehicles.Welcome to HDay! Thousands of people showed up to view a seemingly endless sea of Honda Civics, Accords, Preludes, Acura Integras, Acura Legends, and numerous other vehicles from these brands.My first stop was to the VIP section, where Justin’s 2003 Honda Accord, the Million Mile Miracle, was on display. He recently gave the car a complete restoration, starting with a fresh coat of paint and a ceramic coating – it came out beautifully!The interior looks brand new! Any old or worn-out part was replaced, including a complete retrim of the leather seats.I wish I had set up a hidden camera, as people often did a double-take when they spotted the sign on the windshield that says “1 Million Miles!” They would then stop and take a closer look at this amazing machine.Walking around the show, I spotted plenty of cars whose owners had put many, many hours of time, energy, money, and talents into making their vehicles unique. I have seen this Acura TLX at a few different car shows, and each time it looks different, its owner constantly updating the appearance.I peeked inside the TLX’s trunk – check out this wild design! You can follow this cool ride on Instagram – @TLX_mamaThis is a Honda HR-V, the same model as Betty, my Mom’s car. Hey Mom, what do you think – time to modify your ride?This Honda Element owner went with a Pokemon-theme all over the vehicle. And when I say all over, I mean all over! Even the engine bay featured Pokemon designs.This Honda Civic had a cool bit of Japanese comic-inspired artwork under the hood.A row of Acura NSX supercars were on display in the VIP section. Were I to ever win the proverbial Powerball lottery, an NSX would be at the top of my shopping list.This Honda Civic Type R is owned by internet personality HondaPro Jason. Jason has been a brand ambassador for Honda for over 20 years. He travels the country, providing training to personnel at Honda dealers, creating social media content, and attending events such as HDay.Several owners brought their classic Hondas and Acuras for display. I did a double-take when I spotted this mint condition Honda 1300 Coupe. Powered by an air-cooled motor that revs to over 8,000 rpms, this beauty was produced from 1969-1972. The 1300 is my favorite classic Honda of all time. I would love to own one some day.This gorgeous 1988 Honda Civic Si was in immaculate condition. Seeing this little hatchback brought back immediate memories of my childhood – a neighbor down the street from my childhood home owned one.It might not look that exotic, but one of the most unique Hondas was this car: a Honda Orthia. Based on the 1990s-era Honda Civic, this wagon was only sold in Japan. The owner bought it a few years ago after it was imported from overseas.This adorable little convertible is the Honda Beat. Built from 1991-1996, this tiny car was only sold in Japan. It was also the last car approved by Soichiro Honda, the founder of the company.Drag racing is a major component of HDay. Racers can enter several different classes, from street-legal cars that owners drive to the track, to specially-designed race cars, such as this rear-wheel drive Civic.When I was a kid, my Dad would take me to drag races every summer. I felt a twinge of nostalgia as I spent some time watching cars race down the quarter mile track.My Acura TLX, with its 292-horsepower engine, can do a quarter mile in fifteen seconds. Some of the cars I saw this weekend were running the track in 8 seconds… pretty impressive for four cylinders!In 2023, Honda released the Motocompacto, a small electric scooter designed for city driving. Several people brought their Motocompactos to HDay, and on Saturday afternoon there was a Motocompacto ride off!My friend Karna took part in the Motocompacto parade. Check out his official Motocompacto helmet – don’t leave home without it!After a fun-filled day, I decided to head back to my TLX. Cars were still lined up to go racing as I headed out of the track.On the way back to the hotel, I pulled into one of the strangest roadside spots I’ve seen in quite a while – Glory Days Antiques.I mean… it kind of seems like your typical antique shop……but most antique shops don’t have repurposed Texaco service stations……or a classic motor oil delivery truck with a pig statue……or a Tyrannosaurus Rex. If you’re in southern Maryland… yes, definitely swing by Glory Days. Trust me.I met up with three good friends after the event – Ash, Justin, and Josh. You may remember them from our meetup in South Jersey a few years ago, and our other meetup for Justin’s million mile rollover last March. It was great to catch up with them again.Before leaving, I grabbed a shot of Justin’s odometer – if you look closely you can see the “1” sticker he affixed to the gauge cluster. That’s 1,031,145 miles. Impressive! Most impressive!The weather on Sunday morning was beautiful, with temperatures in the sixties and sunny skies. Thanks to the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, my car had another first: the first drive underwater (a tunnel counts, right?).By the time I reached home, my TLX had crossed another milestone – 33,000 is in the books. Onward!
Automotive Updates
Before closing, I wanted to share a quick automotive update. Friend (and longtime reader) Kathryn recently passed a new milestone in her 2010 Honda Accord sedan. I first mentioned her car in this blog when it crossed 200,000 miles last winter.Her car, which is basically the four-door version of my old Accord coupe, crossed the 220,000 mile mark. Kathryn, thanks for sharing your story, and I hope your car continues to treat you well. Onward!
Wrapping Up
HDay 2024 was a wonderful weekend. Beyond the cool cars and the fun races, though, it was awesome to hang out with great people. I’m already checking the HDay website for tickets to the 2025 event… can’t wait!
Thanks for coming along on this automotive journey down the open road ahead!
It was so great to see everyone there! I had so much fun last year as well as this year. From the friends I’ve made at HDay staff as well as at the show, it felt like coming home this year.
I had a hard time getting to sleep Fri night because I was so excited for HDay.
It was an epically awesome weekend! So great to hang out with everyone, and as you said during the car show, the sheer number of vehicles there was deeply impressive.
The Open Road Ahead 
Thanks for the event coverage, and especially for featuring some updates on Justin’s Accord! Simply awesome. And I love that a TLX parked by you.
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Thanks for checking it out – the weekend was a blast! You’ve got to get the Legend coupe out to HDay sometime soon!
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It was so great to see everyone there! I had so much fun last year as well as this year. From the friends I’ve made at HDay staff as well as at the show, it felt like coming home this year.
I had a hard time getting to sleep Fri night because I was so excited for HDay.
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It was an epically awesome weekend! So great to hang out with everyone, and as you said during the car show, the sheer number of vehicles there was deeply impressive.
Thanks for reading!
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