Jim McClure from Texas is...
Jim McClure from Texas is a veteran of five Road Tours over the last four years. He has logged over 300,000 miles in his Model A since building it 28 years ago.
After the shop tour, Brent lead the group to what can be described as the most incredible collection of Pontiac muscle cars on the planet. Zeb Morris is a man possessed with Ponchos, and he possesses some of the best. His collection is a sea of GTOs, rare Judges, and high-performance Pontiacs of all years. It was a privilege and a treat to be able to have a look at this private collection of a man who really knows what he likes in cars. Thanks to Brent and Zeb for quite a Road Tour evening.
Tuesday, after the 7:30 a.m. drivers meeting, we stopped briefly for a photo at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. The facility was a sea of activity as they prepared for the All Star race on Saturday and then the Coca Cola 600 on the following weekend. Around the corner from the Speedway is the Hendrick Motorsport facility. We were able to get a look at the home base for the entire Hendrick's team and saw where the cars of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhart Jr., and Mark Martin were prepared. We were also treated to a look at the Clevit Engine Building Challenge where teams competed in assembling NASCAR motors to see who was the fastest. It was a very interesting stop at Hendrick.
Our next visit was an important one, and one of the most emotional of our week. The Victory Junction Gang Camp was a dream of Adam Petty and that dream was realized by Adam's parents Patti and Kyle Petty after Adam's untimely death. Each year hundreds of children with crippling diseases are treated to a week in the country at the Camp where they can experience the fun of spending time with other children who are also challenged. We were very pleased to present the folks at the Victory Junction Gang Camp the $2,500 that we raised at the silent auction the previous Saturday at Coker Tire. The amount represents the cost of one child's visit to the facility for a week. The Road Tourians were proud to be able to help this wonderful cause.
Tuesday evening we were special guests at Classic Auto Restoration Specialties' facilities just north of Greensboro, North Carolina. Owner Jim Barber and his crew were ready with hot dogs and hamburgers and we got a tour of what has to be one of the largest and busiest restoration and custom build shops in the nation. The shop covers 35,000 square feet and every area was filled with resto-mod and restoration projects. The quality and care that the folks at C.A.R.S. put in to every build was very evident. Thanks to Jim and the crew for a fun and informative evening.
On Wednesday morning it was rise and shine in Greensboro, North Carolina. Our destination for lunch was the garage and museum of Cecil Profitt. The trip to Cecil's in Windsor, Virginia, would take about four hours and it was a beautiful North Carolina morning. About one hour into the trip we were met along the highway by some members of the Timeless Cruizers club from Efland, North Carolina. They had called the day before and asked about what time we would be on the road. It was nice to see the welcome committee near the North Carolina-Virginia border, complete with the club banner. In about two more hours we were greeted by almost 20 street rods and customs which lead us to Cecil's Garage and Museum. Even more folks were waiting when we arrived. Almost 50 vehicles turned out on a Wednesday afternoon.
Sunday's journey took us from...
Sunday's journey took us from Chattanooga, TN, through the Smoky Mountain National Park and on to Knoxville. The area is gorgeous and it is one of the only free National Parks in the country.
The next stop on Monday morning...
The next stop on Monday morning was Alloway's Hot Rod Shop. Nestled in the woods just outside Knoxville, Bobby's shop builds some of the finest hot rods.
Monday evening we were greeted...
Monday evening we were greeted at Fatman Fabrications by owner Brent Vandervort. Brent is always a great host when we are in the Charlotte area and he gave us a personal tour of the Fatman Fabrication facility.
While steep climbs and switch...
While steep climbs and switch backs make for some fun driving they do have their drawbacks also. Bobbie Lou Duff looks on as her big block-powered Plymouth lets off a little steam. After a brief cool down we were back on our way.
Winding roads through the...
Winding roads through the mountains create some great photo opportunities. A long line of street rods add some color to the sea of green forest.
Monday morning we were greeted...
Monday morning we were greeted by our friends at Lokar in Knoxville. Lokar has been a major sponsor and supporter of the Road Tour series since the beginning of the program back in 1996.