The 2010 AMSOIL/Street Rodder Road Tour kicked off in fine style on Saturday May 15. Tom Joseph and the folks at Southern Rods and Parts in Greer, South Carolina threw a party and the parking lot was filled with thirty Cruise to Ocean City Tour participants and about fifty local hot rodders who turned out to join in the fun. Great weather and great BBQ helped the turnout but the real reason most folks stopped by was to get the very first look at the 2010 Road Tour 27XL roadster pickup. At 2 PM sharp an Intercity Lines transporter backed onto the lot with some very important cargo. Five days earlier the crew at Cotati Speed Shop in Santa Rosa, California had put the finishing touches on the Smeding Ford 427 powered hauler and loaded on the rig for the cross-country journey.
To say that the folks that were present at Southern Rods were impressed is a huge understatement. As soon as the blue beauty was lower down from the transporter by Intercity Lines driver Maurice Sharp, all eyes were on the truck. Zane Cullen and the Cotati craftsmen put an amazing amount to detail work into the pickup and it showed. Clay Cook from CCook Enterprises had personally traveled from his shop in Kentucky to Santa Rosa to hand fabricate the track nose that makes the roadster so distinctive. The flawless blue paint, the Rod Tops roof and interior with Wise Guys seats helped to complete the Shadow Rods XL 27 body and frame package.
The Southern Rods and Parts staff put on a great party complete with door prizes for the many folks in attendance. By about 5 PM it was time for the Cruise to Ocean City Tour to get rolling. It was a 90 minute drive to Concord, just north of Charlotte and the trip was complete with some major downpours along the way. The pickup handled the wet conditions flawlessly with the Coker Tires and Pete and Jakes front suspension keeping everything on track. The Tour participants arrived at the hotel in Concord somewhat wet but enthusiastic about the week ahead.
Sunday started off with some very hot and humid weather conditions. At the first drivers meeting of the week we covered the details of the many activities that were planned along the way to the Cruisin Ocean City event. Our first visit on Sunday morning was one of the most anticipated of the week. We were going to be one of the first groups to tour the just opened NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte. The new facility is fantastic. It is filled with displays and exhibits that relate the history of stock car racing and the stories of the people that made the sport so colorful. The facility is filled with many interactive exhibits and famous cars of the past and present. It will quickly become a must see stop on any car person's list if they are in the Charlotte area.
After a brief stop back at our hotel we continued Sunday afternoon's activities with a short drive to Mooresville and a visit to the North Carolina Racing Hall of Fame. While not of the size of the NASCAR Hall the North Carolina Racing Hall of Fame contains some very interesting and significant vehicles and memorabilia from the rich history of racing in the state. One of the highlights of the visit was a chance to meet Don Miller, the former President of Penske Racing and the man many credit as the person that put the name Penske on the NASCAR map. Don was instrumental in the early NASCAR career of Rusty Wallace among many others. Don was on hand at the museum to sign copies of his new book Miller's Time which covers his long career in auto racing. One of the many vehicles on display in the museum was Don's famous yellow Mac Tools roadster in which Don broke a number of land speed on the salt at Bonneville. Sunday evening was spent enjoying food and beverages at the nearby Quaker Steak and Lube.
It was a great day on the Cruise to Ocean City Tour. Check back here for all the details of our week on the road.