Peter Koning in USA Peter is a long time hot rodder and supporter of Let's Go Cruisin. He's left his business, Hoppers Stoppers in the capable hands of his staff to travel the US for 12 months. Sure makes some interesting reading!

Follow Peter's Trip

This weekend it was Charlotte‏

And the travels continue.
Spent a coupe of days back in South Atlanta (Georgia) Rv park then prepared to drive 4 hrs north east to Charlotte (North Carolina) for the Goodguys show. Rained on Wednesday night and were warned about Tornado's which is a bit strange when its only raining and no wind around but there were actually a few small spot tornado's in the state so you never can tell. Weather cleared up fine for the drive over on Thursday. I am flying out of Charlotte to go to SEMA show in Vegas then Jamaica, so decommissioned the RV, and parked it out the back of the Park in the storage area where parking is $50.00 per month. 
Hotel in Charlotte was about 5 miles from the Speedway so nice easy drive to the show each day.

This was another typical Goodguys production  done to their standard formula , this time fairly big show with 2000 cars, a good size swap meet and the usual motorcana. Plenty of trade stands, as usual the trophy hunters there early for the best spots, getting woke up in the hotel at 5.30 as they start up to go to the show. I sleep in to 8.00 and still end up parking where it seems fine. Didn't enter for long distance award this time because its not fair to the others who drive a long way just to be here. I met up with the guy who won it and he was really great, he had driven 1000 miles, was camping/sleeping inside a small teardrop trailer and it was his first trophy so he kept thanking me for letting him have it as he had never won anything before. The hotel has quite a few rodders staying and as usual they congregate in the car park at night to bullshit a bit and drink some beers, and ask a million questions about Australia and our ways. Not only hot rodding but they want to know about our weather, politics, unemployment,  heath system, guns and illegal immigrants. All hot topics here as there is a 1/2 election this Tuesday and the pollies take the first amendment (free speech) to the limit and accuse each other of ludicrous things which they never have to prove. Also every position from Governor to Sheriff, Attorney General, Health director etc are all elected by non-compulsory vote so the TV ads and posters around the town are overwhelming.

As usual met a few guys and they make sure I come with them to dinners and things. Standard story is "always wanted to come and visit Australia". After the way things have been here the last few years a few even wanted to know how they come over to stay! About 10 of us went to dinner in an "Outback Steakhouse" which is an Aussie based theme, actually not bad food and they did have some Aussie beers so we all had a good night out and I got to tease the waitress's a lot. She didn't even know what a proper Aussie sounded like but the black waiter got it in one.

Charlotte Show is held at their Nascar Speedway and so on Saturday night we all get to have a fang around the track, this one is a lot smaller than Pocono and we were kept down to maybe 100 MPH on the back straight and 60 on the steep curves. reckon Thunderdome in Melbourne is a copy of this track. Felt the same to drive on.

So the show finished up Sunday and today's Monday, this morning visited Hendricksons Nascar race car production facility and museum. They would build 100 car per year for all the different tracks and various customers so quite a big setup. Would be a 20 acre site all beautifully landscaped, and set out.
So having done that, drove the Chevy to a lock up storage place a few miles from the airport and put her away safe until I get back. only $22 for a month so much cheaper than Airport parking out in the open, bus to airport was only $1.75 as well.

So now sitting in the airport and off to Vegas for Sema  etc I go.

Catch you later.
Peter