Monroe, NC - July 15, 2006
Attending the first of anything can be a mixed bag. You should expect some pieces and parts of the event not to run
smoothly and it may be sparsely attended. In that regard, the 1st Annual Car, Truck & Bike Show of the
Central Baptist Church met all expectations. But that isn't to say it wasn't a good time had by all. Quite the opposite;
those that attended found a group of folks ready to help in any way possible, and there were some really special
cars, trucks, and bikes on display.
There were just two commercial displays and the one that grabbed everybody was the custom bikes and choppers brought
by The Cycle XChange of Matthews, NC. Jeff Clark, co-owner of the shop, was obviously proud of the many bikes he rolled
out of the hauler, especially a bike built for JR Motorsports, which will be sold at auction on October 24.
Clark is a former NASCAR® engine builder and pit crewman, so he knows just how to catch the eye of most avid
racers. The bright orange and creme bike features burnished gold leaf, NACA ductwork to keep the electronics cool,
and Dale Earnhardt Jr's signature adorns the rear fender. The guys at Orange County Choppers or West Coast Choppers may
have TV shows to brag about, but Jeff has THIS super bike to put on his resume, and it's a show stopper for the
way he blends traditional chopper styling with racing features like a super cool exhaust system that looks just like
that of a Cup car!
Super Classic 1950 Ford
Very few other bikes were on display for judging, and only a couple dozen cars and trucks found their way to the
registration tables. But those that did come were worthwhile. A couple of blown motors, vintage muscle cars, and
some really wicked restorations from the 30's were on hand. As I said, the first time for anything like this is
a difficult sell on a busy Saturday, not all first time events can be 'Woodstock'. And, like Woodstock, this
first event had some weather issues. It wasn't rain, it was the lack of anything like cooling clouds or lower
temps. The themometer hovered in the high 90's all day long and when the poker runs pushed off at 2 PM most of
us would rather have just donated the $10 and gone home rather than fight the traffic over the intended routes.
The first stop was just a few hundred yards down the road from Motorama at Iron Horse Motorcycle. Not bad, no traffic -
no problem. The next stops were Stealth Cycle and Ben's V Twins, both on US-74. This is where the flies began to gather
and what should have been a fun day turned into much less. US-74 is, except between the hours of Midnight and 5 AM,
a traffic nightmare. Endless waits at traffic signals are normal on this road and roasting while sitting on the
saddle of your own metal monster isn't fun at all.
I didn't know the way to the last two stops, so I was very fortunate that young Derrick Helms offered to lead the way
to The Cycle XChange and The Parts Dude. Derrick had never been to The Cycle XChange, so we overshot the mark by a
few blocks and had to back track. I didn't mind it much, because the roads around the shop are less busy and we could
actually move some air through the helmet visors. If you have a chance to visit TCX... do so. They have a certain
flair to their operation and it shows throughout. BUT, be forewarned if you bring children... there are photos of nearly
nekked girls on the walls!
The last stop was The Parts Dude at Indian Trail. At least I think that was Indian Trail. I'm new to the area and
often confused even to which is east and west. Roads down here just don't act the same at the ones up north. Heck, they
don't keep the same name when you cross an intersection and going northbound just means you are heading more north than
south, and you may really be moving east for miles and miles. I know, some folks recall that I'm a pilot and should know
how to tell my way by looking at the sun. I should be able, but somehow it just never makes sense to have the sun over
your left shoulder through the first turn and on the right for the next ... It's difficult to stay oriented. But, I digress.
THANKS to the folks at The Parts Dude! Of the five stops, they were the only ones to recognize it was HOT outside and we
were greeted with ice cold bottles of water. I picked up the last card of my meager hand and had it recorded. Then I gave
my card to Derrick and asked that I be notified by email if I won anything...I was going home to escape the heat. Hey, folks...
I'm still waiting for that email... I mean, geez, I got a King, a ten, a two, a five and a three... isn't that worth something?
If you are in the area next summer (2007) try to put this event on your calendar early and gather a large group together for
the fun. Have a safe trip!
-LW
