When I was a kid, my great-uncle used to host a fourth of July party for the entire family, and when I saw entire family – keep in mind some parts of the family had as many eight siblings, and everyone that emigrated from Italy lived within a few square miles of each other. It was so large that he had to rent tents large enough to hold everyone. And the party was so large that people would sometimes stop in off the street thinking it was a festival. When I first stepped foot onto Kooks property in Statesville, NC for the 2024 Kooks Kruise In, that’s what it instantly reminded me of – a giant family gathering. It’s fitting because Kooks is a family-run business and treats its customers like family. And, like me, Kooks also hails from the Tri-State area originally before relocating to North Carolina to this massive compound (note: I do not have a massive compound).
I brought my six-year-old partner in crime with me on this occasion, which turned out to be a great idea. After grabbing some free swag from vendors and checking out all the cars, she headed to the bounce house to bounce to the beat of a DJ, checked out a few more cars we missed, and then grabbed some food from the food trucks. As her sugar high from the Kona Ice hit its peak, Kooks kicked off the burnout competition. And at long last, they handed out the awards. With so many Mustangs in attendance, the crew thoughtfully set up barricades to protect crowds from not only the burnout competition but when exiting the cruise-in as well. Local law enforcement ensured the organized hooning was confined to the designated area.
The event brought out all sorts of builds, but especially Corvettes. There was an informal Corvette alley that lined the side of the building. Behind the building sat some older builds, including a rat rod truck that got my attention. In the field by the bounce house and food trucks sat a wide range of late model Mopars and Mustangs along with classic muscle. One of my favorites was a Grand National with a turbo LS swap. I’m not offended by those choosing to ditch the legendary Turbo Buick V6 architecture, but for heaven’s sake, keep a turbo on it…I mean who puts a naturally aspirated…oh right, me. Never mind.
If you are in the Charlotte or Raleigh area and feel like hanging out with some car folk that feel like family – check out the Kooks Kruise In. Perhaps the best part about the event is that it helps raise money for the Isabella Santos Foundation to fight childhood cancer. For more information on the event and its history, check out our event preview story.