NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and IZOD Indycar Series at Kansas Speedway, plus more car events

Kansas City is full of great car events every week, but the action is even hotter this weekend as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and IZOD Indycar Series invade Kansas Speedway. From car cruises to car racing, there is no better city to be in this weekend than right here in Kansas City. Remember, some of these are weather-permitting, so keep one eye on the forecast, and the other eye on the event websites.

Local Auto Racing

Sunday, May 2. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 250. This is one of the big events of the year right here at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. The truck series is NASCAR's third-tier series, and many of today's stars race head-to-head with the best of tomorrow. The race starts tomorrow on the biggest sporting arena in the State of Kansas. The race starts at 11:30 a.m., and if it is like most of these events, you definitely should tune-in. Or better yet, be there in person. It will be televised live on Speed TV.

As an added bonus, Kansas Speedway will also host the IZOD Indycar Series Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 event at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 1. Wanna see Danica Patrick race here in town? This is where she'll be.

SEE ALL THE WEEKEND'S EVENTS LISTED HERE

NASCAR hits Talladega, but rain hits Kansas City. This week's auto racing recap

Normally, this is where we'd tell you the winners at Kansas City-area tracks Lakeside and I-35 Speedways, but both were rained out. Racing will resume next week at both tracks.

Luckily, there was some fantastic racing in Talladega, Ala., today with the running of the Aarons 499 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and the Aarons 312 for the Nationwide Series cars.

Why were both races held today? Because similar to what took place here, the Nationwide race was a wash-out on Saturday. Spectators certainly got their money's worth on Sunday, though, because both races were held back-to-back under beautiful sunny skies.

First off was were the big boys in the Sprint Cup Series, and brother, was it ever a Doozie. We're talking NASCAR records that may never be broken. 88 lead changes--an all time record. 28 different leaders--an all-time record.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE PHOTOS FROM TALLADEGA HERE

April Gladstone Car Cruise was a little cold and wet, but everyone had a good time anyway

Well, the April Gladstone Car Cruise was one of the weaker events that we've attended so far this year, but it wasn't the fault of event organizers. The big news was the weather, and the news wasn't good.

Despite the cool, rainy, misty environment, several die-hard car freaks still found their ways to the cruise. A few of them were open roadsters that didn't have any roofs!

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE CAR PICTURES HERE

KC Gear Grinder, Gladstone, Belton cruises, Lakeside, I-35, NASCAR, more for April 23, 24, 25 in KC

Another weekend, another great lineup of car shows, racing, and events all around Kansas City. If you have motor oil in your veins, be sure to check this list first before you make your plans for the weekend of April 24-25.


Kansas City area car shows and cruises

KC Gear Grinder "Kar Kulture" event. Friday and Saturday, April 23 (4:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.) - April 24 (12:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.), 2010. Knucklehead's Saloon, 2700 Rochester, Kansas City, Mo. Lots of tattoos, Roackabilly, and taildraggers. This is not your father's car show. Well, kind of like your father's car show--just more so.

CLICK HERE FOR MANY MORE EVENTS AND DETAILS

General Motors CEO Ed Whitacre to announce GM will pay off $5.8-billion in government loans early

General Motors CEO Ed Whitacre is scheduled to be in Kansas City on Wednesday, April 14, to announce that GM will pay off $5.8-billion in U.S. and Canadian government loans well in advance of the June 30 deadline.

This is a big announcement, folks. Right now, the U.S. government owns 60.1% of GM. It is easy to see the influence of the majority owner by things like the shuttering of the historic and highly regarded Pontiac division, the highly confusing and disturbing closure of 1,100 dealership franchises, and the replacement and shuffling of top GM executives.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

World's Largest Toy Museum in Branson is like a haven to car-loving kids and adults alike

One of the sub-categories we delve into here from time to time is the fascinating world of toy and model cars, and it so happens that there is an impressive public collection just south of us in Branson, Mo.

The World's Largest Toy Museum is full of all kinds of toy cars and trucks, both rare and common. It would be easy to get caught up in all of this for hours once you get through the doors, but Branson has so many other things to do that you had better plan your time accordingly.

Some of the more interesting transportation toys included cast metal trucks like the popular and valuable Smith-Miller line, a smattering of dealer promos, old slush metal cars and trucks from the 1940s and earlier, a large Hot Wheels collection, vintage tin litho gas stations, and more.

SEE THE FULL STORY AND A PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

Claxton takes Border Wars double. NASCAR Sprint Cup/Nationwide back Monday at Texas Motor Speedway

Mother nature didn't cooperate at all for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series action at Texas Motor Speedway. Both Saturday and Sunday's events were rained-out

The Samsung Mobile 500 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will now start at 11:00 a.m. central time, weather permitting. The race will be televised live on the Fox network.

The O'Reilly 300 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series will take place after the Sprint Cup event, which is expected to be about 4:00 p.m., and televised live on ESPN2.

Racing was much better here locally. Friday night's Bud Light opening night at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., drew the typical large field of cars and spectators.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY

Platte City car cruise, presented by the Righteous Rides Car Club, was the place to be on April 17

If you were anywhere near Platte City on Saturday night, April 17, you may have noticed a larger than normal concentration of neat old cars traveling through town. That's because the Righteous Rides Car Club, based conveniently in Platte City, was holding one of their well-planned cruise nights.

Held in the Pizza Shoppe/Mr. Goodcents parking lot at 2400 N.W. Prairie View Road, these Platte City cruise nights are becoming the place to be more and more each month. It is amazing how many nice cars and trucks seem to be appearing for these events. And it isn't just one kind of vehicle, either. Muscle cars, hot rods, sports cars, originals, and customs are all turning out in droves under the bright setting sun.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE AND PHOTOS

Kansas City car shows, races, and events for April 16, 17, 18. Lakeside Season Opener, KCIR, more

As the summer shifts into high gear, so do the automotive-related events. If you are looking for something to do this weekend, check out the calendar below. Whether you want to stroll through a classic car show, study some scale model cars, or hear the roar of screaming engines at a live car race, Kansas City is the place to be for all your motorheaded action.


FOR THE FULL CALENDAR OF THIS WEEKEND'S EVENTS, CLICK HERE

See movie cars, muscle cars, customs, and more at the Branson Auto Museum

One of the more popular destinations for Kansas Citians is the 3 1/2 –hour drive to Branson, Mo. It really is a pretty decent place to take a quick vacation, with plenty of things to occupy every member of your family. Between Silver Dollar City, the Shepherd of the Hills, all the lakefront activities, and of course, the campy musical theatres, Branson offers quite a bit of family fun without the hassle and expense of airports and multi-day car rides.

But what do you do if you want to see cars? Truth be told, Branson is a pretty big car town. This weekend, April 16-17, is the Branson Collector Car Auction at the Branson Convention Center, one of the largest in the country. There are also several car shows and other automotive gatherings throughout the year.

The Branson Auto Museum is also a hot spot. Located on the far west end of Branson’s Highway 76 “Strip”, this year-old display resides in a former craft mall.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE

Cars that needed parts and parts that needed cars were all available at the April Shrine Swap Meet

Well one thing's for sure; you couldn't have asked for a nicer weekend for the 14th-Annual Ararat Shrine Swap Meet, which was held April 10-11 in the marshalling yard of the old Adesa Auction site in Lee's Summit, Mo.

This was somewhat of a new location for the popular event. Most old car geeks remember it being held in the Woodlands parking lot for many years. It had a stint in the Worlds of Fun lot a couple times. Then it moved to the main lot at the Kansas City Adesa Auction last year. This new spot was still on the Adesa property, but it was hidden out back. If you were expecting to see everybody in the main lot, you could have actually come to the conclusion it was cancelled.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY AND PHOTOS

The April Mecum Muscle Cars & More Auction gives you a chance to own your dream machine. Part 1

Kansas City's Bartle Hall was the site for the Mecum Muscle Cars & More Auction this weekend. Nearly 400 collector cars and trucks were available for purchase at the auction that was televised on the Discovery Channel's HD Network.

Of course, if you weren't looking to buy, you still got to see a pretty solid car show. Hot rods, Corvettes, muscle cars, exotics, pretty much anything you could imagine, were all there and cleaned up to sell. And just like the World of Wheels event that was held earlier in the year, old cars just look great under the neon lights of Bartle Hall.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE!

The April Mecum Muscle Cars & More Auction gives you a chance to own your dream machine. Part 2

If you're looking at this column, you probably have a preference for neat old cars. And if you were in Kansas City this weekend, there was no better place to see them than at the Mecum Muscle Cars & More Auction in Bartle Hall.

Unlike some of the big televised auctions, this event was not all "no reserve". That means that unless the seller agrees sell at no reserve, cars had to be bid up-to a specified price before they were considered sold.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE!

Take the car wheel quiz!

There are thousands of different wheels out on the roads today. Everything from the cheapest Kia to the most fabulous Ferrari has the opportunity to show off the brake rotors through a durable aluminum wheel.

We’ve compiled twenty different wheels from late model cars sold in the U.S. in the slideshow below, and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to see how many of these wheels you can identify. Be sure to jot down your answers, then open up the answer key to see how many you were able to guess. Be an expert the next time you attend a car show or dealer's lot in Kansas City!

TAKE THE QUIZ HERE!

The first Parkville Cruise Night of 2010 was the perfect cabin fever cure for car lovers

With all the late snowstorms and lousy weather, it seems like the winter has gone on forever in Kansas City. But things took a satisfying turn for the better when Parkville, Mo., held its first Cruise Night of the 2010 season on April 3.

You cold tell all the show car owners had been suffering from cabin fever, because even with Easter being the next day, the parking lot was filled curb-to-curb with dazzling paint and chrome.

The Parkville Cruise Nights are sponsored by the Main Street Parkville Association, and they do a nice job of keeping things under control. Helpful officials and parking attendants are dressed in orange shirts to assist show-goers. There are cheap eats and the hamburger/hotdog stand, a DJ, 50/50 tickets, and a prize raffle. Even folks that aren't that into cars have to appreciate the festive atmosphere.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL STORY AND PHOTOS!

Kansas City's Smith Electric Vehicles receives $35-milllion grant from the U.S. Department of Energy

Did you know that a promising manufacturer of electric trucks is headquartered right here in Kansas City? And did you also know that this same company just received a $32-million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help offset development costs in an electric vehicle demonstration program?

Smith Electric Vehicles recently built an assembly plant here for their lithium-ion battery-powered Newton tilt-cab trucks. The plant employs some 50 local people, and the company is looking to expand with more locations throughout the country.

The trucks themselves are all-electric, zero-emissions vehicles. They’ll travel about 100-miles on a single 6-8-hour charge, and can carry a payload of up-to more-than 16,000-lbs.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE!

How did these people get their drivers licenses, anyway? The top 5 April Fools' Day driving videos.

April Fools’ Day. It actually would be fun to do some kind of fake story here. Last year Car and Driver threw out a piece about how President Obama supposedly ordered General Motors to get out of NASCAR. Lots of people bought it, and the people were outraged. That’s just good fun right there.

But the Examiner discourages such antics. It’s not good for credibility. So we’ll keep this one on the up and up. Instead, to recognize April Fools’ Day, we’ll take a look at the top five automotive fools, as captured on video.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AND SEE THE VIDEOS HERE!