Franchitti wins Indy 500, Busch brothers sweep NASCAR in Charlotte, and local results

Memorial Day weekend. A time when we remember our fallen soldiers, and all of those who gave so much for our country, our freedom, and our way of life. It is a weekend when we can really appreciate what that means when we have that family barbecue, take a day off from our regular work week, and watch hours and hours of auto racing.

The Indianapolis 500 is typically the biggest spectacle in racing, and the 2010 event was no exception. From the moment Jack Nicholson waved the green flag, the action was intense around the famous Brickyard. There were plenty of crashes, passes, and thrills throughout the day, but it all came down to gas mileage at the end.

SEE THE FULL WEEKEND RECAP, PLUS A GREAT PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

Reports indicate Ford may close Mercury. A look at the history of this storied American car brand

Yesterday afternoon, Automotive News sent out an alert that cited a Bloomberg report stating that Ford executives are “preparing a proposal to kill Mercury to be presented to directors in July”. The report supposedly comes from two anonymous Ford executives familiar with the plan. So far, there hasn’t been an official statement from anyone at Ford or Mercury.

Sadly, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if these reports turn out to be true. Mercury is a great American car brand, steeped in history, but the offerings, effort, and promotion as of late haven’t been particularly outstanding. Mercury’s presence at major auto shows has been limited to a small corner of the total display area. The vehicle lineup, while perfectly capable, contains nothing but thinly disguised Ford products. And the aging Grand Marquis, Mercury’s cash cow for many years, has finally been discontinued.

That’s not to say that the Mercury brand wouldn’t be missed. In spite of current conditions, Mercury has had moments that shined so brightly, their effects can still be felt today.

CLICK HERE FOR A HISTORY OF MERCURY, PLUS A PHOTO SLIDESHOW OF HISTORIC MERCS

94th Indy 500, NASCAR Coca Cola 600, local car shows and races top the Memorial Day auto calendar

Memorial Day weekend is traditionally considered one of, if not the biggest racing weekend of the year. With the Indianapolis 500, the Coca Cola 600, and all the local racing events scheduled to run, there is no shortage of high-octane weekend entertainment.

There is also a nice selection of local car shows and cruises to choose from. So if you like anything to do with cars, you’ll probably find something to do on the list below.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ENTIRE LIST OF CAR-RELATED ACTIVITIES FOR THIS WEEKEND

The May 23 Gladstone HyVee Car Cruise recovers nicely from April washout

When we last visited the Gladstone Car Cruise presented by the Cowtown T’s, what we saw were cloudy skies, persistent rain showers, and a limited number of die-hard classic car owners.

But if you made it to this month’s Gladstone Car Cruise on May 23, you would hardly recognize it as the same event. The sun was shining, the weather was beautiful, and cars came from all over the Kansas City area.

This is a nice cruise because it is held on Sunday evenings, and there usually aren’t too many car things going on during that time. It definitely cuts out some of the competition that usually impacts Saturday night gatherings.

SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AND PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT HERE

2010 Mo-Kan VW Club Bug Blitz/Bus Blast in Riverside, Mo., was full of Beetles, Busses, and Buggies

The unmistakable smells of ether and gasoline filled the air. A turn of the key. A crank of a wrench. Another turn of the key; then a sputter. Followed by silence. Once more—a plume of smoke, and that distinct, air-cooled rasp wheezes to life. And if the driver is lucky enough to get out of his parking space without the engine dying again, the reward is a white-knuckled drive at a maximum speed of 42-mph.

Such is the life of a vintage VW owner. And you know what? They love every bit of it.

Nowhere was that more apparent than at the annual Bug Blitz/Bus Blast car show, held on May 21, 22, and 23, 2010 at the picturesque E.H. Young Riverfront Park in Riverside, Mo.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE A SLIDESHOW FROM THE EVENT HERE

Hight, Schumacher, and Edwards win NHRA in Topeka, Kurt Busch wins NASCAR All Star, and I-35 racing

NHRA drag cars, NASCAR All-Stars, and dirt stock cars. Oh my. If you wanted to see close, high-horsepower competition, this was the right weekend for it.

This weekend, the NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Summer Nationals were at Heartland Park Topeka, and as usual, they put on one of the fastest, loudest, meanest show anywhere in the area.

Top Fuel team owner Don Schumacher had a heck of a day, seeing two of his cars in the all-important final round of the Heartland Park event. So one way or another, that team was going to bring home a Wally, NHRA's national event trophy named after drag racing pioneer Wally Parks.

READ ABOUT ALL OF THE WEEKEND'S RACING ACTION AND SEE PHOTOS HERE

1955-1956 Dodge Le Femme - The first car designed for Your Majesty, the modern American woman

Imagine this scenario. Dodge takes the new Charger, offers it with a pink and white paint job and flowered fabric upholstery, includes a built-in purse and makeup compact, and unapologetically markets it to women. Doesn’t sound like it would make it through the marketing department, does it?

Well, 55 years ago, Dodge tried this exact same scenario, and it absolutely did make it into dealer showrooms. The car was called the “La Femme”, and it explored every female stereotype known to man. It seems fascinating today that a major car company actually produced this car. But it is hard to look back on the La Femme and not feel a bit of quaint ‘50s nostalgia.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AND SEE A PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. brings the famous #3 Wrangler NASCAR Chevrolet back to Daytona

Ever since the unfortunate death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, many NASCAR fans have wanted to see the familiar #3 back out on the track. Specifically, they've wanted to see Earnhardt's son, Dale Jr., behind the wheel of that iconic ride.

It makes sense. Dale Jr. is the most popular star in all of auto racing. He brings with him not only his own fan base, but legions of Earnhardt, Sr.'s fans, who jumped on board after his passing.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE CURRENT AND HISTORIC #3 PHOTOS HERE

Busch does the NASCAR double at Dover. Rain wrecks the racing in Kansas City

Defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson hasn't been performing up to his normal standards the past few weeks, and critics have been suggesting that he lost his edge. So during Sunday's Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway, Johnson set out to shut those critics down.

Johnson put the hurt on the rest of the field for pretty much the whole race. He led the most laps, he ran down anyone that may have gotten ahead of him during a pit stop or caution, and he looked like the dead-bang favorite to win. The only guy that even remotely looked like he had a chance was Kyle Busch, and that's just because he was a little better on the restarts. But if Busch trumped Johnson on a restart, Johnson would come back and spank him within two or three green flag laps.

SEE THE FULL RECAP, PLUS A FULL PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

The May 14 car cruise at the Longbranch in Overland Park had some of the nicest cars in Kansas City

Even though there was quite a bit of rain this weekend, not everything was a total bust. For example, Dan's Longbranch Steakhouse and Saloon at 90th and Metcalf held a stellar car cruise on Friday night.

It is amazing how many nice cars there are all around the Kansas City area, and a gathering like this just confirms that notion. There were several high-end hot rods, muscle cars, Corvettes, and originals on display, once dazzling example after another.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE AND SEE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW

Kansas City area races, car shows, car cruises, and NASCAR for May 14, 15, and 16. Automotive fun!

What are you going to do this weekend? Clean the house? Mow the grass? Wash the dog?

Heck no--you are going to go do something fun with cars! And that something fun with cars is probably on the list below. From car shows to car races, Kansas City is the place to be this weekend. Be sure to check with the website or contact before you head out if weather looks like it's going to be a factor.

CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEKEND'S FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Cool weather and cool cars at the NKC car cruise on May 8. Second Saturdays in Northtown

North Kansas City is a nice, clean little area of our city that typically holds a nice car cruise during the summer months, and for 2010, they've combined the cruise with an art market and a jazz jam. They call these events "Second Saturdays in Northtown", and the first one was Saturday night, May 8.

By the time I made it out to the cruise, things were starting to wind down. But even with my late arrival, and the fairly cool temperatures that night, there were still plenty of great cars and trucks still hanging on in the parking lot across the street from the North Kansas City Pro Bowl.

SEE THE FULL STORY AND PHOTOS HERE

NASCAR at Darlington Raceway and IMCA at I-35 Speedway Mother's Day weekend racing recap

Normally on Mother's Day weekend, we would bring you a recap from Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., and there would be no NASCAR Sprint Cup action to talk about. But everything was flip-flopped this time.

NASCAR has traditionally taken Easter weekend and Mother's Day weekend off. There have been a couple of races held on Mother's Day weekend, but it has certainly been the exception. The theory was that mom's were supposed to get their own race-free weekend.

Obviously, that didn't happen Saturday night, May 8. NASCAR made a very untraditional decision to schedule a very traditional race; the historic Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

SEE THE FULL RECAP AND ACTION PHOTOS HERE

Take mom to a car show, car cruise, or car race in Kansas City this weekend, or watch NASCAR on TV

You know what mom wants to do this Mother's Day weekend--spend the day at a car show or dirt track race! Well, mom's in luck, because there are all kinds of fun car events all over Kansas City that you can take her to on her special weekend.

SEE THE FULL WEEKEND'S SCHEDULE HERE

May 1 Parkville Car Cruise may have lacked quantity, but made up for it in quality. See the photos

There was another nice cruise night in Historic Downtown Parkville, Mo., on Saturday night, May 1. The weather was perfect, the people were friendly, and conditions were ideal for hanging around talking about cars.

The attendance for this night seemed a little smaller than normal, but that wasn't the fault of the cruise itself. There were lots of other things going on Saturday night, including other cruises and a televised NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

But fewer cars didn't mean lousy cars. Everything that was out there was worth looking at, and even though car count seemed small, many cruise nights could only dream of having this big of a turnout.

SEE THE FULL STORY AND PHOTOS FROM THE CRUISE HERE

Photos and coverage of the 2010 KCCA Corvette Show at Superior Chevrolet in Merriam, Kan.

Every year, the Kansas City Corvette Association (KCCA) hosts their much-anticipated car show at Superior Chevrolet in Merriam, Kan., and the 2010 event, which was held on Sunday, May 2, lived up to the hype.

The Rick Hendrick-owned dealership really caters to this event, clearing out a huge spot in their already full lot, as well as providing display space under the new vehicle delivery canopy. They also had a huge selection of new Corvettes conspicuously displayed, should some club member or spectator want to add to their collection.

The KCCA also does a tremendous amount of work by providing class awards, goody bags, door prizes, lunch, and much more. It is immediately obvious the moment you step up to the registration table that lots of careful planning and effort went into making this show successful.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE AND SEE THE PHOTOS HERE

Sauter and Dixon win at Kansas Speedway, Busch and Keselowski take Richmond, and local results too

There was no shortage of racing action this weekend--especially in Kansas City. This was a huge weekend for Kansas Speedway, as well as the local tracks, and race fans had plenty to get excited about.

The premiere event of the weekend was the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event that was held Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Some of the event was a little on the forgettable side--like the hour-and-a-half delay while it rained and hailed. Incidentally, does it ever just rain here anymore, or do we always have to get the hail?

But the finish of the race was almost worth the influx of hail damage car insurance claims Monday morning, when Ron Hornaday nearly took out not only himself, but Johnny Sauter when he tried to pass on the low side of the track.

SEE THE REST OF THE STORY, AND A FULL RACING PHOTO GALLERY HERE

Adesa Kansas City hosts the May Corvette and Specialty Car Sale. Exclusive Examiner coverage

If you've ever dreamed of owning a classic car, and who here hasn't, you may have been able to find your perfect ride at the Corvette and Specialty Car Auction, held Thursday, May 27, and Friday, May 28 at the Adesa Kansas City facility in Belton, Mo.

Hundreds of nice--and not-so-nice--specialty vehicles were offered to the highest bidder across the dealer auction block.

Thursday was mostly for Corvettes, and there were plenty of them to choose from. From a smattering of straight axles, to late models in any color and style you could dream of, these shiny Vettes were offered by sellers eager to send them to new homes.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AND SEE THE CARS HERE

2011 Ford Fiesta test drive review. The compact goes from Europe, to San Francisco, to Kansas City

It has been said that trends in fashion and culture tend to be created in Europe, are adopted by the West coast, and eventually become popular in the Midwest.

To test this theory, I traveled to San Francisco, drove a new car that was designed and sold in Europe, and brought the story back to Kansas City.

The car is the new Ford Fiesta. Fiesta? Yes, Fiesta. I know what you're thinking: "That's that crap box Ford from the '70s. Why would they start making that pile again?" And technically, your question would be wrong. Because even though the Ford Fiesta was replaced in the U.S. market by the Escort in 1981, it continued to be sold and refined overseas. Right now, it is the best-selling car in Europe. Perhaps it isn't the homely rust bucket that it was when we last encountered it.

Our test consisted of a number of 2011 Fiestas in both the sedan and five-door hatchback configurations, as well as a Toyota Yaris, a Honda Fit, and a Chevrolet Aveo for comparison. We left the traffic and congestion of the downtown San Francisco area and headed south for an awe-inspiring drive through winding mountain roads, beautiful coastal regions, and majestic redwood forests to see how much the Fiesta has learned while studying abroad for thirty years.

READ THE FULL REVIEW AND SEE THE PHOTO GALLERY HERE