41st Annual 2010 Ararat Shrine Car Show in North Kansas City took place in spite of the odds

The 41st Annual Ararat Shrine Car, Truck, & Bike Show seemed destined to fail.

The event was originally scheduled for June 15, but massive rain showers put the kibosh on those plans. The scheduled rain date was last Sunday, but again, rain was in the forecast. Combine that with the Art of the Car Concours grabbing all the headlines downtown, and organizers of this show really had their work cut out for them.

And yet, the show didn't fail.

READ THE STORY AND SEE THE PHOTOS HERE

2010 Kansas City Art of the Car Concours. Part 2: Pre-war Classics. See pictures from the show.

Yesterday, we had a look at several of the great late-1940s-1960s cars that were on display at the 2010 Art of the Car Concours event, which was held last weekend at the Kansas City Art Institute. And if you thought those were nice cars, hang on. Because today, we’re getting into the big, pre-war Classics—Packards, Cords, Pierce Arrows, and Auburns, to name a few. These are the kind of cars people think about when they hear the word “Concours”. We’re talking about serious machines here; the cars you might expect to see on the lawn at Pebble Beach.

The Mac-Daddy of the event had to be the 1919 Pierce Arrow limousine that was used by President Woodrow Wilson. This gargantuan would dwarf, say, a Chevy Suburban, but still manages to ooze style from every pore.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE THE PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

2010 Kansas City Art of the Car Concours. Part 1: Post-war beauties. See pictures from the show.

We attend quite a few car cruises and shows here at the Examiner, but few are as special as the one we went to on Sunday. The fourth-annual "Art of the Car Concours" brought in one of the finest collections of cars ever assembled in Kansas City. Held on the campus of the Kansas City Art Institute, cars came in from eight states to make up this spectacular display.

Today, we're mostly looking at post-war favorites from the show. These are cars that may show up at a normal local car gathering, although few of the cars at this show do.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE PICTURES HERE

Johnson takes Sprint Cup at Loudon, Busch breaks Nationwide record, and Kinser wins WOO at Lakeside

Whether it was NASCAR in New Hampshire, or the World of Outlaws in Kansas City, this was a pretty good weekend to be a racing fan.

Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., opened their doors for a rare Saturday night show when the stars and cars of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series invaded the 3/8-mile clay oval. This is not only a treat for race fans in this area, but it solidifies Lakeside's place among the top-tier dirt track racing facilities in the nation.

Meanwhile, a different series titan, Jimmie Johnson, was able to claim his second victory in-a-row in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event Sunday at Loudon, N.H.

READ THE FULL RECAP AND SEE PHOTOS FROM ALL THE RACES HERE

Kansas City Concours, car shows, and car races, June 26, 27, 28. Loudon NASCAR schedule too

The summer car event season is in full swing, and there are more things to do in Kansas City than you can shake a stick at. From the ultra-rare to the commonplace, this weekend is a great time to bolster your automotive education by studying the best cars in town. Check out this weekend’s calendar for some great events all over town.

SEE THE FULL CAR-CRAZY SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEKEND HERE

7th Annual Car Stereo Competition and Car Show at the KCI Expo Center was all about the tunes

Just when you think we've been to every kind of car show imaginable, something different comes along. Last Sunday, Kansas City hosted the 7th Annual Car Stereo Competition and Car Show at the KCI Expo Center. This was a regional event for United States Autosound Competition International (USACI), and a pretty big number of cars showed up for this much-anticipated event.

Sure it was a car show, but really, this event was all about the tunes. If you had lots of boomin' speakers, a few TV screens, and a deftly tuned ear, you would have fit right in at the Expo Center.

READ MORE AND SEE THE PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

June KCI Cruise Night lives up to the hype. Old cars invade the WireCo building near the airport

Saturday was a strange day around Kansas City. There were thunderstorms that were strong enough to make the creeks overflow. There was wind powerful enough to knock mobile homes off their foundations. Flooding was the order of the day.

And yet, when it was time for the KCI Cruise Night in the afternoon, the weather couldn't have been much better.

SEE THE FULL STORY AND A PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

Race fans: Heartland Thunder on the Discovery Channel from Lakeside Speedway debuts tonight

Kansas City-area race fans have been waiting for it, and their wait is about to come to an end. The new reality program Heartland Thunder will debut tonight on the Discovery Channel, and it was filmed at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.


READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE

Ambrose gives Johnson Sonoma win. Edwards takes Road America. Agler, Claxton, & Christy at Lakeside

Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson and his wife Chandra are expecting their first child next month, but Marcos Ambrose wanted Johnson to have an early Father's Day gift. Johnson took home his first career road coarse win Sunday at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., and it was a costly mistake by Ambrose that seemed to make it happen.

Not to say that the four-time consecutive champ completely lucked into the victory. Johnson's Chevrolet Impala and Ambrose's Toyota Camry were the class of the field all day. At some points, Johnson was faster, and sometimes, Ambrose had the advantage. But late in the race, Ambrose, the Australian road racing specialist, seemed to have the field covered. He was some two-seconds ahead of Johnson heading into the home stretch.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE THE SLIDESHOW HERE

Six-year-old son takes over for Father's Day car photos at June North Kansas City Cruise Night

The June 12 North Kansas City Car Cruise had a lot going against it. It rained most of the day. It could have rained again during the cruise. It was supremely hot and humid. And there was a big Shriners car show scheduled in the same parking lot the next day (an event that was rescheduled due to rain, by the way). Certainly, all of these factors had a detrimental effect on the Saturday night turnout.

Not to worry! My six-year old son had a solution. As a Father's Day gift to me, he offered to give me a break from shooting the pictures, and have a go at it himself.

SEE THE FULL STORY, AND OUR SIX-YEAR-OLD PHOTOG'S PICTURES HERE

Yes, you can say Chevy; Goodby, Silverstein & Partners look at the Red-X; and classic Chevrolet ads

Last week, employees at Chevrolet received a memo that basically directed them to use the word “Chevrolet” when referring to the brand instead of saying “Chevy” in order to convey a consistent brand message. It sparked quite a bit of excitement, because many people came to the conclusion that this suggestion was for everyone, and they weren’t willing to give up their beloved Chevy moniker at the whim of some marketing employee. It created so much public outcry that Chevrolet issued a press release that said it was a poorly worded memo, and feel free to keep using the word Chevy.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY AND TO SEE SOME GREAT CLASSIC CHEVY TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS

Make dad happy with KC car races, cruises, and shows, Father's Day weekend, June 18, 19, 20. NASCAR

Father’s Day is this weekend, and you know dad loves cars. Take a look at all the cool car-related events you can take your dad to this weekend. Show him he’s the “World’s Best” as you hit these Kansas City-area car shows, cruises, and races, or watch a NASCAR race on TV.

SEE THE FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS HERE

KC Slammers' 2010 Model Car Nationals was the place to go to buy or show scale cars in Kansas City

If you're a fan of this column, you probably notice that the stories run from more auto racing and car show features in the summer, to model cars and automotive history in the winter. But this time, we have a summer article about a car model show, and some of them are race cars. This story has it all.

The event was the 2010 Heartland Model Car Nationals. Held at the Overland Park Convention Center, this event brought some of the brightest model builders in the Midwest together to compete for several hard-to-obtain class awards, as well as a huge number of model car vendors that sold everything from model parts to complete built and un-built models.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AND A PHOTO SLIDESHOW

Tonganoxie Days Car Show had an impressive turnout, in spite of the rain, flash floods, and mayhem

If you were anywhere near Kansas City on Saturday, you know it was a scary place to be if you were driving your classic car. Flash flooding, heavy rains, hail, and emergency conditions blanketed the area.

Even with all that, several die-hard enthusiasts turned out at the third-annual Tonganoxie Days Car and Truck Show in the park across from the Tonganoxie VFW Post 9271. And these weren't just a bunch of also-rans. We're talking about cars that you'd be afraid to drive on a nice day, let alone on a day where they could be washed into a creek.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE A PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

Hamlin wins Sprint Cup snoozer in Michigan, Nationwide, Camping World Truck, & Lakeside winners too

Unless you're a Denny Hamlin fan, the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway wasn't really that good.

Here it is in a nutshell. Hamlin had the field covered. Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch had sparks of competitiveness. Neither one of them was as good as Hamlin. Hamlin won his fifth of the last ten races. Kahne came in second. Busch came in third. They all made fairly unexciting speeches about how proud they were of their crews, how strong their cars were, and how great their sponsors were. And then everyone went home.

READ THE FULL STORY, AND SEE THE PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

Historic Downtown Parkville June cruise night packed 'em in. Read the story and see the photos

Talk about a bunch of cars. The June car cruise in Historic Downtown Parkville last weekend was just out and out bedlam. All the spots were occupied. Cars were parking on top of other cars. Dogs and cats living together. Armageddon.

In other words, the cruise was a success.

SEE THE PHOTOS AND READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Jimmie Johnson wins Prelude to the Dream dirt event at Eldora. More proof of his driving abilities

Jimmie Johnson proved once again why he is the four-time consecutive and defending Sprint Cup Champion Wednesday night, by winning the 2010 Prelude to the Dream dirt late model charity event at Eldora Speedway.

Eldora Speedway is a half-mile dirt oval in New Weston, Ohio. The track is owned by Sprint Cup competitor Tony Stewart, and the Prelude to the Dream is one of the crown jewels on the schedule. A collection of celebrity drivers, mostly from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, make a special point of running this race every year to raise money for various charities. The event is available live on Pay-Per-View, and has become wildly popular with both fans and drivers.

FOR THE FULL STORY, PICTURES, AND VIDEO FROM ELDORA, CLICK HERE

Model cars, show cars, and race cars; Kansas City automotive events for June 11, 12, 13

Whether you like your cars big or small, fast or slow, you’ll find what you want in Kansas City this weekend. Everything from a model car show in Overland Park to a Punk Rods gathering in KCMO will be open for business in another busy weekend for the automotive faithful.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL LIST OF EVENTS

It might be called "Blue" Springs, but the June Blue Springs Cruise Night was a cure for the blues

There was so much car stuff going on last weekend in the Kansas City area, it’s a wonder any single event could bring in more than ten cars. But Kansas City is a car town. And the number of people who own, drive, and appreciate specialty vehicles around here is staggering.

Take Saturday night’s car cruise in historic downtown Blue Springs. This single gathering, but one in a sea of similar events going on at the same time, was reportedly able to bring in more than 200 cars and trucks.

How can this be?

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY AND A PHOTO SLIDESHOW

2010 Belton Main Street Merchants Car Show brought great display to historic downtown Belton, Mo.

You know there is a lot of interest in the old car hobby when cities are willing to close-off entire downtowns for car shows.

One of these car-loving locales is Belton, Mo., where the Main Street Merchants Association reserved the entire historic downtown area for their 6th-annual car show and swap meet on Sunday, June 6.

Belton’s Main Street is exactly the kind of place you would expect to see old cars. The clean, wide streets are lined with pristine buildings that look like they were just built yesterday—if yesterday were 1950. If some of the pictures from this car show were in black and white, you could easily mistake them for something that was taken with a brand-new Brownie camera.

CLICK HERE FOR THE WHOLE STORY AND A FULL PHOTO SLIDESHOW

2010 Nebraska Furniture Mart Friends and Family Car Show was HOT--and we don't just mean the cars

No doubt about it--Saturday was pretty toasty to be hanging out in a treeless asphalt parking lot for five hours. And yet, if you went to the Nebraska Furniture Mart in Kansas City, Kan., people were doing just that. Store employees, families, and curious onlookers gathered in the 95-degree midday sun to support the Dream Factory with the 3rd-Annual Nebraska Furniture Mart Friends and Family Car Show.

There was no shortage of participants at this event. The normal cast of hot rods and muscle cars were there, but there was also a neat selection of race cars, pace cars, and other track-affiliated vehicles in attendance. That's one of the things that made this car show unique; the variety of cars and trucks on display.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL STORY AND A PHOTO SLIDESHOW

Hamlin wins NASCAR Sprint Cup in Pocono, Marrant wins Modifieds at Lakeside, Nashville and Texas too

If you like stock car racing, there were lots of places to go see it over the weekend. NASCAR’s top series were all at different tracks; Texas for the Camping World Series Trucks, Nashville for the Nationwide Series, and Pocono for the Sprint Cup Series. Or for a little local flavor, Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., had a great show—for the second week in-a-row!

Lakeside has had a rough go of it this year. Well over half the season has already been rained-out or otherwise cancelled due to track-related issues thus far. Now that things seem to be headed in the right direction, track owner Marc Olson’s biggest challenge will be to get people back in the habit of heading to the track every Friday night. That shouldn’t be an impossible task, because once people see a show like the one this weekend, they tend to come back.

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT POCONO, LAKESIDE, AND MORE!  LOTS OF PICTURES, TOO.

Kansas City hosted the 2010 Mo-Kan Hudson Club Big Country Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Regional Meet

Even with all the car shows we attend every year, there really aren't too many Hudsons on display. It's kind of surprising, considering how nice those cars were, how well they performed, and how big a part they've played in history, racing, and pop culture.

Most people today are at least somewhat aware of Hudsons from the movies. Morgan Freeman proudly drove a nice burgundy sedan in Driving Miss. Daisy. And Paul Newman voiced the surly ex-racecar "Doc Hudson" in the Pixar animated hit Cars.

This weekend, the Mo-Kan Hudson Club sponsored the 2010 Big Country Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Regional Meet here in Kansas City, and it was a chance to see a great sample of these underappreciated cars all in one place.

SEE THE FULL ARTICLE AND SEE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW HERE

Nebraska Furniture Mart car show, Ride for the Victory, local races, cruises, and NASCAR. June 4-6

Just when you think there couldn’t be any more big car events in the Kansas City area, another round of car shows, races, and cruises floods down upon us this weekend. It is amazing how strong the car scene is in this city. No matter what you like to do, or what kind of cars you enjoy, there’s a good chance you’ll find a suitable event this weekend.


SEE THE FULL SCHEDULE OF CAR SHOWS, RACES, AND CRUISES HERE

Historic Downtown Liberty, Mo., car cruise was the place to be Saturday night, May 29

We were finally able to make it out to our first car cruise of the year in Historic Downtown Liberty, Mo., on May 29, and in the ever-growing world of Kansas City-area cruise nights, this is one of the heavy-hitters.

This event is a combined effort of the Historic Liberty Merchants, the City of Liberty, and the Mid-America Mustangers Club, and it is easy to see that the work of these groups is paying off.

Liberty is one of those great areas that still preserves the vintage look and feel of their beautiful downtown area. They close off the entire square for this event, and hundreds of cars show up to take advantage of Liberty's atmosphere and hospitality.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REAST OF THE ARTICLE AND A FULL PHOTO SLIDESHOW

James Bond Aston Martin DB5 expected to break records at London RM auction in October. $5-million

Pick up any car magazine that has a review of any Aston Martin, and 99.9-percent of the time it will have some reference to James Bond. 007’s association with the British luxury auto maker is so strong, it is almost impossible to have one without the other.

Most of the credit for this phenomenon comes from the car you see here; the actual 1964 Aston Martin DB5 that was used in the 1960s Bond classics Thunderball and Goldfinger.

And it’s no wonder. Aside from the DB5 just being a beautiful exotic in its own right, the movie car brought an exciting array of weapons and gadgets to the big screen.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE AND A PHOTO SLIDESHOW OF THIS CAR

Veterans and enthusiasts celebrate Memorial Day with military vehicle display at Liberty Memorial

We go to a bunch of car shows here on the Examiner, but one of the best displays we've ever had the privilege of seeing was the military vehicle display at Kansas City's Liberty Memorial over Labor Day weekend.

The Military Vehicle Preservation Society brought out several fascinating, battle-tested machines, and the owners were available and willing to answer any questions that people may have had.

The collection of Jeeps, transporters, weapons, and motorcycles were just part of the attraction. The Preservation Society also went out of their way to set-up realistic battle scenes. Yeah, they were mannequins dressed up like soldiers, but it was a jarring reminder that these weren't just your everyday, ordinary vehicles.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AND SEE A FULL PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE