C.A.R.B. Clyde Ellis Race-On Car Show highlights the Snake Saturday Parade in North Kansas City

The Central Auto Racing Boosters (C.A.R.B.) Clyde Ellis Race-On Car Show has been a tradition during the Snake Saturday Parade in North Kansas City for a long as I can remember.  This event is often cold, miserable, riddled with rain and sleet, and oftentimes snow.  But somehow, they avoided all that this weekend.  The weather couldn’t have been nicer for this event , and there were some interesting things to look at both in the car show and in the parade.

Treating Corvette withdraws at Vintage Vettes, LLC in North KC

Corvettes.  You know I love ‘em.  But during the winter, it’s hard to go see a bunch of them together.  I mean, all the Corvette club guys have theirs hidden away until spring.  There is one place you can see them all year-round in Kansas City, though—Vintage Vettes, LLC.  BHo and I stopped in to their very cold (very, VERY cold) showroom during the Christmas break to check out what was new.  And I’m glad we did, because they had more interesting Corvettes than many Corvette car shows we’ve attended.  I love looking through the inventory here, because they specialize in those early cars that helped make the Corvette name legendary.  Let’s take a look at some of my favorites.

Chiefs can't stop Moody's Hotrodtoberfest

Sunday was a tough day to have a car show.  Most of the difficulty stemmed from the big Chiefs’ game in which they were trying to be 6-and-0, they were trying to break a record for the biggest private flyover formation, and they were trying to break the loudest stadium record for the Guinness Book of World Records.  They accomplished all of that, by the way, but you can see why most people would be interested.  Still, Moody’s Hot Rods held their annual Hotrodtoberfest gathering, and they got a surprisingly decent turnout.  Sure, there were a few TVs and radios tuned to the game, but everyone seemed perfectly content enjoying live music from The Mighty Wax band and watching the traffic go by on North Oak.

The stars were aligned for the August North Kansas City Cruise

With only one North Kansas City Cruise under their belts, the Golden Oldies Car Club headed into August with perfect weather and the full support of the Mustang Club of Greater Kansas City.  And everything came together beautifully to make this one of the best cruises in this area for years.  Swift Avenue was lined on both sides as far down as you could see with a full selection of Kansas City’s nicest rides.

Golden Oldies Car Club puts the North Kansas City Cruise back in business

One of the most common questions people seem to ask me is, “what happened to the North Kansas City Cruise?”  And the fact, is, I don’t really know.  It used to be a strong cruise, then over the past couple of years, it just started getting weaker and weaker until it died altogether.  The scuttlebutt is that the cruise’s host and the City of North Kansas City were having some trouble, and the cruise died because of it.  But last Saturday night, the Golden Oldies Car Club breathed new life into this old cruise, and even with cloudy, rainy skies, this event really delivered.

Vintage Vettes is like a Corvette car show any day of the week

I could go look at Corvettes every day.  But there just aren’t Corvette shows every day.  So what’s a guy to do?  Well luckily, if you live in the Kansas City area, you can always go to Vintage Vettes in North Kansas City.  There, you’ll find a perfectly lovely selection of Corvettes that will easily fill your Corvette fix.  There are even some other interesting cars in there for the non-Corvette fans (is there such a thing?).

C.A.R.B. Race-On Car Show and Snake Saturday Parade bring lots of great cars to North Kansas City

Since 1977, the Central Auto Racing Boosters (C.A.R.B.) has hosted a racecar show in conjunction with the Snake Saturday parade in North Kansas City, and as usual, there was a decent turnout in spite of the cold, cloudy weather.

C.A.R.B. is one of the most dedicated, hardest-working clubs you'll ever encounter.  They've been around for more than 60 years in the Kansas City area, and during that time they have done an outstanding job of promoting local drivers and tracks.  Currently, C.A.R.B. supports four area tracks, including Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo., and Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo.  C.A.R.B. members get free admission to these tracks on C.A.R.B. nights, a membership roster, and other perks, all for only $15.00/year.

The North Kansas City Centennial Car Show was hot

Let's face it.  If you have a car show during one of the hottest days in the history of June, schedule it during the absolute hottest part of the day, and locate it in the middle of an un-shaded asphalt parking lot, you're not going to get much of a car count.

To wit: the Centennial Car Show hosted by the North Kansas City Rotary Club.  This thing was Saturday from noon to 4:00.  I almost can't think of a more miserable scenario.

Extensive coverage of the North Kansas City 2nd Saturdays Cruise misses out by a nose

Here we are, closing in on the dog days of summer.  Temperatures were over 90-degrees on Saturday, and air conditioners were getting a workout.

Of course, that also means that the car cruise season is in full-swing, and evidence of that could be found in North Kansas City during their "Second Saturdays" event.

CARB Race-On Car Show is a Snake Saturday tradition in North Kansas City

The CARB Race-On Car Show during the annual Snake Saturday Parade is a North Kansas City tradition. What is not a tradition is the beautiful weather with which this year's installment was blessed. Normally, people are wrapped in blankets and parkas, and drinking coffee and cocoa. This year it was shirt sleeves and soft drinks. It has been a mild winter, indeed.

14th Annual Bill Cliff Memorial Car Show highlights the final 2nd Saturdays cruise in North Kansas City

Throughout the summer, one of our regular stops has been the "2nd Saturdays" North Kansas City car cruise, which took place every month on the corner of Fayette Street and 18th Avenue. There was something for everyone at this cruise, as they combined it with an art fair and jazz music concerts. The event this Saturday night was especially significant, because it was the last one of the year.

I had the old Hovermater at the All Truck Nationals most of the day, so I went home to eat and let some rain showers pass. When I got to North Kansas City at about 6:15 or so, I didn't even realize this was more than a normal cruise. 

Excellent weather brought an excellent turnout to the 2nd Saturdays cruise in North Kansas City

I've noticed lately that some of the free newsstand rags like the Pitch and INK have ads in them for the 2nd Saturdays events in North Kansas City. This is an eclectic gathering of crafters, artists, and other vendors, held just behind the First Watch in NKC.

There is also a car cruise involved with this monthly event. Now, when I see an ad in the Pitch or INK, I worry that I really shouldn't be there. I mean, there's an excellent chance that I'm not cool enough to hang with the trendy, young hipsters that they tend to feature in those publications.

The North Kansas City Cruise Night is successful. Maybe too successful. A look at the July festivities

The summer car cruise in North Kansas City has been a second-Saturday tradition for years, and that tradition was kept alive this weekend in the parking lot across the street from the NKC Pro Bowl.

This is still a pretty nice cruise, with several cars from the area turning out to listen to well-known Kansas City disc jockey Phil Jay spinnin' the Mustang Sally.

Big car count, big prizes, big fun. The big story with a big slideshow of the big KCI Cruise Night

The KCI Cruise Night is a cruise night in name only. It isn't like the typical monthly city cruise where you see the same 50 cars that live within ten miles of the parking lot.

No, this one is different. It only happens once or twice a year, and people come from all over the Kansas City area. So when we went there on Saturday night, it was no surprise that the massive WireCo parking lot near Kansas City International Airport was packed with hot rods, customs, trucks, and muscle cars. There might not be any awards at this event, but this is an all-out car show.

One word to describe the June "2nd Saturdays" North Kansas City Cruise: NICE!

I manage to find something to complain about for lots of these car show stories. It's too hot. It's too cold. The people running things got on my nerves. Whatever. I can never be completely satisfied.

But Saturday night, the North Kansas City cruise night had something that is all too rare: perfect weather. I mean seriously, it had to be like, what--75-degrees? We parked under a shade tree. The sun was out. That is the stuff I'm talkin' about.

Vintage Vettes in North Kansas City is the ultimate Corvette candy store

Summer vacation has begun for BHo, but when mom's not feeling well, that can be a problem. Still, that very issue gave me a chance on Wednesday to entertain the seven-year-old dynamo while mom went to the doctor took it easy. As far as I'm concerned, it beats hanging out in a cubicle any day.

One of our stops was Vintage Vettes, L.L.C. in North Kansas City. I love that place; I really do. It looks like my garage in that fantasy where I win the lottery.

May North Kansas City car cruise kicks off 2nd Saturdays events

Saturday night, North Kansas City kicked off their "2nd Saturdays" events for the summer with their monthly car cruise, art show, and jazz music.

The NKC cruise has been pretty popular over the years, often bringing in cars from all over the Metro. And the parking area across the street from the North Kansas City Pro Bowl has been a big car locale over the years, hosting events like the annual Shriner's car show and the C.A.R.B. Snake Saturday race car show.

The cars at the CARB Race On Car Show at the Snake Saturday Festival and Parade were nice. Maybe too nice.

Like clockwork, the CARB Race-On Car Show at the Snake Saturday Parade in North Kansas City is the first glimpse of the new season's race cars, all on display in once place. Rows of shiny, straight, clean, perfect Modifieds and Late Models sit quietly in neat little rows, while families with kids and strollers admire them in their St. Patrick's Day green.

And as someone who parks at the back of the lot to avoid door dings, it always gets me that these guys are willing to take these beautifully constructed and painted machines and tear the hell out of them driving around a mud bowl. How do they do it? It would drive me absolutely crazy. I'd make a horrible racer, and not because I would worry about getting hurt. I just couldn't stand beating up my car!