2011's Hottest Car and Motorcycle Events

100 Years of Indy 500 Pace Cars

Location: AACA Museum, Hershey, Pa.
Date: May 6–October 9

Just because you weren't able to secure tickets to the Brickyard for the 100th anniversary of the 500 doesn't mean you missed the entire historic Indy experience. The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) has gathered 20 Indy 500 Pace Cars, from as old as 1930 to as new as 1998. The collection includes a replica of the legendary white and orange '69 Camaro convertible as well as a '39 Buick, '56 DeSoto—and a '79 Mustang and an '89 Trans Am for those who appreciate more modern muscle.

More Info: http://www.aacamuseum.org/

Allure of the Automobile Exhibition

Location: Portland Art Museum, Portland, Ore.
Date: June 11-Sept 11

If the Pacific Northwest's frequent showers dampen your mood for outdoor automotive fun, then head over to the Portland Art Museum. From June to September, the museum hosts a special gathering: 16 of the world's most luxurious, rare and brilliantly conceived automobiles designed between the 1930s to the mid-1960s. The machines are certainly stunners, including a 1957 Jaguar XK-SS roadster once owned by Steve McQueen, the '59 Corvette Stingray prototype and a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR Uhlenhaut coupe. The exhibition was organized by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and is guest-curated by longtime PM contributor Ken Gross.

More Info: http://portlandartmuseum.org/

9th Annual Holley NHRA Hot Rod Reunion

Location: Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, Ky.
Date: June 16-18

The only problem with a car show is the lack of sound and speed. Watching cars sit on grass isn't as fun as seeing them blast by you in a cacophony of V8 muscle. But the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion promises plenty of noise and smoke for three full days. The annual reunion is a speed festival with nostalgia drag racing, a "Cacklefest" where vintage race machines rev their motors to deafening rpm levels, with a massive car show to boot. Just remember to pack your earplugs and stay clear of the eye-watering, nose-burning nitromethane fumes in the pits.

More Info: http://www.museum.nhra.com/

39th Bloomington Gold Corvette Show

Location: Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles, Ill.
Date: June 23-26

If you hear the auctioneers say "Bloomington Gold Certified" as a Corvette crosses the block at an auto auction, that car will sell for some serious money. That's because the Gold Certification designation is incredibly difficult to get from the judges. It means a Corvette has been "preserved in" or "restored to" within 95 percent of the way it appeared when it left the factory (and "Gold" is the least rigorous of the awards). Each year you'll find hundreds of perfect or nearly perfect Corvettes at Bloomington showing off for the fans as they seek the approval of the judges. So if you are a maniacal fan of America's sports car, a trip to Bloomington Gold might be the highlight of the summer.

More Info: http://www.bloomingtongold.com/

Born-Free 3 Vintage Chopper and Classic Cycle Show

Location: Oak Canyon Ranch, Silverado, Calif.
Date: June 25

For most, the term chopper conjures up visions of TV-show bikes with mirror-like chrome, perfect paint and a rear tire so wide it belongs on a Vette. But over the past few years, bike builders have embraced the classic choppers--the ones that started the trend back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These bikes have a purity and simplicity that look very right in 2011. Now in its third year, the Born-Free motorcycle show is a Southern California magnet for these machines. The first year, there were more then 200 bikes and 1500 people in attendance. There's only one problem with Born-Free: My own bike isn't nearly cool enough to ride to the show.

More Info: http://bornfreeshow.blogspot.com/

Billetproof Northwest

Location: Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, Chehalis, Wash.
Date: June 25

Over the past decade, some hot rodders have moved away from building overly fancy, high-tech custom machines. These guys now want the look and feel of vintage ironócars that ape the design of traditional hot rods. And the notoriously expensive and blindingly bright billet aluminum speed parts that are bolted onto new school hot rods just aren't cool to these folks. Billetproof began in 1997 and is now a nationwide series of car shows that caters to guys and gals who build their own customs with all the ingenuity and creativity of the hobby's pioneers. And no billet aluminum is allowed. Attendance to the one-day event is limited to just 750 cars so register soon.

More Info: http://www.billetproof.com/upcomingshows/

Wing Ding 33

Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
Date: July 6-9

The annual gathering of the Gold Wing Road Riders, a crew of Honda Gold Wing and Valkyrie bike owners, revs up in Tennessee this summer.

More Info: http://www.wing-ding.org/

Beartooth Rally

Location: Across Montana
Date: July 15-17

A 120-mile trip through the 10,000-foot Beartooth Passóand a hand of seven-card studócaps this Montana rally .

47th Annual L.A. Roadsters Show & Swap 

Location: Pomona Fairplex, Pomona, CA
Date: July 18-19

The prestigious L.A. Roadster Club, which began back in 1957, limits its membership to just 30 active members. But the annual show which the club first organized in 1960 draws more than 800 pre-1936 roadsters, 1500 pre-1972 specialty cars and hosts an enormous swap meet. The show is a great place to see some of the most significant historic hot rods ever to roll a tire down the street. And because the show is held on the same grounds as the NHRA Motorsports Museum, you get a double dose of nostalgia.

More Info: http://www.laroadsters.com/index.html

RMC's 97th Birthday Bash

Location: Oley, Pa.
Date: July 28-30

The Reading Motorcycle Club, one of America's oldest, hosts drag races, biker church and other family fun.

More Info: http://readingmc.com/anniversary.html

Across the Border Raid Motorcycle Rally

Location: Bedford, Iowa
Date: Aug. 4-6

Bedford's Harley club throws one hell of a party. The Raiders ride across the Missouri state lineóand then come back.

More Info: http://www.acrosstheborderraid.com/

Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival

Location: Butler County Fairgrounds, Butler, Pa.
Date: Aug. 12-14

The history of the Jeep is complex and yes, muddy. The first annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival celebrates the original Bantam Reconnaissance Cars (BRC) military Jeeps, which predate the Ford and Willys Jeeps that saw service in WWII. (Those 2675 Bantam Jeeps were produced in Butler, Pa., by the way.) However, this festival is open to all Jeeps. In fact, the organizers hope to attract thousands of Jeeps of varying models to this year's eventóenough to set a new world record for longest Jeep parade.

More Info: http://www.bantamjeepfestival.com/

Back-to-the-Basics Motorcycle Rally

Location: Concord, Vt.
Date: Aug. 12-14

Hog riders of Concord roast a hog, then review the basics of Harley-Davidson burnouts, bike games and bonfire craft .

More Info: http://www.back-to-the-basics.com/

Bonneville Speed Week

Location: Bonneville Salt Flats, Wendover, Utah
Date: Aug. 13-19

For more than 65 years, the Bonneville Salt Flats have been the place where most significant top speed records are made. And each year, hundreds of racers converge on the flats to attempt to hit 200, 300, even 400 mph--measured by the folks at the Southern California Timing Association. It's an incredible event. You might see a car blaze down the track far in the distance at incredible speeds and watch the chute pop to slow the car down. But most of the action is in the pit areas where you'll see teams--many on a shoe-string budget--prepare race machines so advanced that they look like they came from the Jet Propulsion Lab. Bonneville's billiard-smooth white salt flats are breathtaking to see--and reflect enough sun to burn through the best sunblock. Any gearhead worth his, um, salt should see Bonneville once--or better yet, attempt to set a record.

More Info: http://www.scta-bni.org

The Weekend

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering
Concorso Italiano
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Location: Monterey, Calif.
Date: Aug. 18-21

There are so many automotive events on the Monterey peninsula during one weekend each August, car enthusiasts simply refer to them collectively as "The Weekend." In recent years, the Weekend has grown to include even more events, auctions and drives—it's actually more like a full week of activities. It's not easy to fit it all in: The Italian cars at Concorso Italiano compete with the exclusive (and expensive) Quail Lodge event on Friday. Saturday, many will head over to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for vintage racing. This year, the Monterey Motorsports Reunion at the track will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jaguar. But Sunday is always reserved for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance—one of the most prestigious car shows in the world for more than 60 years. But be warned, these events are not cheap and the crowds are immense.

More Info: http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/
http://www.quaillodgeevents.com/
http://www.concorso.com/
http://www.mazdaraceway.com/

Woodward Dream Cruise

Location: Southeast Michigan
Date: Aug. 20

If the Monterey Weekend is just too far or too pricey, then the Woodward Dream Cruise might be a good choice. It's a celebration of American autos, car culture and especially the American automotive industry. The one-day cruise along Woodward Avenue though the Metro Detroit area began in 1995. Now it's the world's largest one-day automotive event, with 1.5 million people and 40,000 cars. Along the cruise route there are plenty of smaller car shows, great food and annual block parties.

More Info: http://www.woodwarddreamcruise.com/

Ride With the 40

Location: Cross-Country
Date: Aug. 29-Sept. 8.

Honoring the 40 heroes of United Flight 93 who died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, this 10-day ride stretches from San Francisco to the memorial in Shanksville, Pa.

More Info: http://www.ridewiththe40.org/

Post Source:http://www.popularmechanics.com/