If youre planning to be anywhere this weekend, make it the capital of cool on the South Saskatchewan River.Saskatoons classic rock outdoor concert series and car-show extravaganza returns for its 37th edition this Friday through Sunday. Tickets for Rock the River 2019 have long since sold out, as they do every year. But owners of pre-1999 vehicles in show-ready condition still have time to join the more than 40,000 locals and tourists wholl take over 14 downtown blocks, where up to 1,000 classic cars, trucks and motorcycles will park for the car-show portion of the Rock 102 Show and Shine Western Canadas largest auto-themed street party.It started from very humble beginnings and has just blossomed into this massive event, says Brent Loucks, morning man at Rock 102s sister station CKOM since 1984.Not only because of everyones love for these cars, but because of the timing: were wrapping up another summer, so this a great social event tying in music and cars that everyone in the community can relate to. Were all getting together to celebrate here in one of the greatest cities in Canada. Whereas the AW, Burger Baron and Dog and Suds were once the prime car-spotting locations on Saskatoon’s Cruise Night, now, it’s the Dairy Queen. Or wherever you can park a lawn chair. Sarah Staples Loucks was at the first edition of the Show and Shine, in 1982, when owners of a dozen classic cars decided to get together by the AW on 8th Street East, Saskatoons major east-west thoroughfare. It started relatively innocently as a radio station promotion, Loucks continues.Wed play old music, there was a hula-hoop contest, people were dressing in 50s and 60s outfits, listening to retro music, and it was just a fun thing to do in the evening; then, more car clubs joined in and the classic car side kept growing every year. 1965 Corvette Stingray of Leonard Mazzei, of Eston, SK, at the city’s 2018 Show and Shine Sarah Staples This Saturday evening, vintage cars will again head to 8th Street East to loop around the long, wide boulevard, over and over. Some owners park and make it a tailgate party, opening their hoods to spectators of all ages who line the impromptu parade route.Parking lots are full all up and down the street, people are sitting on bus benches, lawn chairs, bleachers that are set up, says Neil Schneider, marketing manager at Wyant Group Raceway, which has organized its own events over the weekend for the past decade.8th Street was the original home of Saskatoons stock-car paved motordrome, the 8th Street Racing Oval, before it moved north of the city in 2006 and was renamed Wyant Group Raceway. Its one of only two tracks in Western Canada to host Pintys NASCAR Canada racing and is Canadas only volunteer-run racetrack, managed and staffed entirely by members of the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association Ltd. (SSCRA).This weekend there will be local Pro Trucks, Bandaleros (kids 8-16) and Mini Stocks (compact cars) competing, along with Baby Grands and Mini Cups series hosted from Alberta. And over at the Saskatchewan International Raceway, the citys drag strip will host Jet Cars racing.Every year, from the public and from the club, the response is getting bigger and bigger, says Schneider. Theres non-race fans, race-fans, families, just anyone curious to see these cars. (Tourist tip: for four Sundays every year, the track opens to anyone who’s keen to get behind the wheel of a stock car; the next Dakota Dunes Race Experience, monitored by qualified pro drivers, is Sept 8.)The radio station also organizes a Poker Run: participants drive classic cars to five different spots around Saskatoon, drawing a single card at each location, then meet up to determine who has the prize-winning poker hand.Theres a definite vintage feel to the entire weekend. It reminds me of the movie American Graffiti. You get really nostalgic seeing the old muscle cars, hearing the squeal of tires, explains Schneider. Its a feeling of parents being able to be kids again.Rock the Rivers concert series spotlights many classic Canadian bands, too. Loverboy, Platinum Blonde, The Headpins and Chilliwack will take to the main stage this weekend, by The Delta Bessborough hotel. Motorcycles are welcome at Saskatoon’s biggest car show. Sarah Staples Last year, I ran into Kim Mitchell sauntering out of an elevator at The Bessborough. His trademark blond mane had gone the way of those MTV-era pink pants, but bald or no, Mitchell still had it that recognizably Canadian, indescribably Rush-era something special. The iconic rocker disappeared from the iconic Canadian National Railway hotel before I could say, Hell yeah, go for that soda, Kim.While youre at it, Rock on, Saskatoon. You see families where grandparents used to cruise 8th Street 30 years ago, and now its their children or grandchildren bringing that same car that theyve inherited, or building their own, Loucks says. It goes to show how many people in this world love cars and
Origin: Western Canada’s biggest automotive street party is in Saskatoon this weekend
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News Roundup: Green Party leader parades in Viper, Hertz customers get arrested for renting and more
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May takes part in the 121st annual Victoria Day Parade in Victoria, B.C., on Monday, May 20, 2019.Chad Hipolito / Canadian Press Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam. Here’s what you missed while you were away. Green Party leader takes a parade lap in Dodge Viper, hears about it from Twitter Dodge Viper RT/10 Concept. Not a green car. FCA Green Party leader Elizabeth May is catching some flack for the car she recently appeared in during the Victoria Day Parade on Vancouver Island. Even though she was just “riding where parade organizers asked (her) to,” she should’ve known going anywhere in a 1994 Dodge Viper could lead to some unfavourable headlines. The first-gen Dodge Viper RT/10 uses an 8.0-litre V10 to make 400 horsepower and (usually) single-digit-MPG fuel economy—not exactly a green vehicle. They did drive with the top down while it was raining, though, so she gets a few cool points for that. Two dead buffalo, a totalled Camaro and no driver Drivers in the Northwest Territories had a weird morning last week when they came upon a car accident involving two dead bison, a crumpled Camaro with New Jersey plates and – here’s the creepy part – no driver in sight. A man driving the red Camaro with tinted windows and black American air force-inspired roundel decals on the side was seen gassing up at a nearby station the night before, and was warned to watch out for buffalo on the road. Police have yet to identify the driver and report that nobody was taken to hospital following the incident. Hertz reports rented vehicles as stolen and gets customers arrested In this May 9, 2011 file photo, customers wait in line at a Hertz rental car counter at San Jose International Airport in San Jose, Calif. Paul Sakuma, File / AP Photo Hertz has apparently been surprising some of its renters by incorrectly marking their vehicles as stolen and sicking the police after them. For some customers it’s just confusing, resulting in a slightly inconvenient and probably comical conversation with police. But for others it’s more than an inconvenience, landing some in the back seat of cop cars or even behind bars while the “glitch” is recognized. And it appears as though this type of thing happens somewhat regularly, with over thirty similar cases in the U.S. having been reported. Battle of the midsize pickup: 2019 Ford Ranger vs. GMC Canyon vs. Toyota Tacoma 2019 Ford Ranger vs. GMC Canyon vs. Toyota Tacoma Derek McNaughton / Driving How much truck is enough truck? For many, a midsize option like the 2019 Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma and GMC Canyon will be plenty of pickup. But which of the three stalwart North American trucks is best? The Canyon has the most power, the Ranger the best fuel economy and the Tacoma the best off-road capabilities, for starters, but after all the other pros and cons were weighed, our experts both chose the same winner. Read on to find out which it is. Couples’ ‘baby’ pics with Eaton turbo win the Internet A lot of people will claim their car is their baby, but few will go as far as this Utah couple who orchestrated a full-on “new arrival” photo shoot with their Eaton supercharger to prove it. “We would love to welcome this Supercharger into our household,” the proud father posted to Facebook alongside the gallery of images featuring the parents fawning over the piece of machinery. “It is going to be whining a lot but can’t wait for all of the fun!” The schtick was an elaborate way for the man – a photographer and owner of a 2007 Ford Mustang GT into which the blower will be set – to get back at his mom, who’d been bugging him for grandkids. Wonder if she’ll still want to babysit Man gets rear ended, reacts like a hero A classic Plymouth involved in a rear-end collision in Saskatchewan, caused by the 69-year-old driver’s collapse. Wayne Duquesne / CBC Saskatoon Getting into an accident is rarely a good thing, but for one Saskatchewan driver, rear-ending a couple in his 60’s Plymouth may very well have saved his life. And kudos to the driver of the vehicle that was struck, a former lifeguard named Wayne Duquesne, who noticed the man was slumped over the wheel, likely having suffered a heart attack, and reacted quickly to summon help and perform CPR. Take the poll in the link above and tell us how you’d react in this scenario. Ram recalls 63,000 trucks for tailgates that could fall open in traffic 2017 Ram 1500 FCA Over 63,000 Ram trucks in Canada and 410,000 in the U.S. are being called back by the brand due to a potential fault in the tailgate’s power-locking mechanism that could see tailgates popping open on the road. Only 1500, 2500 and 3500 trim-level trucks fitted with 8-foot cargo beds and the power-locking option are impacted, and of those, only the model
Origin: News Roundup: Green Party leader parades in Viper, Hertz customers get arrested for renting and more
Green Party leader cruises Victoria Day parade in Dodge Viper
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May takes part in the 121st annual Victoria Day Parade in Victoria, B.C., on Monday, May 20, 2019.Chad Hipolito / Canadian Press Gearheads like us can rhyme off the OG Dodge Viper RT/10’s stats with alarming ease: 8.0-litre V10 engine making 400 horsepower; rear-wheel drive; and it’ll only get double-digit-MPG fuel economy on a good day. It’s that latter spec that makes it a surprising choice as the Victoria Day parade ride for Green Party leader Elizabeth May. According to news sources in the area, May jumped aboard a 1994 Viper to participate in the Island Farms Victoria Day parade. The move drew some swift criticism for the leader of a political party founded on its commitment to the environment, and whose platform calls for Canadians to trade their internal-combustion cars for EVs. The first-gen Viper is the opposite of an EV in every way, shape and form. It was a rainy ride for sure, and not a Green vehicle. Local #yyj volunteer Pat Peron owns this 1994 Viper. I rode where parade organizers asked me to. 🙂 https://t.co/W9B0O5T15T Elizabeth May (@ElizabethMay) May 21, 2019 In response to a citizen’s tweet poking at the gaffe, May explained the decision to ride in the bright red Viper was made by “parade organizers.” While a short ride in a Viper isn’t the end of the world – and while we personally dig the car very much – a better choice could have been made to improve the optics of the situation. It calls to mind the numerous vehicular blunders to have befallen Canadian politicians over the years, like when Stockwell Day showed up to a press conference on a WaveRunner. He could have at least used a Canadian Sea-Doo. It appears this isn’t the first time Ms. May has selected that same Viper, owned by a party volunteer, as her whip of choice for parade duty. The issue was called out by some media last year, who also posted photos of the leader in the red sports car. Check out video above from this year’s parade. The Viper, and Ms. May, show up at about the eight-and-a-half minute
Origin: Green Party leader cruises Victoria Day parade in Dodge Viper
Watch the ‘Toy Story 4’ characters throw a dance party in a Chrysler minivan
In a match made in advertising heaven, Chrysler has teamed up with Disney and Pixar to cross-hype the new Pacifica minivan and Toy Story 4 in a quick online video promo. The 30-second clip features Toy Story’s hero Woody and friends like Rex, Bo Peep’s sheep and that creepy spork thingy from the new sequel getting down to some funky tunes in the back seat of the new Chrysler family-hauler. The Pacifica is an important ride for Chrysler in North America. It moved some 118,322 units in 2018 alone, making it one of the brand’s best-selling models. Rumour has it an all-wheel-drive model is on the way, but this video neither confirms nor denies that. The partnership here is a no-brainer, as the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid are aimed squarely at the Disney-supporting North American family. As the video shows off through the hijinx of Pixar’s animated toys, the minivans come equipped with family-friendly features like the U-Connect Theatre that plays games, apps and child-silencing films on two 10-inch touch screens mounted on the back of the front seats; hands-free power sliding doors; an onboard vacuum cleaner for however the cookie crumbles; and flat-fold rear seating for groceries or action-figure dance parties. Those disco dance lights, however, are not included. The fourth instalment in the Toy Story saga hits theatres on June 21.
Origin: Watch the ‘Toy Story 4’ characters throw a dance party in a Chrysler minivan
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