{"id":27163,"date":"2021-04-09T10:38:45","date_gmt":"2021-04-09T14:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=27163"},"modified":"2021-04-09T10:38:45","modified_gmt":"2021-04-09T14:38:45","slug":"payne-dream-cruise-on-track-for-a-post-covid-auto-palooza-this-august","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/payne-dream-cruise-on-track-for-a-post-covid-auto-palooza-this-august","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Dream Cruise on track for a post-COVID auto-palooza this August"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Metro Detroit emerges from a long winter and coronavirus pandemic, car enthusiasts\u2019 thoughts are turning to Woodward Avenue. After COVID-19 curtailed most official Woodward Dream Cruise functions in 2020, it\u2019s looking like all systems go for the late summer, Aug.\u00a021 auto-palooza.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy then we should be rockin\u2019,\u201d says Woodward Dream Cruise Director Tony Michaels.<\/p>\n

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M1 Concourse in Pontiac \u2014 one of the Cruise\u2019s epicenters \u2014 has confirmed two mega-events that will bookend Cruise week: Roadkill Nights drag-racing on Woodward Aug.\u00a013-14 and the inaugural, Aug.19-21 Woodward Dream Show featuring the Cruise\u2019s most coveted cars. Both events were canceled in 2020.<\/p>\n

Michaels says that the communities along the Woodward route, venues, and sponsors are already coordinating the summer\u2019s premier auto event \u2014 a decades-old tradition that, in a normal year, sees more than 1 million people descend on Woodward to celebrate automobiles old, young and mod. Thousands still flocked to \u201cDetroit\u2019s Main Street\u201d last year despite the lack of an official stamp.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re good to go,\u201d Michaels said in an interview. \u201cBy the end of August \u2014 with the vaccine kicking in \u2014 we should have a great resurgence of all thing Dream Cruise.\u201d<\/p>\n

All things Dream Cruise include not just the third Saturday in August\u00a0that caps off months of cruisin\u2019, partyin\u2019, and plain ol\u2019 hangin\u2019 along the Avenue \u2014 but also big sponsored events like Mustang Alley, Berkeley CruiseFest\u00a0and GM’s Birmingham display.<\/p>\n

First to firm up plans is the inaugural Woodward Dream Show at M1 Concourse, which dovetails with Dream Cruise weekend.<\/p>\n

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M1 announced that tickers are on sale for an event that will showcase the best of the Dream Cruise\u2019s hot rods, race cars and cruisers. In addition to showing off hundreds of four-wheel toys across M1\u2019s 87 acres in Pontiac, the Dream Show will feature a juried competition, food and fashion. M1 Concourse is one of the nation\u2019s premier private garage and racetrack facilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re providing the opportunity (to see) cars that have made the Woodward legend what it is \u2014 but you wouldn\u2019t see them out on the road today, either out of their historical nature or value,\u201d said new M1 CEO Tim McGrane, who formerly managed California\u2019s legendary Laguna Seca race track. \u201cWe\u2019re going to create displays of significant, legendary muscle cars. Put it in an environment that M1 offers with catering and entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n

McGrane also confirmed plans for Motor Trend Group\u2019s Roadkill Nights. The two-day event\u00a0takes place on M1 Concourse property parallel to Woodward, offering car shows and track laps in\u00a0snarling muscle cars. The\u00a0main attraction is on Woodward itself, which is shut down and converted into a makeshift, 1\/8-mile drag strip for legal\u00a0racing. How legal? Oakland and Macomb\u00a0County sheriffs squared off for a drag race in 2019.<\/p>\n

The event is traditionally sponsored by Dodge, though McGrane did not confirm corporate sponsorship for 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the benefits\u00a0of M1 is that we are an outdoor venue,” said McGrane.\u00a0“We’re working closely with local authorities. Our events are planned not to be large spectator events \u2014\u00a0we\u2019re expecting 10,000 people here. We\u2019re keeping aware of what requirements\u00a0are (and) we want to make it comfortable for attendees.”<\/p>\n

The Woodward Dream Show kicks off at 8 a.m. Thursday, Aug.\u00a019 with \u201cCruisin\u2019 M1 Circuit Day.\u201d Some 60 invitees \u2014 including a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to numerous ’32 Deuce Coupes \u2014 will lap the track.\u00a0Friday features 50 cars that helped shape the American car and cruising\u00a0culture. The \u201cCruisin\u2019 The Concourse Show\u201d will follow Saturday, showcasing\u00a0 20 local car clubs and their 100 best steeds.<\/p>\n

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Tickets start at $100 for one day admission and\u00a0\u00a0include access to the Taste of Woodward with upscale food\u00a0and spirits. Tickets are available for after-hours ticketed events on Thursday and Friday like \u201cRev Up the Grille\u201d and \u201cCar & Cigars”\u00a0where attendees can rub shoulders with car owners over BBQ or a cigar.<\/p>\n

Dream Cruise director Michaels was also bullish on official late summer gatherings as Detroiters get back to normal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Dream\u00a0Cruise is\u00a0spread out over 16 miles of Woodward Avenue outside,\u201d he said. “The Board of the Cruise has been smart, hopeful, and responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, the Michigan\u00a0cruise crowd\u00a0isn\u2019t waiting\u00a0for official events to gather. The warm April\u00a0weather has already brought hot cars to local roads on weekends \u2013 even weekdays – as enthusiasts shake off winter and gather with hoods propped up.<\/p>\n

Facebook pages are alive with notices. Cruisers gathered Tuesday night at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Warren \u2013 the first of regular weekly gatherings. And a car show is scheduled at Pops Sweets an Treats in Mt. Clemens May 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cWere all going\u00a0through events withdrawal,\u201d said McGrane. \u201cI think there is going to be a pent-up desire\u00a0to go out and do what we all used to enjoy, but having been unable to.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Metro Detroit emerges from a long winter and coronavirus pandemic, car enthusiasts\u2019 thoughts are turning to Woodward Avenue. After COVID-19 curtailed most official Woodward Dream Cruise functions in 2020, it\u2019s looking like all systems go for the late summer, Aug.\u00a021 auto-palooza. \u201cBy then we should be rockin\u2019,\u201d says Woodward Dream Cruise Director Tony Michaels. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27163"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27163"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27164,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27163\/revisions\/27164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}