Get ready Cars fans — Pixar will be traversing the country starting this week as part of the new “Road to the Races” 27-city tour! Life-size, character look-alikes of five-time Piston-Cup champion Lightning McQueen, tech-savvy trainer Cruz Ramirez and the sleek next-gen racer Jackson Storm will be at the events to celebrate the new Cars 3 film, which opens June 16, 2017.
Wait, did they say, Jackson Storm? Life-sized versions of Lightning and Cruz were revealed at the Daytona 500 event last month, but a scale version of Jackson Storm is going to be a must-see car at these events.
“We are going to kick off the tour at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World on Thursday, March 23,” said Lylle Breier, senior vice president, worldwide marketing partnerships and special events for the Walt Disney Studios. “There will be fun activities for the whole family—plus a sneak peek of the movie.”
UPDATED March 23 – Thanks to our friend Denise at Mousesteps, we have our first look at the life-sized Jackson Storm from today’s kick-off event at Disney World. All we can say is WOW, that is a stunning car and we cannot wait to see all three of them in person! Be sure to follow Mousesteps for more details from the event.
Another close-up look at Jackson Storm comes courtesy of Inside the Magic (above).
2017 TOUR DATES:
The full roster of cities and additional details are available at CARS3tour.com (UPDATED – Link removed since the site is no longer active) — notable stops include the world premiere of the film on Saturday, June 10 along with the closing of the tour at the NASCAR Sonoma Raceway on June 24-25.
- Orlando | Disney Springs | March 23-26
- Miami | Bayfront Park | March 31-April 2
- Tampa | Raymond James Stadium | April 4
- Dallas/Ft Worth | Texas Motor Speedway | April 7-9
- San Antonio | Santikos Palladium | April 11
- Houston | Memorial City Mall | April 14-16
- St. Louis | Ballpark Village | April 19
- Chicago | Woodfield Mall | April 21-23
- Cleveland | Public Square | April 25
- Pittsburgh | SouthSide Works | April 26
- Boston | Assembly Row | April 28-30
- Allentown | Mack Trucks Inc | May 4
- New York | The Shops at Atlas Park | May 5-7
- Washington DC | Downtown Silver Spring | May 10
- Philadelphia | Cherry Hill Mall | May 12-14
- Greensboro | Mack Truck Brand & Product Line | May 18
- Charlotte | Charlotte Motor Speedway | May 19-20
- Cincinnati | Scene75 Entertainment Square | May 22
- Kansas City | Union Station | May 24
- Denver | Alamo Drafthouse Littleton | May 27-28
- Salt Lake City | Thanksgiving Point | May 30-31
- Phoenix | Desert Ridge Marketplace | June 3-4
- San Diego | Belmont Park / Mission Beach | June 6-7
- Anaheim | Disneyland Resort | June 12-13
- Los Angeles | Autry Museum of the American West | June 14-18
- San Jose | Westfield Oakridge Mall | June 22-23
- Sonoma | Sonoma Raceway | June 24-25
Schedules are subject to change without notice, and attractions may be unavailable for unscheduled reasons – be sure to check the CARS3tour.com site for full details and a time guide.
ACTIVITIES:
- Catch a sneak peek of the movie in the Cinetransformer Mobile Movie Theater
- Take photos with the life-sized characters
- NASCAR Acceleration Nation will display the science behind NASCAR racing, and elements from the NASCAR Hall of Fame will allow attendees to get up close and personal with the history of NASCAR
EVENT SPONSORS:
- Alamo Rent A Car is hosting a street art booth and will bring “Cars 3” to life with a giant coloring mural featuring Lightning McQueen and friends, along with a color pencil pack souvenir. Owned and operated by Enterprise Holdings, Alamo Rent A Car offers low rental rates and a hassle-free customer experience at the most popular travel destinations around the world.
- Coppertone is creating a racer pit crew that encourages visitors to take part in a tire-changing activity and photo-sharing opportunity. A leader in the sun care industry, Coppertone is made by Bayer HealthCare, LLC.
- Crest and Oral-B celebrate the Road to the Races tour, providing fans with an opportunity to create a digital postcard with Lightning McQueen and get “Cars”-themed oral care products. Crest and Oral-B are the first step to enjoying a lifetime of healthy smiles.
- Dole®, the leader in fresh, quality produce, invites visitors to fuel up and recharge their batteries, sample high-octane fruit and vegetable smoothies, collect “Cars 3”-inspired recipes and discover how Dole and Disney are working together to make healthy living fun and easy for families. To see more of Dole’s exciting promotions around summer family fun.
- Mattel presents an interactive play area, which sends Lightning McQueen and other racers down the gravity drop and launches them into action in new play sets that feature locations from the movie. Also on display will be a collection of die cast racers from past and present. Mattel is the leading global childhood development and play company.
- Mack Trucks, Inc. will transport the life-size character cars on the coast-to-coast tour.
ABOUT THE MOVIE
Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo), with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage! Directed by Brian Fee (storyboard artist “Cars,” “Cars 2“), produced by Kevin Reher (“A Bug’s Life,” “La Luna” short) and co-produced by Andrea Warren (“LAVA” short), “Cars 3” cruises into theaters on June 16, 2017.