As expected, the world premiere of Pixar’s Route 66-themed movie “Cars” will be at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. The film’s wide release is June 9.

The big difference, however, is the premiere will no longer be an invitation-only event. Instead, it’s going to be a humongous bash, according to the news release.

Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip, and others from the voice cast of the film will be joined by a host of stars from the racing world and 30,000 guests that are expected to attend the “CARS” World Premiere, taking place at the same location as that weekend’s famous Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race. … A series of four giant custom-built outdoor movie screens (115-feet wide and 50-feet tall) will be constructed at Lowe’s Motor Speedway at Turn #2 of the track. … Academy Award-winning filmmaker John Lasseter (”Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2″), who directed “CARS” will also be attending along with producer Darla K. Anderson (”A Bug’s Life,” “Monsters, Inc.”), and other key players from Pixar Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Studios.

Tickets for the premiere will be made available for purchase by the general public starting today. Proceeds will benefit Speedway Children’s Charities, and Association of Hole in the Wall Gang Camps. For tickets, call 1-800-455-FANS, visit the Lowe’s Motor Speedway box office, or order online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.

Steve Williams of The Daily Press in Victorville, Calif., writes an editorial on the passing of Riley B. Thompson, former owner of Riley B’s and a couple other taverns on Route 66 in Victorville.

Riley B’s was probably the most famous place in San Bernardino County, known worldwide. Here’s why. It played host as the bar of choice to thousands of pilots in the United States Air Force who trained at George Air Force Base. We’ve heard, time and again, from such pilots who, after having honed their flying skills at George, were assigned to air bases all over the globe, and who, when asked by other pilots where they’d trained, would say, “George AFB,” The immediate response would be, “Remember Riley B’s?” Of course, the answer would always be, “You bet. Were you there the night…”, etc.

Riley B. Thompson was one of a rare breed, a man who left a large footprint on the valley and on his fellow man, noted for his hard-earned achievements. It turns out that, with the passage of time, fewer and fewer such people are still with us. Riley B is not the valley’s last — those who are know who they are, and if I’m still around when they depart the premises, I’ll give them equal treatment — but his tribe diminishes.

The whole thing is worth reading.

Less than a month after it was purchased, the Rose Bowl on Route 66 in Tulsa is up for sale again — this time on eBay.

Starting bid is $499,000, with a “Buy It Now” price of $599,000. Owner Sam Baker also is selling the original wooden alleys for $3,500 apiece, according to the site.

According to KOTV:

The owner says he’s just trying to gauge the interest in the building. He says if he found the right buyer, he’d sell, but he might still try to develop it himself. And he says he’s still wants to avoid tearing it down.

The Rose Bowl, built in 1961, suffered a several arsons in recent years and comes with a non-compete clause that keeps it from being a bowling alley again. Baker, who seemed committed to developing the building a few weeks ago, might be wavering a bit. Perhaps it’s more expensive to repair it than he thought.

MonstersandCritics.com has several images of the newest posters from Pixar’s upcoming movie “Cars,” including the one above.