A full-size replica of Pixar's Lightning McQueen is set to roll into Oklahoma City this Saturday for the Okie Nationals Car Show, a family-friendly gathering of classic and custom vehicles that doubles as a tribute to Route 66's 100th anniversary. The show runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 4100 Perimeter Center Drive, with vehicle registration open until noon and awards handed out at 2 p.m.
According to KOKH, the annual event is organized by local car clubs and showcases Oklahoma's automotive heritage through vendors, live entertainment, and community activities alongside the vehicle displays. This year's edition is titled “Okie Nationals - Celebrating 100 Years of Route 66,” according to TravelOK.com, tying the show directly to statewide celebrations marking the highway's centennial since its 1926 establishment.
The Lightning McQueen replica is slated to make a special guest appearance at the show, according to a post on the Okie Nationals Facebook page. The post highlights the car's appearance without specifying a fundraising beneficiary. The supplied RacingJunk listing is for a 2025 Okie Nationals event.
More Than 70 Awards and Youth Races on Tap
Organizers plan to hand out more than 70 awards through the Okie Nationals Committee, with the show open to all makes and models of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, TravelOK.com reports. Beyond the judged classes, the event is organized by a coalition of nine Oklahoma metro-area car clubs and features youth competitions including valve cover racing and Power Wheels drag races, according to a Facebook post from the Historic Route 66 group.
KOKH notes that vehicle owners can register their vehicles for a pick and that attendees can bring their own cars while exploring vendor and food options on-site. Those interested in helping out can volunteer with one of the organizing clubs, and organizers direct questions to the event's listed contact email, [email protected]. The station adds that the official Okie Nationals Facebook page and local car show websites carry schedules, entry rules, and additional announcements.
A Venue With Its Own Route 66 Ties
The show's location itself carries a Mother Road connection. The eight-acre Perimeter Center office complex sits off NW 39th Expressway, an alignment that historically served as part of U.S. Route 66 through Oklahoma City, per TravelOK.com. That layered history fits the broader push behind Oklahoma's 2026 festivities: the state holds more than 400 drivable miles of historic Route 66, more continuous highway mileage than any other state, which has prompted centennial initiatives and grant funding throughout the year, according to the Oklahoma Route 66 Association.
The Lightning McQueen appearance also underscores a local cultural thread running through the Cars franchise itself. Director John Lasseter and Pixar animators took a Route 66 research road trip guided by Oklahoma historian Michael Wallis, who went on to voice the Sheriff character in the 2006 film, as detailed by prior Hoodline coverage of a related Tower Theatre screening earlier this year.
A Drive-In Kickoff the Night Before
The Okie Nationals festivities have company on the calendar. The Winchester Drive-In Theatre is holding a kickoff event Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to KOKH. The drive-in first opened on July 3, 1968, and remains Oklahoma City's last remaining operating drive-in movie theater, per the Winchester Drive-In Theatre, which notes the venue fits roughly 450 vehicles, transmits movie audio over 100.9 FM, and still displays its original neon sign depicting Chester the Cowboy.
Together, the two events take place amid statewide Route 66 centennial programming this year. For car enthusiasts and families alike, Saturday's show offers a rare chance to see Oklahoma's automotive past, present, and a certain animated racer share the same stretch of pavement near the historic highway.
