There are plenty of reasons to love the month of August: NFL preseason, cool drinks—and the bikini rate is higher than ever. But if you’re into cars, the annual Woodward Dream Cruise deserves the top spot on this list, and Ford is making sure that this year is no exception.

The Blue Oval will display vehicles throughout 20 years of SVT Performance, from classics like the F-150 Lightning and Ford GT to modern marvels like the Raptor and Shelby GT500.

The Woodward Dream Cruise—held every year in Ferndale, just outside of Detroit—is a bucket list event for many auto enthusiasts. Organizers this year expect more than 1.5 million visitors and 40,000 cars. Ford has fittingly dubbed their area Mustang Alley, and more than 800 vehicles will be on hand this Saturday.

If that doesn’t satisfy your appetite for octane and adrenaline then make sure to check out the Burn Out Box. This designated area will be gloriously desecrated by pro Ford racing drivers, and Formula D champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. will also be on hand.

But the star of the show is a 2013 Boss 302 Laguna Seca, which will be up for auction—a truly unique Mustang that will benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter. Tickets are available online for just $10, or three tickets for $20. Click here to buy tickets, which you’ll really want to do once you see the list of additions on this car.

For starters, it’s a Boss 302, so you know it’s awesome. Ford has tacked on metallic gray paint with gloss black striping. A rear spoiler and 19-inch aluminum Ford Racing wheels add to the aggressive stance, and Recaro seats will keep you firmly planted inside while you’re ripping up racetracks. Speaking of racetracks, Ford is throwing in a professional instruction course at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. Does all that sound like it’s worth $10.00 to you?

Ford certainly isn’t the only automaker on hand, so whether your blood is Chevy powered or you have a Mopar tattoo, there’s something for everyone at the Woodward Dream Cruise. It’s especially fertile for fans of classic American style; a stark and welcome contrast to the Euro-heavy glitz and glamour of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance also held this weekend in (where else?) California.

Hey, we’re all about variety here at RCG, so whatever era you’re into, enjoy the fun and sun this weekend and soak up the automotive excellence during this car show season.

NASCAR Daytona WFO Borrowing Speed’s new mantra, “Wide Freakin’ Open,” Daytona test-speeds raised eyebrows in the NASCAR trailer. Penske ex-patriot Kurt Busch topped 206 in Thursday’s testing, prompting NASCAR to reduce the restrictor plate by 1/64th of an inch. That change alone dropped two-car pod speeds to 201-202. NASCAR is trying to eliminate the trend by various means and, every time they do, the guys in the garage find a workaround. NASCAR wants to return to the pack racing days of yore, which the drivers hate and the fans love. Quite frankly, I hope I never see another “Big One” that wipes out half the field. Here are the Preseason Thunder test results.

Revving It Up—Literally Move over Tebow, NASCAR’s A.J. Almendinger is an ordained minister. Darrell Waltrip announced the Dinger’s ordination during the Speed telecast. Waltrip said Reverend Almendinger finished his seminary studies and took all the final exams in order to marry a friend after the Homestead finale last year. It remains to be seen if the blessings carry over to his new ride in Penske’s No. 22 Dodge. More...

The difference between men and boys isn’t just the price of their toys, it’s the size of them, too. So when MTV-reality and action sports-star Rob Dyrdek got a yen to do a kick flip like the ones he used to do on his skateboard, he decided to do it in a car instead.

For the skateboard-stunt-impaired, a kick flip is a jump during which the skateboard rotates 360 degrees while in mid-air. Tough enough, but when you’re trying to rotate a Chevy Sonic that way, the degree of difficulty goes way up.

Dyrdek, who owns a ’69 Camaro and drives a Tahoe every day, not only pulled off the stunt, but if you look closely you’ll see he jumped over the world’s largest skateboard, which he built for an earlier stunt.

The kick flip took place at Six Flags Magic Mountain while an MTV film crew recorded it for the season five premiere of Fantasy Factory.

If you want something done right you have to do it yourself––or at least help the guy who’s doing it. That’s the idea behind the a new program that lets you help assemble your new LS7 or LS9 crate engine at GM’s Performance Build Center.

Even though you’re supplying some of the labor, the buy-in isn’t cheap––the LS7 has an MSRP of $22,756.10, and the LS9 has an MSRP of $32,050––but you’re getting 505 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque in the naturally aspirated LS7 and 638/604 in the supercharged LS9.

The price of the engine also includes a trip to GM’s unique Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan, where you’ll join a specially trained engine builder to assist in the start-to-finish assembly of your engine, from installing the crankshaft in the cylinder block to topping off the engine with its intake system. In the case of the LS9, it also means installing the supercharger assembly. More...

Any company that’s been around for 100 years is doing something right. Chevrolet has been around that long, but in addition to doing something right, it’s also made something great––100 somethings, according to Edmunds’ insideline.com.

“100 Greatest Chevrolets of All Time” was compiled by insideline.com’s John Pearley Huffman, a self-confessed “former Vega owner.” The list is made up of the Chevys that made the company’s reputation and secured its place in automotive culture. Entries include not only production cars, but racers powered by Chevy engines, and concept cars, prototypes, and movie cars made by or based on Chevrolets.

You might find fault with some choices, such as the 1971 G-Van and the 1962 Chevy II, but others, like the 1957 Corvette SS and the NASCAR Chevy Monte Carlo, are harder to argue over. The top 10 include:

1. 1955 Bel Air Sport Coupe
2. 1963 Corvette Coupe
3. 1967 Camaro Z/28
4. 1990 Corvette ZR1
5. 2009 Corvette ZR1
6. 1985 Camaro IROC-Z
7. 1969 Camaro ZL-1
8. 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6
9. 1957 Bel Air Convertible
10. 2011 Volt

Check out Huffman's entire list of 100 greatest Chevys and let us know if you think of any that didn't make the list––and should.