Get your motor running: Car Craft Nationals this month

Get ready for one big horsepower party. The 2008 Car Craft Magazine Summer Nationals rolls into the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul for three days, July 25, 26 and 27.

More than 4,000 street machines and muscle cars will be part of the event, which features all makes and models of two-wheel-drive vehicles as well as feature cars. More than 45,000 are expected to attend. Hours are: Friday (July 25), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday (July 26), 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday (July 27), 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The event includes a number of special features:

DynoMax Power to the Wheels Dyno Challenge

Miss Car Craft Summer Nationals Contest

Burnout Contest (smokin' tires and burnin' rubber)

Car Corral, Family Fun Zone and Performance Marketplace

Editors onsite from Car Craft, Chevy High Performance and Hot Rod magazines

Baer Brakes Stop challenge

QA1 Autocross

Street Machine of the Year to be awarded

Additionally, more than 100 awards will be handed out to owners of outstanding cars and trucks.

Interested in entering your vehicle? Participant entries are being accepted. Pre-registration is $45 plus a $3 handling fee (valid until Friday, July 18). Or, you may register your vehicle for $55 onsite beginning Thursday, July 17, at 2 p.m. The entry fee covers the car, driver and co-pilot as well as children under 15.

Sponsors of the event are General Motors, Flowmaster, 104+ Octane, Cherry Bomb, Dynomaz Power to the Wheels, QA1, Royal Purple and Baer Brakes.

Tickets are $8 in advance, $12 at the gate. A two-day pass is $16 and a three-day pass is $24 (available at the gate). Buy tickets at www.familyevents.com. For more information about the event, visit www.carcraft.com or call 1-877-413-6515.