Deluge Hits "Cars" Outdoor Premiere

CONCORD, NC (Hollywood Reporter) – A heavy rainstorm couldn't dampen the spirits of the 30,000 people who turned out for the premiere of Disney/Pixar's "Cars" at an elaborate event staged at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. Friday's spectacle featured a 12-lap auto race, a performance by country star Brad Paisley, and the screening of the movie on four giant custom-built screens. A deluge hit the speedway right before the event, causing a planned helicopter entrance to be aborted and delaying the celebrity arrivals. When the rain finally cleared, a 166-yard long red carpet leading into the Speedway sprang to life with the high-wattage voice cast of the movie, including Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt and NASCAR greats Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The film opens June 9.