As the familiar smell of motor oil sets in and a haze of white smoke fills the air, junior Tate Posten walks through the foggy cloud to catch up with a few friends he’s been attending car shows with.
“It always smells a little bit like burnt rubber, but I have come to really love that smell,” Posten said.
Posten is one of the many East teens involved in the car community that stretches outward to schools in the Shawnee Mission school district.
Typical car shows are informal events, spurred from car lovers posting on various social media platforms, asking other members of the car community to show up with their rides to show them off, while also having the occasional race if the gathering spot is empty enough.
Posten’s interest in cars started early on in his youth and grew into the love that drove him to attend car shows.
“I have been interested in cars since I was a little kid. My favorite movie was ‘Cars’,” Posten said. “I lived in California then and it had a very large car scene, so I’ve been interested in them since day one.”
Posten has taken on the routine of showing up in his 2008 BMW 335i and catching up with friends at the events. Luckily for Posten and his friends, they have their own spot that allows for the meets to happen, as most places don’t allow such gatherings.
“We go to meets every Friday and Saturday night out at an industrial park where we have permission to be there,” Posten said. “My group is made up of tons of different kinds of cars. We’re all just friends who have the same love for cars.”
The idea of car racing often worries people about possible accidents. But, as far as danger goes, the only recorded accident Posten has ever witnessed was when someone else’s car accidentally hit a deer on the road to one meet, however it didn’t result in any injuries or serious problems.
“A couple of cops came to pick up the deer, but luckily nobody was hurt,” Posten said. “Normally, the cops or security guards at the park come out to watch us and make sure nobody gets too crazy, so we do have some professional supervision.”
While the meet-ups are mainly to show off cars and enjoy the occasional donut, Posten has found more than just a passion for automobiles within the car community. Whether it’s talking about the latest additions to his car or driving around to show it off, Posten has found a group to share his passion with.
“I think it’s all really special because I was having a hard time finding a good group of friends,” Posten said. “But through the meets and the car community, I now have a really good group of friends, and we all have a ton of fun together.”
Posten isn’t the only student at East that’s joined the ranks of the car community. Junior Mike Farrington has also been attending the events with his 2002 Ram 2500 he’s had for a year, or the 1989 Mustang GT he recently bought.
“I’ve been a car lover since I don’t know when,” Farrington said. “My dad always used to take me to shows when I was young. But now that I’m older I’ve been going to meets, meeting new people and having fun.”
Farrington loves the community and the bond formed among all the people at the car shows.
“I have met all kinds of people, but the Mustang guys are who I’ve bonded with the most,” Farrington said. “They helped me find my Mustang and tell me what to look for to improve it.”
Farrington has seen many eye-catching cars during his time as a part of the car scene that are the subject of many of his friends’ conversations at meets.
“There are so many fun people who like lots of different kinds of cars,” Farrington said. “I see people driving anything from Japanese cars to German cars along with American muscle cars, and I can’t forget to mention the Italian super-cars.”
While the concept of meets seems simple to people like Posten and Farrington, the community and all of its events are much more than just a simple hobby. It’s a way of getting out and meeting new people who share their passion.
First-time attendees can check out Facebook groups like Kansas City Car Meets – 173 Photos – Cars – to stay updated on any upcoming gatherings in their area.