PONTIAC - Route 66 enthusiasts believe interest in the road will continue to grow with the latest influx of fans, this time generated by a new Disney movie and people who want adventure on two wheels.

Disney Pixar will release "Cars," partly based in a fictional town along Route 66. Meanwhile, work continues on a bicycle trail that would run the length of the Mother Road in Illinois.

Obviously, Route 66 has a future.

"Route 66 will never die," said Betty Estes of Pontiac Tourism, which helps Route 66 visitors in Pontiac.

The cultural impact of the road remains significant: A simple Google search reveals 12.9 million hits and more than 40 businesses in Illinois share a name with road.

The road remains a vital part of the state's highway system, providing a frontage road for interstate highways in some areas, said Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Matt Vanover. He said the department honors Route 66 history.

"Given its social values and historic values in Illinois, I don't think you'll ever see us forget Route 66," he said. "It's a part of the transportation system. Route 66 is a piece in the history of transportation."

Last year, the road was placed on the National Scenic By-Way list. Travelers from all over the world are drawn to the road, which is among the top tourist attractions in the state.

The new movie may draw a new generation of travelers to the road, said Patty Ambrose of the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project.

" ‘Cars' is going to create a whole new generation of Route 66 enthusiasts," she said. "Kids are going to want to see what they saw in the movie. The interest in Route 66 will continue to grow."

"Cars" follows the life of the race car that ends up stopping in the sleepy town of Radiator Springs.

Many bicyclists already have taken to the road, and efforts continue to make it a formal experience, said Ed Barsottia of the League of Illinois Bicyclists.

The league and government officials already have created a turn-by-turn guide for cycling along the road.

"Quite a bit of the road is very bike-able," he said. "It's part of America. It's part of history. Biking is a way to experience Route 66 at a slower pace. You can really connect with the place."

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Get your motor running

What: 17th annual Route 66 Association of Illinois 2006 Motor Tour

When: Friday to June 11

Where: Tour starts Friday with the Mother Road Festival in Edwardsville. Breakfast is in Litchfield Saturday morning, lunch is in Springfield with a stop in Lincoln Saturday night. The final day starts with breakfast in Atlanta and ends with a rain or shine car show and sock hop in Pontiac.

Tour drivers can stop at several sites along the way, including Odell, where the association restored a gasoline station and Pontiac, home of the association's Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum.

Cost: $25 for association members, $45 for non-members, which includes a single association membership.

More information: Marti Bilecki at (815) 941-3312, or visit the association on line at www.il66assoc.org.