General Post
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November 06, 2024Legendary Companies has announced the rebranding of the company, which houses a collection of several of the most recognizable brands in the auto enthusiast market. This comes as the company works to better represent its portfolio of businesses, all of which have notable history in the market, dating as far back as 1958. The rebranding process includes changing the name to Coker Group, a historical nod to the company’s flagship business, Coker Tire Company.
Another aspect of the rebranding process is an intense focus on improving customer service, inventory control and new product development. Coker Group CEO Mike Kealey said, “It’s more than just a name change.” He continued, “We wanted to bring the group back to its roots, with respect to the products and, more importantly, the people that got us here.”
The Coker Group name is not new to the industry. In fact, the collection of companies was known as Coker Group until an organizational change took place in 2019. -
November 05, 2024Coker Tire Company is excited to expand the Firestone Wide Oval Radial product line, its most popular muscle car tire offering. The original Firestone Wide Oval product line covers OE fitments from 1967 through 1974, catering to muscle cars and Corvettes that are restored to stock configuration. Now, a custom line of the legendary Firestone Wide Oval comes to the market, giving muscle car enthusiasts 11 more tire options when shopping for non-original fitments.
The Firestone Wide Oval radial product line expansion puts more focus on period correct muscle car sizes for those who want a little extra rubber on the road. Like the existing Firestone Wide Oval Radial tires, the new sizes feature a steel belted radial construction for a great ride quality and excellent treadwear. The cool new fitments, vintage styling, and smooth radial ride offer a combination of features that doesn’t currently exist with any other tire on the market, and it carries the iconic Firestone Wide Oval -
October 14, 2024When the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival started in 2019, it was clear this would become a staple in the car community, as it brings together some of the world's finest cars to the Scenic City for a three-day celebration of all things automotive. In its fifth rendition, the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival once again filled the streets of the West Village with top shelf classics, sports cars, exotics and more. Things kicked off on Friday with car club gatherings and road rallies, with lots of great entertainment throughout the day and night. Saturday was packed with activities, and of course, Sunday was the Concours d'Elegance. Throughout the weekend, we saw lots of great Coker-equipped cars from all over the country. From American Muscle to one-off customs, there is something for everyone at the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. Take a look at some of our favorites from the show and stay tuned for more content from the Broad Arrow Auction event that took place in conjunction with the festival.
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September 14, 2024The Triple Crown of Rodding is only in its second year of existence, but it's proving to be the world's premier show for hot rods, customs and classic trucks. This event takes place at the Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee, and it always happens the weekend after Labor Day. The Triple Crown of Rodding is a continuation of efforts, born from the Shades of the Past show in Pigeon Forge, which ended in 2022. Show organizers, Bobby Alloway and Gary Case assembled an outstanding group of vendors, builders and of course, show cars to kick off the inaugural event in 2023, and they went above and beyond again this year. More than 150 vendors filled the infield of the speedway, and more than 2,000 cars and trucks rolled in throughout the two day event. The judging area of the show featured hundreds of high-end hot rods and customs, and there were plenty of great cars in the rest of the show field as well. Take a look at some of our favorite Coker-equipped vehicles from the 2nd Annual
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September 07, 2024We've had some exciting new product launches in the past...Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial, American Classic bias look radial, Firestone Wide Oval radial, just to name a few. The Coker Classic Star Series product launch has been so much more exciting, because we've been seeing the results of our efforts immediately. In previous product launches, it would take quite a while to start seeing the product out in the wild, but with the Coker Classic Star Series, we're seeing them at nearly every big show we attend. We saw them at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals, Tri-Five Nationals, Triple Crown of Rodding and many more events around our headquarters here in Chattanooga, TN. This tire is changing the way people think about driving their old car...and we're so glad it's getting great reviews on a wide variety of applications. We're taking that momentum and applying it to several other new product ideas that are in the works for later this year and for 2025, so buckle up...we have some big stuff coming!
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August 31, 2024Every year, we travel to Pennsylvania several times to display and hopefully sell our products. We love going to the Carlisle Fairgrounds, a property that's made for car events. Whether it's the Spring swap meet, Fall swap meet or one of the specialty events, we always enjoy our time. This year, we made the trip to Corvettes at Carlisle, an event we've attended for many years. Corvettes at Carlisle has been going on for more than 40 years, and it's still going strong with an awesome car show, vendor midway, swap meet and many special feature areas. We spotted so many Coker-equipped Corvettes that it was hard to squeeze it all into one blog article, so we put together some highlights to show off some of our favorites. There were NCRS-correct restorations on site, as well as a huge variety of customs with big fender flares, wide tires and side pipes. Take a look at our highlights!
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August 17, 2024The Tri-Five Nationals presented by CPP is the ultimate gathering of classic 1955, 1956 and 1957 Chevys. This event offers more than 2,600 cars, ranging from all-original survivors and restored stockers to all-out customs, gassers, drag cars and more! With the introduction of our new Coker Classic Star Series tire, we decided to make the short trip to Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky for the three-day event. We had a booth display in the vendor area, where we displayed product as well as the "Star Car" 1957 Chevy. The event was spectacular, with hundreds of Coker equipped cars on the property. Take a look at some of our highlights from the show and be sure to put it on your calendar for next year! Goodyear wide whitewalls are a great fit on this 1957 Chevy Nomad, which is restored to perfection.
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August 10, 2024Raised white letter tires are a popular choice for early Camaros, and for good reason. From 1969 through the early 1980's, many Camaros either rolled off the lot with Raised White Letter tires or were quickly upgraded with new tires for a sporty look. We sell lots of BFGoodrich Radial T/A, Firestone Wide Oval and Cooper Cobra tires, and we spotted quite a few of them at the annual F-Body celebration known as Camaro Fest in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The event caters to all generations of Camaro, but we loved the first, second and third generation cars, as it reflects the glory days of the Camaro brand. Check out some of our favorite Camaros on hand...all of 'em are rolling on raised white letter tires of some variety, a perfect way to finish off the classic look. This 1969 Camaro Z/28 has an upgraded tire and wheel combo, utilizing wider Chevy Rallye wheels and 60 series BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires for extra
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August 07, 2024For more than 50 years, the National Street Rod Association has served the hot rod and custom community with the ultimate place to gather every summer. The event has changed venues over the years, but has found a long-term home at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Always held on the first weekend of August, the NSRA Street Rod Nationals brings in nearly 10,000 hot rods, muscle cars, classic trucks and more from all over the country. The sheer number of vehicles on display is mind-boggling, but the Street Rod Nationals also has a swap meet, new parts vendors and plenty of food options to serve the tens of thousands spectators that pass through the gates each year. As usual, we had a space in the vendor hall, and we also spent some time walking the aisles of the show to check out some great cars and trucks with our tires and wheels. Take a look at some of our favorite Coker-equipped machines from the 2024 NSRA Street Rod Nationals.
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July 19, 2024
The beauty of the collector car hobby is the diversity of the cars. The Tri-Five Chevy (1955, 1956 and 1957) is a great example of this diversity, even though it's only a three-year window of production. These cars were available in many trim configurations and body styles, but the most popular are the two-door hardtop and two-door sedan. We found two awesome examples of the classic 1955 Chevy, both of which are sporting our new Coker Classic Star Series tires.
Stock 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Hardtop
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July 15, 2024
Every year since 2010, we have the opportunity to celebrate Collector Car Appreciation Day on the second Friday in July. This year, the holiday landed on Friday, July 12th and we threw a big party to celebrate. We invited local car folks to join us for a free hot dog lunch and a cool cruise in, and we were blown away with the turnout this year! With temperatures slated for the mid 90s, and the fact that it was midday on a week day, we didn't expect such a great gathering of classic cars, muscle cars, hot rods and cool trucks. There were lots of
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July 10, 2024
The 2024 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Coker Tire is in the books, and we enjoyed an exciting nine-day journey from Owensboro, Kentucky to Gardiner, Maine. The competitionw as fierce, with more than $160,000 up for grabs, split among five divisions. In addition to the cash purse, the Great Race offered many other bonuses, including Coker Tire gift certificates for daily stage winners. We saw lots of great Coker Tire-equipped vehicles in competition, and noted that the top 6 overall finishers featured Coker Tire products, and the top finisher in EACH class
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July 02, 2024
Every old car has a personality, and the easiest way to change its personality is to swap tires and wheels. Tire size affects the stance, sidewall style defines the era and the whole combination can put your car into a whole new identity. Such is the case with this 1964 Chevelle Malibu four-door sedan. This car has racked up tens of thousands of miles under the ownership of Tommy Lee Byrd, who is our photographer and writer here at Coker Tire. He also has a Youtube Channel called "Hot Rod Hoarder" where he documents old drag cars, historic hot rods and big collections of cars and parts. TLB stepped to the front of the line to try out the new Coker Classic Star Series tires, and volunteered to change his car's look for the sake of advertising the new tire.
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June 28, 2024
When it comes to classic cars, station wagons are hot, and nothing looks better on a '50s station wagon than a set of wide whitewall tires. In the case of this 1957 Mercury Commuter station wagon, it already had wide whitewalls on it, but the tires were too old for safe operation. The whitewalls had also turned to a light brown color, taking away from the natural wow factor of wide whitewall tires. The solution for this car involved a total tire and wheel swap, going with a set of Smoothie wheels, wrapped in our all new Coker Classic Star Series tires.
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June 26, 2024
We've been a little sneaky about showing the final product of our "Star Car" 1957 Chevy four-door sedan because we snagged a set of early sample tires for it and didn't want to spill the beans about the new product. But now, it's time! The Coker Classic Star Series whitewall radial tire is now available for purchase, so we wanted to show off the (almost) finished car. As with most project cars, it's still a work in progress, but the car has handled several road trips with ease. It still needs some attention, but we're loving the way it looks and drives with the new tires. It has an entirely different personality than it did with the billet wheels.
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June 26, 2024
It's that time of year! June is when the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Coker Tire hits the road and visits more than a dozen cities, over the course of nine days. The event is the premier time, speed, distance rally for classic vehicles, and we're proud to be the presenting sponsor. Because of that, several of our staff members travel with the race, and we added Steve Jackson to that group as a welcomed addition to the Great Race team. The route changes every year, and for 2024, the Great Race travels from Owensboro, Kentucky to Gardiner, Maine, hitting 13 states along the way. At the time of this writing, four days of competition are complete, and there have been four different overall winners for each day's competition. The leaderboard is tightening up, and all four daily winners (so far) rely on Coker Tire products to stay consistent during the nine-day, 2,300-mile rally. This year, we have two sponored teams, a 1932 Ford five-window coupe as well as a beautiful Packard
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June 24, 2024
COKER CLASSIC STAR SERIES TIRES
Coker Tire, the world’s most trusted source for whitewall tires, is thrilled to introduce a new product line within its famous Coker Classic brand. The all-new Coker Classic Star Series whitewall tires are engineered with all-new molds and compounds, with a sharp focus on balance and performance. It’s the only tire of its kind built in North America, and it’s packed with industry-leading features that will improve the ride quality and safety of your classic car.
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May 23, 2024
Our spring schedule is always packed with events, many of which require our crew to drive long distances to attend. Lucky for us, there are several awesome events within a couple hours of our headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Such is the case with the Goodguys Nashville Nationals, an event that has been going on for nearly 20 years. It was originally held downtown but moved to Nashville Super Speedway a few years ago. The venue provides plenty of room for cars, vendors and spectators and has space for expansion as the event continues to grow. We always love Goodguys Nashville because that's the home of the Tanks Inc. Hot Rod of the Year competition, and many of the competitors use our Firestone Deluxe Champion tires.
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May 21, 2024
In our quest to drive our '57 Chevy Bel Air project car, there were some necessary items to address. We wanted to update the cosmetics, which we covered in our last installment, but the most important factor in a road-ready classic car is reliability. Getting an old car ready for highway action isn't a one-shot deal--it requires ongoing attention to make sure it stays dependable, but we wanted a solid starting point. Rather than picking away at it here at the office, we trusted our friends at Quick Everett's Garage just a few miles up the road. Hal Everett and his crew live and breathe classic cars, and it was a no brainer to get the '57 checked out by the pros before we embarked on any long-distance journeys.
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May 06, 2024
The Great Race is one of our favorite automotive events in the world, although we might be a bit biased since it operates out of our office here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The event has been going on since 1983 and we're proud to be the presenting sponsor of the event, which is coming up June 22-30, 2024. But before we can wave the green flag on the main event, the Spring Rally presented by Stahls Automotive Collection serves as an awesome warm-up event. It's a three-day
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April 29, 2024
We've been jamming along on the "Star Car" our 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air project car. This classic Chevy Tri-Five came to us with a host of modifications already in place, and we wanted to give it some wow factor. Our Creative Manager, Marty McHugh laid out a custom flame job and decal arrangement, and we had Inview Graphics & Signs print a vinyl wrap to accommodate the wild custom look. Woody's Hot Rodz stepped in to help us with some trim pieces to bring the car to life after the wrap was installed...you can see more of the Star Car in the American Tri-Five Magazine. The end result is a '57 Chevy that will turn heads wherever it goes...just wait until you see it with the new wide whitewall tires and black steel wheels. You'll see that we had to get the last bit of mileage out of the old tires...
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April 26, 2024
The Horseless Carriage Club of America has been around since 1937, celebrating Brass Era automobiles. These pre-1916 vehicles are extremely difficult to restore and maintain, as parts availability is nearly non-existent. Despite all of that, there is still a lot of enthusiasm around Brass Era vehicles, as they are true works of automotive art. We were thrilled to find out the Horseless Carriage Club of America scheduled its annual National Convention and Tour in our hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. This six-day event was based out of the Westin Hotel here in Chattanooga, and the event featured hundreds of miles of back-road touring, including a visit to several great attractions. The group visited Coker Tire for a great reception in the showroom and a special parking area on the street behind our office. Take a look at some of our favorite photos from the days we spent chasing 1915 and older cars on the back roads of Tennessee and North Georgia.
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March 22, 2024
Cars and Coffee events are some of the most popular automotive events of the modern era. It doesn't tie up an entire weekend and the variety of cars is always entertaining, so these events bring a swell of activity that fits nicely with everyone's packed schedules. In Chattanooga, our good friends at Quick Everett's Garage put together a Cars and Coffee event and it has grown significantly over the last year or so. This event is free to the public, and is always well attended. We've been setting up a booth to help with our local brand awareness...we typically get some questions and orders, but the March 2024 event was a whole different anmial, as our sales guys had a huge crowd of buyers swarming the booth all morning.
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March 18, 2024
When it comes to season kick-off events, it doesn't get much better than the Corvette Expo, an event that takes place in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. With such a close location, and such an awesome turnout of cars and spectators, the Corvette Expo has become a great way to ring in the car show season. For many years, we've attended the event to simply walk around and photograph cars, but this year, we set up a vendor space to hopefully speak with our customers. This event features hundreds of Corvettes, and also has a special feature area called Chevys in the Smokies, a
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March 08, 2024
It's hard to beat the classic lines of a 1957 Chevrolet. While most would prefer a Bel Air Sport Coupe, there are lots of great sedans out there, ripe for picking. Such is the case with our brand new project, a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 4 door sedan. We picked up this car locally, and it already has some nice upgrades in place, which helps accelerate our project. The plan is to work on the car right here on our loading dock...it will be a team effort, with folks from the sales, marketing and distribution teams pitching in make it happen. Let's take a closer look at this '57 Chevy crew cab, which we're naming the "Star Car"...you'll learn more about the nickname in the coming weeks and months, as the project gets traction.
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February 12, 2024
When the new year rolls along, our show schedule is getting its final additions, but one event always sets the tone for the rest of our busy season. The Barrett-Jackson collector car auction is an event that brings thousands of cars and many more people into Scottsdale, Arizona for a week of amazing cars and trucks. The auction includes everything from driver-quality restorations to seven-figure masterpieces, and everything in between. We set up as a vendor and our team enjoys being able to watch the cars in the staging lanes each day. It's an outstanding view of the auto entusiast market, and the event never fails to result in great sales and future contacts. This year, we spotted so many great vehicles with our products, so we're bringing you the highlights below...enjoy!
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October 26, 2023
We're proud of our heritage here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, so when the Chattanoooga Motorcar Festival was announced a few years ago, we could've have been happier. The event has grown in its short four-year history, and it's something we look forward to every October. This year, the event featured a road rally, Grand Prix racing on the redesigned road course, a Mecum classic car auction, a Car Club gathering, a B-52's concert, V8's in the Village (we'll talk more about that in a miniute), a Ferrari gathering, a Porsche gathering and of course, Sunday's
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August 07, 2023
The NSRA Street Rod Nationals has been rolling for more than 50 years, thanks to the hard work and dedication from the National Street Rod Association staff, and the thousands of folks who attend the event each year. It's held at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, Kentucky, which has a GIANT vendor building, and room for more than 10,000 cars on the property. Other activities include a swap meet, a nitro-burning cacklefest, a Builder's Showcase, and much more. Vehicles 1993 and older are eligible to participate, but it's mostly 1980 and older with a heavy emphasis
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July 18, 2023
It's always a high priority for Coker Tire, Honest Charley and any automotive aftermarket company to promote the collector car hobby and encourage enthusiasts to actually get their cars out and drive them! First and foremost, driving your car wears out tires, so that's job security for our team here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but it's also a key element in keeping the hobby alive for future generations. If these timeless classic cars stay stored inside a garage for months and years at a time, it'll be hard to influence today's youth with good old fashioned American iron. That's why Collector Car Appreciation Day was born.
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June 28, 2023
The 2023 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Coker Tire is underway! We started the 2,300-mile journey on Saturday, June 24th in St. Augustine, Florida and we'll be crossing the finish line in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Sunday, July 2nd. This event covers nine states in nine days, using mostly back roads to string together an intricate course that the racers follow closely. We're big supporters of the Great Race, and love to see our customers go out there and put their vehicles to the test. A great percentage of the cars and trucks in competition are rolling on Coker Tire products, but we're always looking to improve upon that ratio of Coker customers. To help with that, we're providing $500 gift certificates to each day's daily winner, plus other incentives. With 16 hosted city stops, including the green flag ceremony and Grand Finish, this event puts a smile on lots of faces, and we're happy to be a part of it. Take a look at some of our highlights, and be sure to check out
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May 22, 2023
The Goodguys Nashville Nationals is one of the best car shows in the Mid South, and features a lot of great hot rods, customs, muscle cars, classic trucks and more. Last year, the Nashville Nationals moved from its downtown venue to the Nashville Superspeedway, giving it more room to grow and MUCH easier traffic flow in and out of the event grounds. We had a booth setup in the vendor area, and we took a little time to walk around and snap a few photos of cars wearing our products. We also had the opportunity to give away the Best Wide Whites award, and it went to Mike and Kate Cioli from Portland, Tennessee. They brought a beautiful 1957 Ford Thunderbird to the show and we later found out it had been in the family since 1969! The Colonial White paint, the 312ci Y-block and classic fender skirts gave this T-Bird a timeless look, and of course, it was rolling on a set of our Coker Classic 205/75R14 wide whitewall radial tires. It was the perfect choice for our Best Wide Whites award!
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May 22, 2023
The Great Race Spring Regional Rally presented by Stahls Automotive Foundation is a new event created by the Great Race staff, and it's something that's been in the works for quite some time. The rally is a great warm-up for the main 2023 Great Race event, which happens June 24th through July 2nd and travels from St. Augustine, Florida to Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Spring Regional Rally uses the same basic concept of time speed distance rallying, but shortens it to three days, and features a cloverleaf design (instead of going town to town). This type of rally happens a few times a year through independent organizers, but the Great Race sanctions this Spring Regional Rally as a way to help rookies learn the ropes, while also providing great practice for the veterans.
The Great Race Spring Regional Rally was based out of Auburn, Indiana for this inaugural event. Next year, it will be held in Chesterfield, Michigan, home of the Stahls Automotive Foundation Museum, and then it will continue to move to other locations. Additional regional rally events are in the works to offer racers more opportunities to compete. The Spring Regional Rally in Auburn, Indiana proved to be competitive and fun, with nearly 70 competitors making the trip to the car crazy town in Northeast Indiana. The city of Auburn rolled out the red carpet for the Great Racers, as did the local automotive museums, such as the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, the National Auto & Truck Museum and the Early Ford V8 Museum. All three museums opened their doors to the participants, adding to the fun of this springtime rally event.
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March 31, 2023
Coker Tire, the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of tires and wheels for collector vehicles is now the presenting sponsor of the Great Race, a time speed endurance rally for vintage vehicles. Coker Tire has supported the Great Race in many ways since the 1990’s, providing sponsorship, as well as volunteer help, tire service and much more. With this new agreement, Coker Tire stepped up from its previous sponsorship role into the presenting sponsor of the event, which takes place each summer.
The 2023 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Coker Tire travels from St. Augustine, Florida to Colorado Springs, Colorado, over the course of nine days: June 24 to July 2.
Coker Tire CEO Mike Kealey said, “Collector car enthusiasts have a choice when it comes to tires, and we’re glad the Great Race community values the authenticity and reliability of our products for such a demanding rally.†He continued, “Approximately 80 percent of Great Race participants -
March 31, 2023
The Corvette Expo has been around since the 1970's and it has gone through a lot of phases through its successful lifetime. This event has always been held in East Tennessee, although it has changed venues several times. It has found a home at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, a beautiful facility that offers plenty of room for this awesome event. There are hundreds of Corvettes on hand, ranging from the earliest C1's to the most recent C8 generation. We love the variety when walking through the show, because you can see NCRS judging on high end Corvette restorations, as well as modified cars and drivers. Take a look at some of our favorites, and make plans to join the fun next spring for the Corvette Expo. Check out www.corvetteexpo.com for more information!
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December 15, 2022
Corky Coker's collection of antique motorcycles is one of the finest in the world, and it's housed inside the Coker Museum in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. Corky's collection of cars, trucks and motorcycles features a great variety of our product lines, which covers a huge span of collector vehicles. In this article, we wanted to focus specifically on motorcycles, as the Coker Museum is packed with incredible motorcycles, dating back to the 1900's. From the earliest two-wheel machines to more civilized motorcycles of the 1950s and 1960s, this collection has iconic motorcycles, such as Harley Davidson, Indian, Excelsior, Thor, and more! The collection is diverse, with a mixture of beautiful restorations, true barn finds and bikes with legitimate racing history.
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November 22, 2022
We're always looking for ways to improve our products and customer experience, and this new selection of 303 tire care products is a welcomed addition to our tire and wheel offerings. We're proud to announce the availability of a trio of 303® products, specially formulated for your tires and wheels. Compared to the regular cleaners you can get at the local department store, 303® products are safe to use for your specialty products and the strong formulas work quickly! Our team personally tested 303® products and we think you'll be impressed with the quality of the cleaners.
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October 17, 2022
In only its third year of operation, the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival continues to grow in stature, as one of the premier automotive events in the Southeast. Being held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, it makes perfect sense for Coker Tire to be involved in this highly acclaimed event, and we participated more than ever this year. Our biggest contribution to the event was the V8's in the Village presented by Coker Tire and Paragon Corvette Reproductions. This special event celebrated American V8 engines, and made for a fun Saturday in the West Village area of downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. A special group of Corvettes and V8-powered muscle cars, hot rods and classic trucks rolled into town and enjoyed the day's activities.
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October 13, 2022
If you're working on a sports car from the 1980's, then you're probably struggling to find speed rated, high performance tires for your 16-inch wheels. Our BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2 255/50ZR16 tire is the perfect option for a C4 Corvette, but it also offers direct fitment for Aston Martin and Ferrari from the same era. They're also used on custom NEO-Classic builds, like the ones you see at RADWOOD events, as they are a perfect fit for 16-inch Corvette Salad Shooter wheels and other '80s alloy wheels. We have BFG 255/50ZR16 tires in stock and ready to ship to your door...get yours today!
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June 19, 2022
The 2022 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club is a nine day, 2,300 mile journey for 1974 and earlier cars and trucks. This year, the route goes from Warwick, Rhode Island to Fargo, North Dakota. 130 Great Race cars took the green flag at beautiful Rocky Point State Park in Warwick, and headed West into Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and finally North Dakota. There was no shortage of great stops this year, with thousands of excited spectators, welcoming the cars into town. Team Coker Tire, Gary and JeanAnn Martin once again campaigned their 1932 Ford five window coupe, in hopes of a Grand Championship run. Ultimately, the Martin's landed a second place finish in the Expert division and fourth place overall, another strong finish this year! Congrats to Josh Hull and Trevor Stahl for taking home the victory in their 1932 Ford roadster! There were tons of awesome Coker-equipped vehicles on the race, so let's take
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May 26, 2022
As summertime approaches, the crew here at Coker Tire prepares itself for one of the coolest old car adventures of all time. It’s called the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club and it’s an event that Coker Tire owns and organizes in-house. This event is a time, speed, endurance rally for cars built in 1974 and earlier, and it’s an event with nearly 40 years of history under its belt. Coker Tire bought the operation in 2010 and the Chattanooga crew put together its first rally in 2011. Now, more than 10 years later, we’ve covered a lot of ground in the United States and Canada, and we’re ready to rack up some more miles this summer.
When car enthusiasts initially hear about the Great Race, they often compare it to the Hot Rod Power Tour or other long distance car tours. While the distance can sometimes be comparable, the experience is very different, as
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February 16, 2022
The Chattanooga Cruise In was born as a way to welcome folks into the Coker Tire family, and we're continiuing that tradition in 2022, despite a two-year hiatus. Join us on Saturday, April 2nd, 2022 for a family-friendly day of fun at Camp Jordan, right off of Interstate 75. This event grows every year and we're expecting a great crowd of hot rods, muscle cars, classic trucks and more! This is a rain or shine event, and it's 100 percent free to the public. We do have some new parking and traffic flow rules for 2022, but it's in an effort to keep traffic moving and get as many vehicles packed into the park as possible.
The fun officially starts at 8am, but participants typically arrive early to get parked and ready for the day's activities. We will have vendors inside the Camp Jordan Arena, and food vendors will be scattered throughout the property, giving you plenty of options. Additionally, our annual Blemished Tire and Wheel sale is happening inside the Arena, and it kicks off
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February 01, 2022
January is always auction season for the collector car market, and one of the big players is the Barrett-Jackson Collecctor Car Auction, held in Scottsdale, Arizona. This event gets LIVE TV coverage and often sets the tone for value trends in the market. We watch the auctions closely to monitor popular vehicles and base our new products around those up-and-coming markets. But more importantly, we travel to the show and set up our 18-wheeler rig to display our tires and engage with our customers. Barrett-Jackson was a huge success for us this year, and we spotted lots of great cars using Coker Tire products. Take a look at some of our favorites, and be sure to check out our Event Schedule to see when we'll be coming to a town near you!
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January 21, 2022
Mecum Kissimmee is the ultimate kick-off to the 2022 season and we've made it back safely from our two-week trip to Central Florida. Mecum Kissimmee 2022 was packed with beautifully restored collector vehicles, ranging from the Teens all the way up to brand new super cars. As always, this is the largest Mecum Auctions event of the year and this time, more than 3,500 cars rolled across the auction block over the course of the 11-day auction. Coker Tire is proud to be the Exclusive Tire and Wheel Sponsor for Mecum Auctions and we were pleasantly surprised by the number of cars and trucks rolling on Coker Tire products. Ranging from wide whitewalls to redlines and everything in between, our product lines were well represented, so we wanted to provide a gallery of photos, as well as a recap video from the Sunshine
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October 19, 2021
When it comes to high end automotive events, there are staples in the industry--Pebble Beach and Amelia Island come to mind. While those events have become a long-standing tradition, the newest addition to this style of event is the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. This event came about in 2019 and set the bar pretty high, with amazing cars, automotive celebrities and wonderful fellowship. After cancelling the 2020 event due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival staff had plenty of time to plan for a mind-blowing 2021 event.
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June 28, 2021
We're proud to announce that the winners of the 2021 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club is Olivia and Genna Gentry! The Georgia-based sisters grew up around many forms of racing, and they have been coming on the Great Race for years. Just a few short years ago (ok, maybe like 10 years ago) these girls were selling Great Race Program Books, and now they are the 2021 Great Race Grand Champions! This victory came after nine days and 2,300 miles of intense rallying from San Antonio, Texas to Greenville, South Carolina. The girls earned the victory in their 1932 Ford coupe, which features Flathead V8 power and BFGoodrich Silvertown wide whitewall tires from Coker Tire! What a great setup, and it proved to be a winning combination for the Gentry girls! Take a look at our favorite shots from the finish line...enjoy!
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June 27, 2021
Day 8 of the 2021 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club featured an INTENSE route full of turns, speed changes and terrain changes. We started our day in the mountains and eventually found ourselves in flat areas East of the Appalachians. Before we exited the twists and turns of the mountains, we made a lunch stop in Galax, Virginia, home of one of the X-Cup teams (Tom Littrell). We entered the Blue Ridge Parkway and made our way down into North Carolina for the afternoon route. It was full of challenges, with a confusing maze that sent the racers looping around country roads, essentially chasing each other around until it was time for the evening stop. Mooresville, North Carolina offered us one of the best evening stops we've ever seen--thousands upon thousands of people filled the streets of downtown Mooresville and cheered as the racing teams pulled in after a hard day. Tomorrow is the final day of competition and the Great Race will crown its newest Grand
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June 26, 2021
We're still making progress on the 2021 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club! Today, we crossed into West Virginia, and navigated lots of twists and turns on our way to an excellent hosted lunch stop in Huntington, West Virginia. From there, we really tackled the turns, as we headed toward New River Gorge National Park. We drove across the bridge, and then made the loop beneath the bridge to see the extremely narrow winding road that leads down to the bottom of the gorge. It was incredible! Then we made the trip to Beckley, West Virginia for our evening stop. Both of our stops today were very well attended! The evening stop had live music and the party kept going long after we packed up and headed for the hotel. Currently, Team Coker Tire (Gary and Jean Ann Martin) are in second place overall, fighting a tough battle with several other Coker Tire-equipped cars and trucks. In fact, the top 5 teams are riding on Coker Tire products! Tomorrow we cross into Virginia
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June 25, 2021
Day 6 of the 2021 Great Race continues an Eastern route across the state of Kentucky. We started the morning in Owensboro, and headed out into the farm land for a short morning of rallying. The change from Central time to Eastern time occured midday so it made for a short morning route. We rolled into lunch at Elizabethtown, Kentucky, grabbed a sandwich and got back on the road. We also had a short pitstop today at My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Bardstown, and then went back into an intense afternoon rally. We finished the day in Lexington, Kentucky and had a great, relaxing evening, as the evening stop took place at our hotel. It was super convenient and fun to hang out so close! Tomorrow we head into West Virginia...ride with us on our Facebook page and be sure to watch www.greatrace.com for more coverage!
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June 24, 2021
Day 5 of the 2021 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club kicked off in Missouri and crossed over into Illinois (a surprise to the racers) and then into Kentucky. We saw beautiful farm land before and after lunch, and we experienced a special surprise organized by the Great Race staff. Part of the course instructions sent us to Metropolis, Illinois and it included a photo opp with Superman. After our brief moment in Metropolis, we crossed the Ohio River and made our way to the lunch stop in Paducah, Kentucky. From there, we motored along with great scenery all around us for the afternoon portion of our route. Finally, we reached our overnight stop in Owensboro, Kentucky, where we were swarmed by thousands of spectators who were so happy to welcome us to town. It was another awesome day of Great Racing as we pass the half way point of this year's event!
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June 23, 2021
We blasted off into Day 4 of the 2021 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club, making our way across the state of Missouri through a mixture of intertsate, Route 66 and back road driving. The rolling hills and beautiful views were fun, but the rallying was intense and made for a challenging day on the route. We screeched into Rolla, Missouri for a quick lunch stop, and then hopped back on the road for an awesome afternoon of rallying. The Gentry girls, Olivia and Genna, won the day in their 1932 Ford five-window coupe...which rolls on Coker Tire products of course! Stay tuned for more coverage as we make our way across Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina!
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June 22, 2021
We're chugging along on the 2021 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club. Today, we covered a lot of ground, covering Oklahoma and entering into Missouri. The route was filled with 50 mile per hour runs that extended for many miles, through various terrains and weather conditions. The day started warm and humid, and then turned cool when a line of heavy rain came through. After a soggy lunch stop in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, we spent most of our afternoon on Historic Route 66 on our way to a giant evening stop in Joplin, Missouri. Thousands of folks came out to see the Great Race and we certainly enjoyed the royal treatment. Tomorrow, we make our way across Missouri, with stops in Rolla and Cape Girardeau. Stay tuned and be sure to check out www.greatrace.com for even more coverage!
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June 21, 2021
Another HOT day of Great Race action is in the books, as we traveled from Temple, Texas to Nocona, Texas by way of historic Granbury, Texas for an awesome lunch stop. We saw hundreds of miles of beautiful farm land, several small towns and lots of smiling faces everywhere we turned. Today's route was filled with challenging instructions, long runs and of course, the high temperatures. Several cars had mechanical issues, but hopefully they'll thrash on them in the hotel parking lot and come back for more action tomorrow, as we cross over into two new states: Oklahoma and Missouri. Stay tuned as we continue this amazing automotive journey!
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June 20, 2021
It's that time of year! We're off on a great old car adventure...the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. This year, the event travels from San Antonio, Texas to Greenville, South Carolina, but it'll take us two solid days of rallying to get out of the state of Texas. Today's opening ceremonies offered a great setting, as we were positioned right next to the Alamo. From there, we headed north to San Marcos, Texas for a lunch stop...we didn't do any actual rallying between the start and lunch, just a transit from point A to point B. After a great lunch, the Coker Tire team went on the clock for the first time in the event, aside from yesterday's Hagerty Trophy Run. Yesterday's warm up rally was fun, but today it really counts! The course was challenging, as always, but our team of Gary and Jean Ann Martin took home the Stage 1 victory! Everyone anxiously awaited the results after we rolled into Temple, Texas this evening. Tomrrow we set out for Granbury, Texas and Noccona,
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May 19, 2021
The most highly anticipated Great Race of all time is ready to wave the green flag! We'll be heading out to San Antonio, Texas to support the premier time, speed, endurance rally for vintage vehicles, as it blasts off and heads through eight states on its way to the finish line in Greenville, South Carolina. The route passes through scenic areas and the racers will have access to several great car collections along the way. After taking a year off due to the pandemic, we're SO READY to hit the road with 120 vehicles, all built in 1974 or earlier. With more than $150,000 up for grabs, these guys and girls are serious about competition. Watch our page for daily updates, and as always, keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages for even more content. To see if the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club is coming to a town near you, go to www.greatrace.com.
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May 19, 2021
When springtime comes around, we love sneaking up to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for car shows. There are several shows that take place in March, April and May, giving us lots of excuses to make the drive up to check them out. Such is the case with the Corvette Expo, which now features the Chevelles in the Smokies special section. This event is one of the first events of the car show season, and this year it was packed with participants and people. The LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge offers indoor and outdoor space for show cars, parts vendors and a nice swap meet. There are group driving activities and lots of fun stuff throughout the event. We spotted dozens of great Corvettes and Chevelles wearing our products, ranging from numbers matching big block Corvettes to modified "Day 2" style Chevelles and more. We noticed LOTS of redline tires, a mixture of authentic bias ply tires and our modern
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February 19, 2021
City of East Ridge Cancels Annual Car Show Due to Covid-19 Restrictions
The Chattanooga Cruise In, one of the largest free-to-the-public car shows in the Southeast, has been cancelled by the venue and city due to concerns, regarding the expected crowds. The event was planned for Friday, March 26th and Saturday, March 27th, 2021, but unfortunately will not be allowed to take place as scheduled.
The Chattanooga Cruise In was developed in 2011 by the Coker Tire Company as a way of giving back to the local car community with an open house and a free car show, held on the streets surrounding the company’s historic building in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. Since then, the event outgrew its original venue and moved to Camp Jordan for the 2019 event. The turnout was bigger than ever, and gave both Coker Tire and venue staff ideas for event improvement in the coming years. Unfortunately, the Chattanooga Cruise In was cancelled in 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic,
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February 19, 2021
Coker Tire is proud to announce the availability of new BFGoodrich Silvertown radial tires, sized at 275/65R16, a perfect fitment for the rear of hot rods and classic trucks. This addition to Coker Tire's already popular line of BFGoodrich Silvertown radials continues to increase fitments and fill in gaps in the tire industry. This new 275/65R16 is perfect for the rear of a hot rod or street rod that is utilizing 16x8-inch wheels. The tires come in at 30 inches tall, and measure 11 inches wide when inflated. The new tire is available with a 2-7/8-inch wide whitewall and it's also available with a smooth black sidewall. The tires are made in America, and offer great ride quality and an old school look. These tires are now on the shelf and ready for your vehcile.
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October 20, 2020
Every year, we make the short drive up to Knoxville, Tennessee to check out the NSRA Street Rod Nationals South. We do not set up as a vendor at this event, but we still enjoy going to check out the cars, and enjoy the day at a car show. The event typically takes place on the first weekend of May, but it was recscheduled to the first weekend of October, due to Covid-19 concerns. And while that may have hurt the turnout, it certainly made for pleasant weather, with sunny skies and highs in the 60's all weekend long. There were lots of great traditional hot rods, street rods, muscle cars, classic trucks and customs rolling on Coker Tire products, and we wanted to show them off here. Take a look at some of our favorites from the 2020 "Nats South" and stay tuned to www.nsra-usa.com for updates on their 2021 schedule.
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June 08, 2020
Vintage tow trucks lived hard lives, and many of them ended up in fields or in the woods after being retired from service. The harsh truth is that vintage commercial trucks are rarely worth a lot of money, so they often get neglected and put out to pasture (literally). Such is the case of a 1941 Chevrolet tow truck, which served the Chattanooga, Tennessee area many decades ago. It was damaged and rusty, but its owners found a great way to revitalize it and help a great cause.
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May 20, 2020
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The 2020 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club has been rescheduled for Aug. 22-30 from San Antonio, Texas, to Greenville, S.C., due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Great Race, out of an abundance of caution for the participants, spectators and the small towns along the route, has worked with mayors and city officials to take unprecedented steps to ensure safety.
“I’m pleased to announce that all of our Grand Champions as well as a majority of the race teams, volunteers and staff have agreed to the new schedule and we look forward to having a full field for the start of the 2020 Great Race in front of the Alamo on Aug. 22,” event director Jeff Stumb said.
The Great Race will follow all CDC, state and local guidelines, and officials have been working closely with cities to have spectators line the streets on the way into the venue to
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May 13, 2020
The hot rod and custom crowd can truly appreciate a timeless creation, like this 1955 Chevy that belongs to Steve Rennick Jr. from Fairfield, Ohio. His car has countless modifications that give it a distinct look with the most noticeable being the chopped top. The perfectly proportioned chop is accompanied by other modifications, including a sun visor, Packard taillights, fender skirts, Corvette-style grille and many more custom touches throughout.
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May 08, 2020
Coker Tire Company is the exclusive North American distributor for Michelin classic tires, and partners with the corporation to develop new products to fill voids in the marketplace. We are proud to announce eight new sizes in the already popular line of Michelin radial tires. All Michelin tires are designed for high performance driving and precise fitment. Let's take a look at these new products.
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April 28, 2020
Mild customs have long been a staple in the automotive hobby. They might look simple, but it’s truly a challenge to come away with the perfect look with minimal modifications. Brent Lovern owns this 1955 Chevy 210 Delray. He knew that the car had plenty of style in original form, and he wanted to accentuate those lines with a slightly lowered stance and then hide some modern conveniences from plain sight.
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April 16, 2020
An iconic muscle car, this Hemi-powered 1969 Plymouth Road Runner is owned by Ken Stonebrook of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The car has been in his family since it was new, and belonged to his father, David from 1973 until 2014. That’s when Ken bought the car and decided to give it a much-deserved restoration. The B-body Mopar was originally Rallye Green in color, with black interior and lots of great options. There were less than 800 Hemi Road Runners produced in 1969, making them highly sought after and very valuable. During the 1970s, the car was repainted black and fitted with drag racing equipment, including an inline shifter, mag wheels, a hood scoop and a few modifications to the original Hemi engine. Subsequently, the car got banged up a little, and was parked in his father's barn in 1973 with a little over 30,000 miles on the odometer.
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April 14, 2020
Hot rods are all about attitude, and David Abell's North Carolina-based 1933 Ford has plenty of it. The heavily choopped top, stretched wheelbase and other race-inspired details give you the impression that this five-window coupe just returned home from a high speed run at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The truth of the matter is that it’s a highway friendly hot rod and gets driven quite often.
It’s powered by a 1951 Ford Flathead V8, which has been bored and stroked to 286 cubic inches, and equipped with aluminum heads. Gary Howard of Flathead City
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April 06, 2020
Coker Tire Company is the world’s largest manufacturer of collector vehicle tires and wheels, and it continues to grow with the introduction of Dunlop Sport Classic and SP Sport Aquajet radial tires to its product line. Coker Tire brought on this new line as an excellent option for European sports cars, ranging from the 1950’s through the 1980’s. Dunlop’s racing heritage trickles down into its street-legal radials, as each Dunlop radial tire is speed rated and ready for action.
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April 06, 2020
Chevrolet muscle cars experienced a big transition in 1966, with the mainstream introduction of the big block Chevy engine. Of course, the soft intro with the 1965 Chevelle Z16 (201 produced) gave select buyers an opportunity to preview the engine in GM's A-body platform, but the new big block found its way into more than 72,000 Chevelles in the 1966 model year. This combination, regardless of its horsepower package,offered excellent performance and the ultimate cool factor for any car enthusiast. The cars featured here are owned by Terry Davis of Wytheville, Virginia and were restored side-by-side a few years ago. Both cars have similar option packages, but have different backgrounds. Let's take a look at this powerful pair of Chevy muscle cars and find out more of the story.
Tuxedo Black 1966 Chevelle SS396
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April 03, 2020
As hot rodders, we’re all seeking the nostalgic feeling of the good ol’ days. For most of us, that means the 1950’s and 1960’s, and that’s exactly the era that Dave Doolin wanted to represent with his 1932 Ford pickup. Dave spent two years on his traditional hot rod project and performed nearly every aspect of the build himself, from the flawless body work and Pacific Gold paint to the black and white leather upholstery.
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March 17, 2020
The muscle car era gave new car buyers seemingly infinite option combinations, but sometimes that wasn’t enough. In the case of Chris Kraner’s 1970 Ford Torino GT, it has a laundry list of options, as it was ordered with the Drag Pack option group, which upgraded its engine to the famous 429ci Super Cobra Jet engine. It has 16 additional options, including special paint, as Grabber Blue was not available for the Torino in 1970. Other notable options include a close-ratio four-speed transmission, factory 8,000-rpm tachometer, hideaway headlights and “rim blow” deluxe steering wheel. According to the Marti Report on the car, there are only two examples of this combination of options.
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February 18, 2020
There is something to be said for folks who get out and use their collector vehicles for their intended purpose. A perfect example is Mike Hallmark's 1948 Willys CJ2A. This thing is weathered and worn, but Mike got it running again and put it to work at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. He didn't putt around the low lying areas or search for easy lines to take. He went all out and did exactly what this old Jeep was supposed to do. He held on for dear life as the bumps nearly threw him out of the seat, and kept his foot planted to pull out of some hairy situations.
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January 15, 2020
The Chattanooga Cruise In has been cancelled. We have been forced to cancel the event, due to the regulations presented by federal, state and local governments, in regard to the coronavirus pandemic. As car guys, it’s not a decision that we are happy about, as we planned to make this year’s event bigger and better than ever. As members of the local, state and global community, we must adhere to these guidelines to protect everyone’s health and the future of the Chattanooga Cruise In. There is no plan to reschedule the event at this time. Thank you for your continued support of the event.
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December 23, 2019
Coker Tire is proud to announce that it now offers easy financing through Affirm, allowing customers to buy now and pay later for tires, wheels and accessories. Our specialty is whitewall tires, but we also manufacture and sell tires for a 100-year range of collector vehicles. The company, and the collector car market has grown significantly in the last decade, and a steady stream of new products allows the company to stay relevant with the ever-changing trends in the market. Along with new products, Coker Tire has now partnered with Affirm to provide customers with easy payment plans on its full product line.
Coker Tire customers can now set up easy monthly payments on product purchases. After entering a few pieces of information, customers see if they qualify, and then easily select a payment plan that works for their budget. The customer’s credit score will not be affected when checking eligibility. The customer is given choices for the duration of the loan, as well
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November 19, 2019
As wintertime creeps in each year, we know that the SEMA Show welcomes us to sunny Las Vegas, Nevada for a week of automotive overload! We spend months planning for the SEMA Show, and it deserves all the attention we give it...this is the largest automotive trade show in the world, with over 200,000 people in attendance. We make it a point to debut new products at the SEMA Show, and of course, touch base with dozens of dealers and distributors while we're at the show. It's also a place to pick up on the latest trends of the automotive aftermarket, so we always come back to Tennessee with a bunch of pictures and notes to refresh our memories, as it can all turn into one big blur by the time the week is over. We spotted lots of great cars, trucks and motorcycles with Coker Tire products, so check out some of our favorites, and stay tuned to our blog as we continue to announce new products for 2020.
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October 14, 2019
Several months ago, we heard about the Chattanooga MotorCar Festival and all of the big plans that the DeFoor Brothers had in the works. Since we have some experience organizing car events here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, we knew they would face some obstacles, but their passion and level of investment (both time and money) would carry them through to the finish line. The end result was a spectacular display of automotive history on the streets of Chattanooga. The event featured European sports cars and road race cars to vintage Corvettes, hot rods, classics and more. Along with the many styles of cars on display, there were also many ways that participants could enjoy the event. Friday featured time trials racing on Riverfront Parkway and a Cars & Coffee event to get things started. Both days of the event featured the "High Jinks Rallye", which featured a countryside course designed from our Coker Tire Challenge routes. On Saturday, the West Village area of Chattanooga filled with historic
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September 24, 2019
The month of September is always packed with activities at Coker Tire, and this past weekend was the 14th annual Coker Tire Challenge. The event is a three-day cloverleaf style rally, which means that each day's route starts and ends in the same city...Chattanooga, Tennessee of course. In terms of competition, the event is like a smaller version of the Great Race. The same basic rules apply, but there isn't a year cut-off on the vehicles, so there are sometimes a few modern vehicles in the lineup. This year, the event was held entirely at the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel, giving participants plenty of options for food and fun during the evening hours. Many of the regular Great Racers came out for the Coker Tire Challenge as it provides excellent practice, and it's a great excuse to hang out with the extended Great Race family. This year, we had a total of 34 entries, with the oldest being a 1916 Hudson, campaigned by Dan and Brad Epple.
Friday's route sent the racers south of Chattanooga,
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September 18, 2019
Over the past 10 years, Coker Tire has hosted many touring events, including the Hot Rod Power Tour and the Motorcycle Cannonball. While it has been a few years since we had the opportunity to host the Motorcycle Cannonball, we jumped at the chance to open the doors of our office here in Chattanooga for The Cross Country Chase, which is a spin-off event brought to you by the organizers of the Motorcycle Cannonball and Legends Motorcycle Museum. The Cross Country Chase is the creation of Jason Sims, and it's geared toward motorcycles from 1930 to 1948, so it includes dozens of great American motorcycles, as well as some European bikes thrown in the mix as well. The event stretched over 2,300 miles from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to Key West, Florida. John Classen is the Course Master, and he's the same fellow who determines the exact route of the Great Race each year. On the journey, the vintage motorcycle enthusiasts would pass through Chattanooga, Tennessee, so it made perfect sense to
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September 04, 2019
Back in 2013, we introduced the American Classic bias look radial tire. It had a huge impact on the collector car market, and we have enjoyed a great number of sales in both wide whitewall and blackwall construction. The period correct appearance of a bias ply tire with the comfort, safety and treadwear of a modern steel-belted radial made this prodcut line very popular, and we knew it would be a great place to expand as we continue to develop new tires. With that in mind, we developed a narrow whitewall version of the American Classic bias look radial tire. This product is geared toward 1960's classics, as the majority of auto manufacturers downsized to one-inch whitewalls in 1962. It was a somewhat universal transition, with only a few exceptions in the luxury sedan market. While the narrow whitewall took the place of the wide whitewall, the tires still had the tall and narrow profile with a classic piecrust shoulder. Before the introduction of the new narrow whitewall American Classic
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September 04, 2019
We always love to welcome folks into our facility here in Chattnaooga, Tennessee and the ARP Street Rodder Road Tour presented by Ford Performance is a great chance to do just that. Jerry Dixey has been hosting the Road Tour for 24 years, and does it every year in a different car. This year, it is a 1955 Ford custom, built by Troy Ladd and the crew at Hollywood Hot Rods. The car sits nice and low, thanks to a Roadster Shop chassis and features a '60s style paint job grabs everyone's attention. Power comes from a Coyote 5.0-liter V8 engine, backed by a Gearstar Performance overdrive transmission. The tires, of course they're Coker! We provided a set of American Classic Gold Line radials, sized at 235/55R17 for a unique look in combination with "chrome reverse" OE steel wheels. The Shades of the Past portion of the Street Rodder Road Tour spends a few days touring popular attractions in
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September 04, 2019
It's hard to believe that five years have already passed and we're celebrating the success of the 5th annual Danchuk Tri-Five Nationals. The American Tri-Five Association puts on a tremendous event that draws nearly 3,000 1955 through 1957 Chevrolets to historic Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. While some folks might think that 3,000 of the "same car" would be repetitive and boring, the Danchuk Tri-Five Nationals is anything but that. With so many trim variations, and build styles, the event truly shows the diversity of the platform. We're always blown away with the number of cars and trucks on hand with Coker Tire products. The cars range from low-mileage survivors and pure stock restorations to wild customs, gassers and everything in between. Check out our favorites and mark your calendars for August 13-15, 2020 for next year's celebration of all things Tri-Five Chevy!
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July 19, 2019
The Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty is a punishing competition that puts vintage vehicles (and owners) through their paces. The abuse comes in the form of relentless travel, changing terrain and ever-changing weather conditions, so having your car prepared is just as important as the strategy required to turn in good scores. For the third time in nine years, the father and son team of Howard and Doug Sharp have claimed victory in the Great Race. They won their first Great Race in 2011, driving a 100-year old Velie, and then changed to the 1916 Hudson Pikes Peak Hillclimber the following year. The Hudson has given them thousands of miles of great performance, and the Fairport, New York team was unstoppable this year. With excellent scores during all nine days of competition, the Sharps finished the 2,300 mile rally with an astounding scroe of 43.56 seconds off of the prescribed time. The fine-tuned Hudson has a few
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June 30, 2019
The days really seem to chip away quickly after you pass the half way point on the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presnted by Hagerty. It's an event like none other, and we're proud to be a part of it. Today's route sent us on a series of scenic highways, that would eventually lead to a pitstop in Astoria, Oregon (just across the state line). Then, we rallied back into Washington and grabbed lunch in Longview. The town really got behind the event, with lots of great activities for locals as well as the Great Racers. We wished we could've stayed longer! But, we hit the road with a challenging afternoon route that led us to Spanaway, Washington. Our evening stop was located at the LeMay Collections at Marymount, a crazy collection of cars, trucks, tractors, motorcycles, and just about anything else you can imagine. We enjoyed a brief tour of the facilities...again, wishing we could stay a litlte longer to really soak it all in. Take a look at our favorite photos from today and stay tuned
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June 29, 2019
We have experienced the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty in many capacities. Many years ago, it would stretch coast to coast, rolling through more than a dozen states each year. For 2019, the nine day rally features a vertical route that extends from California to Washington. Even though we don't get to see as many states this year, we've been blown away with the scenery. Oregon has been beautiful, and we saw lots more great scenery today as we rallied from Bend up to the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum (WAAAM for short) in Hood River, Oregon for lunch. The route was awesome to and from lunch, as we saw some of the most beautiful mountain terrain this country has to offer. Then, we crossed the Columbia River to enter Washington, and enjoyed a packed evening stop at the WAAAM West facility in Vancouver, Washington. Check out some of our highlights here--there are only a couple days left of competition, so stay tuned!
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June 28, 2019
Day 6 of the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty has come and gone, and it was one to write home about. The route was full of challenges, but our biggest excitement of hte day came when the clocks were off. We visited Crater Lake for lunch, and it was absolutely stunning. All of the racers were given extra time to eat and check out the various overlooks. The lake and the road that goes around it are beautiful and we even got caught in a snow shower. It was pretty crazy, and should definitely be an item on your bucket list. The day's competition was tough, as we made our way through hills, forests, and scenic highways with the final destination of Bend, Oregon for our evening stop. The weather didn't cooperate, but there was still a great turnout in downtown Bend. We will cross into Washington tomorrow, inching closer to Tacoma for the grand finish. We're just a few days away, so stay tuned as the competition heats up!
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June 27, 2019
One of the most popular questions that spectators ask about the Great Race is, "What happens if it rains?" to which we generally answer, "You get wet!". This is especially the case in a roadster but also applies to some of the closed roof cars if the rain is pouring down hard enough. Today was one of those days where many Great Racers got wet. The day started off with overcast skies, and then that turned into a light mist, and then full-on rain showers that lasted well into the afternoon. Today's lunch stop in Gold Beach, Oregon was soaked, but we still enjoyed the hospitality. The afternoon route was full of challenges, but it eventually led to our overnight stop in Grants Pass, Oregon. Today was full of great scenery, from the giant Redwoods in Prarie Creek Redwoods State Park to the scenic one-lane bridges over the Rogue River, just outside of Gold Beach. Let's take a look at some of our highlights from today's action and prepare
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June 26, 2019
The Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty continues to move north, this time from Chico, California to Eureka, California. We started the day with some farm land rallying, and made our way across the mountains as we headed West toward the coast. We passed through towns such as Lucerne, Nice and Ukiah on our way to the lunch stop in Willits, California. The small town really showed some great support of our event, and we enjoyed a great lunch before hopping back on Highway 101 for a long afternoon trek to Eureka. At the end of our afternoon route, we stopped at the Drive Thru Tree Park in Leggett for an awesome photo opportunity. Check out some of our highlights from today's route and check back again for more updates!
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June 25, 2019
Yesterday was a long run with tons of elevations changes. Today, we saw more of the same, as our first leg of the timed course involved a 7,000 foot climb to the top of Donner Pass. The views from atop the mountain are beautiful and there is still snow on the ground in certain areas. After the climb, we slowly eased our way down from high altidue as we entered Grass Valley, California for lunch. With temperatures swinging from 65 degrees at the Donner Summit, to 95 degrees in the valley, we had quite a day of transition. The lunch in Grass Valley was packed with people, as was the special pit stop in Oroville, California. Although it was brief, the time in Oroville was great and provided a much needed break in the middle of the afternoon heat. The remainder of the afternoon route consisted of twists, turns and a small loop to finish off the day's timed course. Then, we rolled into Chico, California, where we were greeted by a great crowd of car lovers. Tomorrow, we head to the coast, so
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June 24, 2019
Some days of Great Race competition cover more territory than others. Today's route from Lancaster, California to Gardnerville, Nevada was a long one--appoximately 400 miles. The route included various elevation changes, with a maximum of 8,000 feet, and we saw some of the greatest scenery in the country. We made our way to Bishop, California for lunch, where we were treated to a warm welcome and a great lunch! From there, the route sent racers into the twists and turns, and more elevation changes. While it did take its toll on several cars, that's part of the challenge of the Great Race. Our day wrapped up in Gardnerville, Nevada where we had a great turnout of spectators, and gave Brad and Erin Kaplan with the Stage 2 winner placque, as they got the best score of the day. Check out a few of our highlights from the day's beautiful route!
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June 23, 2019
It's that time of year once again! The Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty is an event with TONS of involvment from Coker Tire staff, as well as a number of loyal Coker Tire customers. This year, the event was once again maxed out on participants, making for a huge 120-car field that is diverse as you could imagine. From a 1909 Buick (along with 7 other century-old cars) to a 1974 Dodge police car, the event has something for everyone. This year's event has a West Coast theme, kicking off in Riverside, California a town that is rich in racing history and rests in the heart of Southern California. We will travel north, eventually finishing in Tacoma, Washington on Sunday, June 30th. It's going to be one heck of an adventure, so take a look at our highlights from day one, as the Great Race rolls from Riverside to Victorville and eventually Lancaster, California. For more information, daily photo highlights and scoring updates visit www.greatrace.com
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June 18, 2019
We recently posted about the Grand National F-100 Reunion, held in Pigeon Forge. Interestingly, another automotive event was going on the same weekend in Pigeon Forge--the Smoky Mountain Chevy Classic Roundup, held at the Inn at Christmas Place. This event revolves around the Tri-Five Chevy, and features a wide variety of builds, from all stock originals to modified customs and everything in between. We spotted quite a few 1955, 1956 and 1957 Chevys with our tires, so we wanted to choose a few favorites and post them here. Of course, we manufacture original style bias ply tires for Tri-Fives, as well as modern radials with the vintage look. We have tires, wheels and accessories for Tri-Fives in stock in our Chattanooga, Tennessee and City of Industry, Calfiornia warehouses. Shop online 24/7 or give us a call if you have questions.
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June 17, 2019
Every year on Father's Day Weekend, thousands of hot rodders converge on the car-crazy town of Bowling Green, Kentucky for the Holley National Hot Rod Reunion. The event is held at the historic Beech Bend Raceway Park, and features a huge car show, swap meet, and of course, drag racing. With thousands of cars on the property, we had a hard time narrowing it down to our favorite Coker-equipped hot rods, customs, gassers, muscle cars and more, but check out our gallery and find your favorites. While you're at it, make a mental note for Father's Day weekend 2020, as the Hot Rod Reunion will return back to Bowling Green for another year of fun with hot rods.
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June 14, 2019
We're on a mission to fill every void in the specialty tire market, and that includes new sizes to better serve our customers. One such example is our new BF Goodrich Silvertown Radial 145R15 whitewall tire. It's an expansion of our popular BF Goodrich Silvertown radial product line, and it helps complete the size offering. The new 145R15 tire is designed for use on the front of hot rods, street rods and rat rods. This tire also fits a number of European compact cars, including the famous Volkswagen Beetle. The tire measures 24.25 inches in diameter, and is designed to fit a 15x3.5 through 15x5 wheel. With an overall width of 5.60 inches, this is the perfect "skinny" front runner. It is our smallest whitewall front runner tire available. The new 145R15 tire features a 2-1/4-inch whitewall,
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June 11, 2019
There are many advantages to living near the Smoky Mountains. One is the epic scenery that is a short drive from our headquarters here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The other is the proximity to Pigeon Forge, a tourist town that is host to nearly a dozen car and truck shows per year. Ranging from small club-style events to giant events that take over the entire town, Pigeon Forge seems to be a popular place for gear heads to assemble. We had the opportunity to check out the Grand National F-100 Reunion this year, and enjoyed every minute of it. The LeConte Center was packed (inside and out) with classic trucks, ranging from restored stockers to wild customs and everything in between. We even saw some nicely restored commerical pickups, 4x4's and more in the show field. With vendors, a big swap meet and hundreds of F-100 pickups, this event had it all for a vintage truck enthusiast. Even if you aren't a diehard Ford guy, you should check out this event. We spotted quite a few trucks rolling
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May 16, 2019
Every year, we make the short drive up to Knoxville, Tennessee to the NSRA Street Rod Nationals South. We typically just sneak away from the office to photograph a few cars for our magazine ads and catalogs, and it certainly beats a day in the office! This event has been going on for more than 40 years, and has been held at Chilhowee Park in Knoxville for 35 of those years...the Nats South was previously held in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The event features a great venue, with shade trees, and lots of awesome parking areas. The event has all that you'd expect from the NSRA--lots of street rods, vendors, a swap meet and now an autocross course, which they call the Streetkhana. Take a look at some of our favorite Coker-equipped vehicles on display and be sure to check out an NSRA event near you!
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April 18, 2019
For the last 13 years, the folks at Paradise Drag Strip have teamed up with BB Brown to create the Paradise Show N Go. This series of events encompasses nostalgia drag racing on the historic eighth-mile drag strip, as well as a car show and a massive swap meet. It's just down the road from us in Calhoun, Georgia so we try to check it out as often as our schedule allows. What we didn't realize is that this would be the final Paradise Show N Go event, as BB Brown retired and sold his event promotion business to fellow hot rodders Sam and Austin Patrick. They will continue to have the same types of events, and what was previously known as the Show N Go will now be called "Thrills on the Hill". The events always have a good mixture of traditional hot rods, gassers and all things nostalgia, but three particular hot rods really got our attention during the March Show N Go event and they just happened to be equipped with Coker Tire products (imagine that!). Let's take a look and see what
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April 17, 2019
When we debuted the American Classic Bias Look Radial tire in 2013, it was a ground breaking product for the collector car market. It allowed classic car enthusiasts to get the looks of an authentic bias ply tire with the modern ride quality, tread life and safety of a radial. Now, we're doing it all over again with the American Classic Model A+ Radial, the world's first bias look radial tire to fit the popular Ford Model A, and other applications from the 1920's and 1930's. The classic tread pattern and shoulder design offer the vintage look, while the tall sidewall perfectly fits within the stock fenders of a Model A. The 475/500R19 and 440/450R21 sizing offers direct replacement
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April 16, 2019
While Coker Tire's main customer base has been collector car enthusiasts, we have a great following in the drag racing market with our Phoenix Race Tires brand. These tires are born from Firestone heritage, and have the latest compounds, as well as old favorites from the Firestone Firehawk days. The Phoenix Race Tires product line includes more than 20 sizes to fit all types of drag racing applications, from the weekend warrior to the NHRA Super Stock champions. With the increased popularity of "small tire racing" and "no prep drag racing", we're proud to introduce several new bias ply slick options. First is the 10.5/28.0-15 (also known as a 28x10.5 tire). This is the quintessential "small tire" size, and is used on everything from street cars to all out grudge cars. They fit perfectly
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April 02, 2019
The evolution of the Chattanooga Cruise In has shocked everyone on the Coker Tire staff. We designed this event to be a casual hang out for car enthusiasts, and it has turned into quite the spectacle. Its intense growth led us to the decision of moving the event from the streets of downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee to Camp Jordan, a giant park on the East side of town. While hesitant to move the event away from our headquarters, we also knew that a larger venue was necessary to accomodate the big crowds. The good news is that the folks from East Ridge Parks & Rec welcomed us with open arms, and most cruise in participants were glad to hear that we were making more room. We had a great plan for our vendors and sponsors inside the Camp Jordan Arena, and we thought there would be PLENTY of room outisde for a swap meet, participant parking and spectator parking.
On a beautiful Saturday morning, the cars began arriving at around 5:30am to unload, clean up and find a spot. It was apparent