Page 6 - General Post

More of Jeff Stumb's commentary while on the Great Race route: DAY 5 -- Barry's Bay and Ottawa, Ontario This is the day I have been waiting for since the route was announced. Instead of taking the straight and easy route from Barrie east to the capital of Ottawa, we selected a route that would take the race throught the Provincial Park (a National Park of Canada). In doing so, we will see some of the most incredible screnery the country has to offer. But there are no major cities capable of hosting a lunch stop. In that part of the country, it is common for there to be only 1,000 people in a 500-square mile radius. Enter Mayor Dave Shulist and the community of Barry's Bay. I called the mayor a month of so ago and told him of my delimma and he told me that if we would come to Barry's Bay he would take care of everything. Barry's Bay has a population of 1,300 people on a good day in a 10-mile radius. It does have a couple of small diners, and the mayor has everyone on board and excited about

Jeff Stumb is still on the road...here are a few of his comments from Day 4 of the trip! DAY 4 -- Parry Sound and Barrie, Ontario After leaving Sudbury, the furthest point north on the 2012 Great Race, we headed south toward the beautful town of Parry Sound, Ontario. Although the theme for the event is the Great Lakes, we obviously cannot hug the coast all the way around the lakes and do any rallying. But the interior portions of Canada coming up on Day 4 and Day 5 are probably some of the most picturesque ever on the Great Race. And that starts with Parry Sound. Unfortunately for us, it was raining all day and the view was obscured most of the day. Parry Sound is home to hockey legend Bobby Orr, and the stop there on June 25 will be at the Bobby Orr Museum over looking Georgian Bay. If there is a more lovely spot in Canada, I'd like to see it. After leaving Parry Sound, we continued south toward Barrie, which is home to the largest Automotive Flea Market in North America each year. Barrie

Another quick note and a photo of a cool car seen on his Great Race planning trip! Canadians love old cars too! I took this photo of a sharp DeSoto Adventurer in the parking lot of a grocery store in Elliott Lake, Ontario. Somewhere, Great Racer Chad Caldwell is drooling and thinking about hooking up his trailer and heading north of the border to try and find this beauty. [caption id="attachment_2167" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="What an awesome Desoto...hard to beat those wild designs from the late \'50s and early \'60s!"][/caption]

More notes from the road from Great Race Director, Jeff Stumb: DAY 3 -- Elliott Lake and Sudbury We left Sault Ste. Marie bright and early to make the drive over the bridge into Canada. We were through customs in less than 20 minutes, which included a 10-minute trip inside to see the head Mountie about that funny looking gear and cable hanging from our rear wheel. Once we told them we were measuring the course for the Great Race and gave them some hats, T-shirts and programs, we were sent on our way. During the race next year as participants, you will be entering Canada on a pleasure trip and not the business trip John and I were on. And we are working with local officials to have a list of all entrants to the custom officials to speed the crossing up as much as possible. John assures me that no one will get hung up and miss a start (but if you do you can always turn in a time delay). On the way into Elliott Lake, our lunch stop, we followed the north shore of Lake Huron. Although it was

More good news from Jeff Stumb, Director of the Great Race on his second day of route planning: DAY 2 -- St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan We hated to leave Traverse City, but it helped knowing we will be back for several days in June of next year. It was good, however, to start the trip and planning the course for the first day of the race. Because the start will take place at 10 a.m. in Traverse City on June 23, the first day of rallying will be rather short. The lunch stop will be in St. Ignace, home of the wonderful St. Ignace Car Show each year. St. Ignace is the first city on the other side of the Mackinac Bridge, and it marked the first time I had ever been to the U.P. (the Upper Peninsula). Ed and his crew in St. Ignace are planning a great stop in conjunction with another of their car shows -- the Antiques on the Bay show in front of the marina. Beautiful Mackinac Island will be the backdrop in Lake Huron. Sault Ste. Marie (called the Soo by locals) is the last town in

After acquiring the Great Race, we have been very busy, making sure we uphold the legacy and the tradition that Tom McRae established many years ago. Just after the 2011 Hemmings Motor News Great Race, Coker Tire is proud to announce a new Director of the Great Race, longtime rally enthusiast and all around car guy, Mr. Jeff Stumb. Jeff will also be heading up the Coker Tire Marketing Department, so we'll definitely keep him busy! He is away from the office right now, on a trip to the Great Lakes to meet with host cities, so sit back and enjoy some of his commentary as he rides up and down the road. As soon as the annual Coker Tire Challenge ended in Chattanooga Sept. 18, John Classen and I hit the road to visit city leaders, check out hotels and map out the route for the 2012 Great Race. As you may know by now, the Great Race will start in Traverse City, Michigan, on June 23, 2012, and circle the Great Lakes before returning to Michigan the following weekend. Plans have been underway for

We get lots of feedback from our customers, so we just wanted to share an email we got from a happy customer this week. Check it out: Hello Raime: I want to thank you for your help getting me the tubes I needed last week for my car (1934 Packard Coupe/Roadster, Series 1104, Super 8). I was able to get the custom made (duplicating the original) chrome wire wheels on to my car last week. I purchased the car from a dealer in California and what's interesting is the car was originally sold and delivered to PACKARD PITTSBURGH PA in 1934. The original Packard building is still in existence and is a Mercedes dealership today. The same dealership I purchase my Benzs from and have for many years. I haven't finished the car yet - will be changing the top to a brown color - but I think It's quite presentable at this time, let me know what you think. Best personal regards, Don Grossi [caption id="attachment_2146" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Now THAT is an awesome car!!! Love those wide whitewalls!"]

The 2011 Coker Tire Challenge, presented by Hemmings Motor News is in the books! We had an awesome time touring the back roads of Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia, but it's time to wind down and get ready for our next rally event....the 2012 Great Race! We're super excited about it, but let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet! The Challenge had 42 participants, driving a WIDE variety of vehicles, from open-wheel classics like a 1917 Peerless Board Track Racer to a modified Jeep hot rod. We had a great time, and welcomed the racers onto Fort Street for the finish of the Challenge. From there, it was chow time, and also time for the awards ceremony! We want to congratulate all of the winners for a job well done. Keep an eye on www.CokerTireChallenge.com for the final standings! [gallery link="file"]

A few weeks ago, we discussed the idea for a cruise in right here in Corkyville. Deciding on a date was a daunting task with so many events going on this time of year, but we knew it needed to be on Chestnut Street, and we knew an event of this nature would bring in a crowd no matter the date. So, our decision was to hold the Cruise In on the Saturday of the Coker Tire Challenge, which happened to be September 17th. We knew going in that this date would be somewhat of an issue, because it's the weekend of the Grand Run in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, but we had an awesome turnout, all things considered! [caption id="attachment_2076" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Cars and trucks lined up on Chestnut Street, 14th Street and any vacant parking lot they could find!"][/caption] The event was scheduled for 4-9pm, but we had folks rolling in as early as 2pm, trying to get a good parking spot. We called the guys at Mountain Cove to come in a play a few sets of Bluegrass music for us, and

Back on the road Saturday morning, the teams headed to Dunlap to start their day's route. From the starting point, the vehicles headed straight up the mountain on a twisty two-lane road, before ending up on top of Cagle Mountain. From there the route was rather tame, but a few narrow roads made it tough for racers to keep on their strict speed and time schedule. The lunch stop was held in Sparta, Tennessee, then the racers came down off the mountain and into Pikeville, Tennessee, where they would climb once again as they headed into Dayton on Highway 30. On the home stretch, racers headed down Highway 58 before arriving at the Coker Tire headquarters in Chattanooga, where they'd be greeted by more than 200 cruise in cars, trucks and motorcycles. The Challenge participants had a special parking area, so the cruise in folks could take a look at these vintage machines. We had a great time on the route, so take a look at our pictures, and look forward to more updates! We'll know the winners

We hit the road this morning at 8am and headed toward Alabama with intentions of going to Huntsville for lunch. Lots of beautiful farm land provided some cool pictures and video opportunities for the media crew, and the media crew also stopped in at the Third Base Grill for lunch....WAY better than McD's....just sayin. After lunch, we headed back East through lots of mountainous terrain, and over a few bodies of water along the way. It was a good ride with great weather, but the racers were still happy to crawl out of their cars when they arrived at Mountain Valley Farm...aka Corky's place. General talk about scores and such was common, but when the dinner bell rang, everyone hopped on the bus and headed up the hill. Overall it was a great day of rallying...check out some of our pictures and check back for more updates tomorrow. AND DON'T FORGET!!!!! We're having our Coker Tire and Honest Charley Cruise In tomorrow night right here in Corkyville!!! [gallery link="file"]

My grandsons have already figured out that tires are cool. Heres a picture taken this past weekend while Greg and Casey had them down to Honest Charley Garage. In the picture are Grandsons Taylor, Joseph and Benjamin Cunningham with one of our Phoenix drag tires. My folks told me that I played in tires when I was that age too. Seems only yesterday! [caption id="attachment_1996" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="The Three Amigos....Taylor, Benjamin and Joseph Cunningham!"][/caption]

If you think all police officers hate drag racing, think AGAIN! An organization called Beat the Heat is composed of active and retired police officers who reach out to the public through a very popular hobby.....drag racing. They race in all sorts of cars, all of which have police department-style paint jobs and working lights, just like regular patrol cars. The goal is to teach children and young adults the dangers of street racing, and the fun and excitement that comes from racing at a legal drag strip. It's an awesome way to reach out! Beat the Heat has a World Finals event once a year, and for 2011 it is held right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We were proud to have them cruise into Corkyville Thursday evening, so we opened the doors, so the racers could see everything we have to offer, including Honest Charley Speed Shop! Local police officer and drag racing enthusiast, Marty Dunn organized the event, with racers coming from all over the country to join in on the fun. After Thursday

My mom and dad love to spend time with my grandson Taylor. Taylor loves to go over to Grammie and Grampies. My kids (now grown) still love to do that too. I did too. I was raised on that farm. Not only does Taylor get my Moms full attention THE WHOLE DANG TIME HE IS THERE, but he sort of gets my dads attention some too. Heres a picture of several fish the three of them caught out of Peavine Creek which runs through Coker Farm. All three of them (Mom, Dad and my grandson Taylor) colluded together to report that the biggest fish got away. Taylor said it was this big with arms outstretched as wide as he could stretch them. Kids ought to learn how to fish. Taylor gets that opportunity with his great grandparents. I think that is pretty cool. Most kids dont even have the opportunity to be around their grandparents let alone their greats. After thinking those pleasant thoughts for a few moments, the selfish Corky quickly then said to myself, .Self, .he never took me fishin!. So, then that same

Oh, yeah... I forgot to add this to the Davenport trip. My buddy Mike Wolfe had this piece of crap belly tank racer on display that he had found out pickin somewhere with his hit tv show "American Pickers". I tried to get him to price it to me. It is powered by an Indian 4 cylinder motor. Rear end is a motorcycle three wheeler. I thought it was cool. Maybe he will come down off his high horse and price it to his old buddy Corky. If you see him or Frank, tell them I want it and to be nice to me on the price... Check out a couple of pictures... [caption id="attachment_1957" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="This thing is just too cool! I gotta have it!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1958" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Mike Wolfe\'s belly tanker....very cool."][/caption] From the road, Corky

One of my favorite swap meets is the Iowa Chief Blackhawk Chapter of the Antique Motor Cycle Club of America which happens Labor Day weekend in Davenport Iowa. It is always hot! Was this year too! Usually I fly in but some of the guys drive up earlier in the week to set up our tire display. I really really really like antique motorcycles so I have to be at Davenport. This is about the biggest early bike show in the world. I get to see all my buddies too. Dude (my bike restorer) said he needed a saddle and a pedal crank for a "barn find" Excelsior board track racer project he is doing for me. I was successful picking those pieces up so Dude can finish that bike. Usually I see all the Excelsior stuff on the field or "it finds me!...sort of calls out to me, you know." I found my buddy Vince had just picked up a 1913 Excelsior twin barn find on the way to Davenport from his home in Auburn CA. I had to have it. What do you think? Completely original... and it still has the original all gray

My week of events of Monterey/Pebble Beach include a Friday Foray into everything Italian at Italiano Concorso. I ran across a new friend Eric Sander who asked me to photo up in front of his boss's Ferrari Dino with our Michelin XWX tires on it. Williams owns a company called Kings Electronics (www.4king.com) who makes distributor based ignition system testers. Looks like an interesting product. Thought you guys might like the picture of his Ferrari. The guy with me in the second picture is Eric Sander. I have been thinking about a starting a Concours de Elegance in Chattanooga. Since some smart guy already started the Concours de Lemon which features Gremlins and Pintos and all that sort of stuff, I thought my Concours should focus on my kind of folks..... I think I should call it Concourso Redneckio. Whaddayathink? [caption id="attachment_1948" align="aligncenter" width="500"] 1974 Ferrari Dino | Michelin XWX[/caption]

"This car's beautiful shape and Michelin XWX tires are a not-so-subtle

Maybe you have heard me say that I have the absolute best job in the world. Not only do I get to be around car guys (who just happen to be the best people in the world) every day, but I get to "play in my work and work in my play". I am a consummate car guy, gear head, barn finder etc....you get the picture. I also get to go to really cool events all over the world. Every year mid August, the collector car world converges on the Monterey Peninsula for the Pebble Beach Concours de Elegance held at the famous Pebble Beach Golf Course near 17 mile drive in Monterey. It is really, really cool to see all the phenomenal cars from all over the world. If you want to see cars that are clearly "over restored"....this is the crme de la crme place to go. The whole week is a day by day overload of auctions, car shows, receptions, and elbow rubbins... [caption id="attachment_1942" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Alan Taylor, Barry Meguiar, and myself chatting on set at Pebble Beach."][/caption]

Well, it's that time of the year again. It's August, it's hot and it's time for the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. We're on a cool little road trip this weekend, and decided to stop at the Nats for the day. As usual, the Kentucky Expo Center was packed with hot rods of all shapes and sizes, from low slung coupes to nose-high gassers. The day started with a six hour drive, and ended with about 3 more hours of driving....with lots of hot rods thrown in the midst. Tomorrow we're headed to the Funny Car Nationals at Marion County International Raceway in LaRue, Ohio...it should be a great time as over 30 funny cars do battle, along with a great deal of Nostalgia Pro Stock and Nostalgia Super Stock. We're always wanting to figure out new ways to cater to our nostalgia drag racing people, so this is a great way to do it. We'll post pictures from that event too, so stay tuned! For now, here are some of our favorite shots from Louisville. [caption id="attachment_1926" align="alignleft" width="493" caption="Our booth at the 2011 NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus"][/caption]

People give us feedback all the time, so it's easy for us to see how our tires are put to use. Some folks race, some folks do the car show routine, and some people simply drive the wheels off their old car (not literally, of course). One particular customer is Bob Simonds, owner of a 1966 Alfa Romeo, and he likes to show his sporty roadster at various shows, but also likes to drive it frequently. Last week, Bob made the trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to participate in the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) National Convention. Part of the festivities was the Concours, where Bob's car placed 3rd in his division, which was packed with a great deal of highly-restored '66-69 Alfa Romeo Duettos and 1750 Spiders. He says the 3rd place finish is a high honor and it wouldn't have been possible without the OEM wheels and the period correct styling of the Vredestein tires! He gave us a peek at the award, and it's way cool...he even pulled up to the shop in his Alfa Romeo!

Talk about a great bunch of guys and gals! These folks are on a bit of a road trip and decided to drop by our place for a tour. Raime Brown did her thing, and made sure everyone had a good time and learned a little bit along the tour. We cleared the parking lot and packed the cars in there to grab a quick shot of them in front of the building...turned out pretty cool! Big thanks to the Southern Kentucky Street Rodders for visiting Chattanooga, Tennessee and for coming by our facility. Here are some of our pictures from the visit!

Here at Coker Tire, we don't focus on any particular style of car...we like 'em all! And that includes little bitty cars! Today, we had a group of cars visit the Coker Tire facility and we were able to fit over 30 of them in our 15 car parking lot. They call it the Mini Meet, and little cars come from all over the country to meet up. This year, the Mini Meet was held at the Chattanooga Choo Choo, just a couple of blocks over from us, so they migrated over here this afternoon! We walked them through the showroom and back into the Coker Tire Museum, where they got to see all sorts of cool stuff and get the rundown from our Tour Guide extraordinaire Raime J. Brown. Check out some of our pictures from the Mini Meet 2011...

We kept you guys up to date, with daily updates from the Hemmings Motor News Great Race, but if you want to see what the racers experienced, check out the blogs at www.greatrace.com! The site had several folks blogging on a regular basis, so take a look. We also had a few participants who blogged on their own sites, including Greg Duckloe's blog about piloting a '66 Corvette roadster on the amazing journey. See his commentary here: http://joanscorvettegreatrace2011.blogspot.com/.

We had an amazing time on the Hemmings Motor News Great Race this year, and it came down to the wire to determine the Grand Champion. All week it was a tight battle between the Knowles/Gentry team and the team of Howard and Douglas Sharp. Knowles/Gentry piloted a '32 Ford Cabriolet, which was formerly piloted by Joe Knowles, who unfortunately passed away in 2010. The Sharps piloted the oldest car in the Great Race--a 1911 Velie Racetype. Knowles/Gentry led the field for several days, but the Sharps came from behind on the final two days to take home the infamous BIRD and a check for $20,000! [caption id="attachment_1836" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Corky Coker with Great Race Grand Champions, Howard and Douglas Sharp!"][/caption]

After a few days of cool temperatures, we were reminded that it's summer time, even in New York. We had temperatures creeping up into the 90's throughout the day, but no where near as hot as when we started in Chattanooga. More back roads with lots of cool scenery gave us plenty of opportunities to snap some pictures, and we even had a maze in today's course, which had drivers doing a big loop and ending up at the same intersection! We even saw two cars at the intersection at the same time, which is always awesome for pictures. Our lunch stop was absolutely incredible as the folks in Cooperstown, New York did a great job of supporting the Great Race. We had lots of on-lookers, and we enjoyed a hot dog before walking through the Baseball Hall of Fame. Big thanks to the HoF for giving the Great Racers free admission!!! After lunch we kept on truckin' and ended up in Saratoga Springs, New York...more specifically the Saratoga Automobile Museum. LOTS of awesome sports cars in there, as well as some very very cool vintage racecars on the second floor. If you're ever in the area, check it out! We had a wonderful turnout at the Museum, with lots of spectators greeting the racers as they rolled into town. Tomorrow is the final day of the Great Race, so we're excited to see who ends up winning this deal! Remember, there is $90,000 on the line, so these guys and gals will be on edge until the final results are revealed. We can't wait! For now, take a look at our pictures from today's route, and check out www.greatrace.com for all of the scores, as well as additional photos. See you in Bennington!

We're winding down from another big day of the Great Race in Binghamton, New York. We snaked through the back roads of Pennsylvania for the majority of the day, and crossed into New York in the afternoon. Our route started in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and as soon as the clocks started for the racers, they had to negotiate a slow speed covered, one lane bridge, which was perfect for some cool pictures and video. It was a tricky route with lots of tough turns and maneuvers along the way. We stopped by Hazelton, PA for lunch, and were greeted by a huge crowd. We were also treated to a wonderful lunch, consisting of fried chicken and all sorts of other goodies. We even found a new favorite side dish....fried green beans! Back on the road, we saw thousands of acres of farmland, with rolling hills and more cool bridges. You really don't get a grasp of how amazingly beautiful this country is until you view these back roads! Today the roads led to Binghamton, New York were LOTS and LOTS of folks turned out to see the Great Race come through town. We had yet another awesome dinner, so it's time to loosen the belt a little. We have a super tight race for the lead right now, so take a look at www.greatrace.com for all of the up to date scores, as well as photos from today's route! Here are a few of our favorite photos from the day!

Another day on the road, and we've landed in Hershey, Pennsylvania! We started the morning in Cumberland, Maryland with cool temperatures, and drove through a bunch of cool farmland. Narrow bridges, rolling hills and amazing barns gave us lots of opportunities to grab awesome pictures and video. Lunch was in Chambersburg, PA and they shut down the town to let all the Great Racers show off their cars and trucks. Talk about an awesome down town! We had a great lunch and hopped back in the car on our way to Hershey, PA. Dinner was held at the AACA Museum, so we made a pass through the Museum, grabbed a bite to eat and took more pictures...do you see a pattern here with the pictures? Take a look at what we captured, and go to www.greatrace.com to see a bunch more!!! See y'all tomorrow...

That's right, we're up here in beautiful Cumberland, Maryland, having an awesome time. We went through a long, and very difficult route today with lots of stops, turns and speed changes, so all of the racers felt the pressure. From Salem, Virginia we headed north on a bunch of wonderful back roads through lots of farm land, and a mountain here and there. Our lunch stop was in Harrisonburg, Virginia where the town gathered at the Turner Pavilion to watch the racers file in from their hard morning of rallying. We scarfed down a couple of hot dogs and hit the road again, headed to our final destination of Cumberland, Maryland. We had a surprise at the end of the days route, just as the racers went off the clock, as we passed over on America's only remaining privately-owned toll bridges. It was AMAZING to see these old cars cross over a bridge built in the same era! Dinner stop was in downtown Cumberland, which is one of the coolest downtowns we've ever seen! So much fun, and the people were great...right now, we are loading pictures and getting ready for tomorrow. Check back for updates, but for now take a look at some of our favorite pictures!

Here we are after day two of the Hemmings Motor New Great Race! Today, we started off in Asheville, North Carolina and hit the mountain roads wide open. Lots of twisty roads with tricky speed changes made today's rally a tough one for many racers, but we saw a lot of good driving out there. Our lunch stop was held in the small town of Galax, Virginia...more specifically, we had it at the Old Cranks Motorcar Museum. We had some good ole BBQ at the museum, and enjoyed the crowd of spectators. Then it was back to the twists and turns of Virginia, as we scaled a bunch of cool back roads. We did get some rain on the afternoon leg of the route on our way to the Dinner Stop at the Salem Civic Center. These guys know how to party!!! Tons of hot rods, muscle cars and just plain cool cars stopped by to help celebrate the Great Race festivities, and we had another great dinner...you know car guys like to eat! Tonight we'll be preparing for Day 3, where we'll eventually end up in Maryland, one step closer to our big finish in downtown Bennington, Vermont! Check out our favorite pictures from today, but you should also know that www.greatrace.com had a LOT more photos! See y'all tomorrow!

We're sitting in our hotel in Asheville, North Carolina, checking out all of our photos and videos from Day One at the 2011 Hemmings Great Race. Our route took us from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Maggie Valley, North Carolina, which means we spent a great deal of time in the mountains. It was an awesome ride with lots of opportunities for cool pictures, so take a look at our favorites and check out www.greatrace.com for even more photos, along with scores and breaking news. It's time to get ready for today's route, so we're making this one short and sweet, but we want to thank all of the Great Race staff and volunteers for an amazing job on day one. Also a huge thanks goes out to the city of Athens, Tennessee, which hosted the lunch stop, and all the fine folks at the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley. [caption id="attachment_1598" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Let\'s get this thing started! Chestnut Street in Chattanooga was packed with cars and on lookers before the start of the race!"][/caption]

We followed along with the gang today during the Hagerty Trophy run, which is basically a warm up rally to get the racers, check point crews (and photographers) prepared for the big event. It was a nice drive over to Jasper, then to Raccoon Mountain and back to the Coker Tire headquarters in Chattanooga. Check out some of the pictures...we're headed to the Kickoff Dinner in the Coker Tire Museum...see ya tomorrow!

Lots of stuff happening in Corkyville! More folks are rolling in and getting their cars prepped for the race, and we have our hands full with trying to snap pictures here and there. We have decals flying everywhere, folks down stairs in the basement registering and doing Rally School. Check it out!

Alright, things are getting hectic here at the Coker Tire headquarters. We have folks all over the place, getting Great Race participants signed in and ready for competition. Honest Charley Garage is handling decal application on all 60 entrants, so those guys are staying busy. Tomorrow will be a crazy day with the warm-up rally, continued registration and rally school. Let's roll!

Just like anything else, pronunciations are different around here. Some people say Chevrolet, some people say Chevy, but around here, it's pronounced "Chev-uh-lay". On that note we had four awesome "Chevuhlay's" in the parking lot today at lunch time...they were on their way back from the Hot Rod Power Tour so they made a quick stop here at Coker Tire to take a look around. It was pretty good timing on their part because we're getting set up for the Great Race, so there are a few old cars already rumbling about in Corkyville.

In case you haven't heard, we recreated the infamous Marmon Wasp, which was the winner car at the inaugural Indianapolis 500 back in 1911. It was driven by Ray Harroun, and it was the first racecar of its kind--it had a single seat, and a rear view mirror, as opposed to other cars at the time, which had a ride-along mechanic. This lighter design, in combination with strict guidelines from the engineers at Firestone tires regarding speed and possible tire failure, gave Ray Harroun the win with an average speed of nearly 75mph. By the way, the Firestone representatives allegedly stated that speeds over 75mph would result in tire failure...

Chances are, if you've been to our headquarters sometime in the past 10 years, then you've probably seen the Shafer 8 racecar, aka The Coker Special. The ole car has been around for a while and we've driven it across the country more than 10 times, including several coast-to-coast Great Race events. The car has a Buick straight 8 engine in it, and it runs pretty darn good! It's spent a lot of time sliding around Corkyville, but it's about to go on yet another long trip. The revitalized Great Race starts next week right here in Chattanooga and ends at the Hemmings Motor News headquarters in Bennington, Vermont. The Shafer 8 will not be in competition but it'll be on the trip! We'll be riding the route in style! [caption id="attachment_1545" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Firestone Indy 600-20"][/caption]

THE GREAT RACE CONTINUES RALLY SUPPORT OF AUTISM WITH A BENEFIT AUCTION Chattanooga, TN The Great Race began in 1983 when a couple of car guys, Tom McRae and Norm Miller, got together and bought out an ailing race promoter, who had attempted to organize a vintage car race from California to Indiana. After acquiring the assets, McRae and Miller went to great lengths to market the event, and their efforts paid off, as the Great Race turned into one of the greatest automotive events of all time. McRae and Miller always strived to contribute to local charities, and the Great Race was a terrific place to gather a large donation. Now, with Corky Coker in charge of the Great Race, the same generous spirit lives on with the 2011 event. [caption id="attachment_1542" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Corky Coker with Peter Charman from The TEAM Centers, Inc."][/caption] Recently, Corky Coker met with Peter Charman from The TEAM Centers, Inc. a local Chattanooga non-profit organization, devoted

On his way through the Chattanooga, Tennessee area, Ken Gross decided to make a stop here, to pay a visit to Mike Goodman at Honest Charley and take a look at our recently finished Marmon Wasp. Ken is a well-established journalist, working for many, many big-name magazines. He's a true hot rodder, and he's one of our associates in the Collectors Foundation, so it was nice to catch up with him! We stopped long enough to get a picture taken, and continued on our way...we had a great time on his short visit, and hope to see him again soon! [caption id="attachment_1539" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Corky Coker alongside long-time friend and fellow car guy, Ken Gross. "][/caption]

You know the one--where Mike and Frank ripped us off on national TV for those old Ford signs? Well, we just wanted to let you guys know that we dumped EVEN MORE money into 'em to restore all of the old lighting. They're now hanging in the Coker Tire Museum ready to be plugged in and shown off to our visitors! We're proud of them, so the next time you're in the Museum take a real good look! To recoup our money invested, we're going to charge a $100 fee anytime someone wants to see them plugged up.....JUST KIDDING! These vintage signs are amazing to see, so look all you want... [caption id="attachment_1530" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Vintage Ford neon signs bought from American Pickers"][/caption]

Around here, there's no better way to celebrate the Indianapolis 500 than to show off some of our tires, built specifically for vintage Indy cars. In fact, we're up here in Indy right now, showing off our Marmon Wasp replica, along with our Firestone Indy tire selection, which are all built from either original Firestone molds or new molds built from the original drawings. We'll post up some pictures from the event later, but for now, check out a finished photo of the Marmon Wasp, and our line of Firestone Indy tires in the spirit of the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500! [caption id="attachment_1522" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Group shot of the Honest Charley Garage crew with the finished Marmon Wasp!"][/caption]

There are a lot of folks behind the scenes here at Coker Tire, who play a huge role in the company's well being. We have several departments in our Chestnut Street headquarters, one of which is Accounting. This week, the Accounting department threw a party for one of its members, Donna Halley, as she announced her plans to retire earlier this month. After 11 years of great service, Donna's final day in the office was May 25th. A reception in the Coker Tire Museum had snacks and refreshments, along with a framed photo, signed by the entire Coker crew. We wish Donna well on her new adventure, and appreciate her time here at Coker! [caption id="attachment_1519" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Donna is quiet and polite, but never wants to be in the spotlight. (That\'s her in the red)"][/caption]

Here at Coker Tire, we're making great efforts to improve our wellness program. Our employees mean a lot to us, and we want them to be healthy....so we can sell more tires of course! All joking aside, the health of Coker Tire employees is a big concern, but helping others is another big priority around here. With all of the storm damage, and injured folks around these parts, we orchestrated a Blood Drive with the Blood Assurance organization. The Blood Assurance crew came into the office this week, and the end result was 39 pints of life-giving blood. It may have hurt for a few minutes and made us a little weak for a couple of hours afterward, but the slight discomfort is NOTHING compared to the people who really need the blood. Helping to save lives, the Blood Assurance Blood Drive was a great success and we hope to have another one soon!

With the Marmon Wasp mostly complete, we snuck it out of the shop for a few minutes and snapped some pictures of it. We're just gonna let those pictures do the talkin'... [caption id="attachment_1503" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="The Marmon Wasp, hand built by Honest Charley Garage"][/caption]

Hey, remember when we said we had a short deadline on the Marmon Wasp rebuild? Well, it just got shortened up! Everybody at Honest Charley Garage is thrashing on this thing to get it done in time, and it's time for the final touches to make it as authentic as possible. The body is on, and the guys are hammering out the belly pan as this is being typed. The seat arrived today, so the "interior" (if you want to call it that) is complete. [caption id="attachment_1491" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Engine is pretty much done--paint didn\'t last too long on that exhaust!"][/caption]

Great events dont happen by accident and they certainly dont happen in the blink of an eye. It takes a lot of work to develop, organize and run an intricate event such as The Great Race, and it took a lot of work behind the scenes to get it off the ground. Tom McRae and Norman Miller did just that in 1983. The two individuals were partners in the deal, and bought out an ailing race promoter who planned to race pre-World War II automobiles across the United States for a massive purse. There were plenty of folks who doubted the feasibility of an event of this magnitude, but with help from a crew of like-minded car nuts, McRae and Miller made it work. From the inaugural event in 83 to the return of The Great Race in 2011, there have been lots of memorable moments, and with the events new ownership and new direction, there will be plenty more in the years to come.

Car guys are particularly good at finding a way to surround themselves around like-minded folks, and it's been that way for years. Car shows are a great way to do it, and we're lucky to be in a region where you could easily attend a car show every weekend if you don't mind traveling 100 miles or so. And while we attend many shows with our booth setup, we also visit several shows throughout the year in a more casual manner. This past weekend, we made the drive up to LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee for the 6th annual Goodguys Nashville Nationals. [caption id="attachment_1475" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Firestone whitewalls and custom wire wheels...what a beautiful combination, built by Jason Graham Hot Rods!"][/caption]

It's hard to believe, but it's been nearly a month since the deadly tornado outbreak hit the Tennessee Valley. Devastation was unbelievable, and our region was absolutely shocked by the damage. Just south of us, Ringgold, Georgia was hit hard, leaving a path of destruction, and just to the East of us, Apison, Tennessee received lots of damage. Joe Lombardo, a longtime Honest Charley Speed Shop employee is near and dear to us here at Coker Tire, and his Apison home was leveled during the storm. His property had many trees on it, which are now gone, and his barn is now in pieces.

Ya know, the funnest part of building an old car is driving it for the first time. Anybody that has taken the time to build an old hot rod or vintage race car knows the first drive is always the most exciting, even if the car is barely hanging together. In fact, the less complete the car is, the more fun it is to drive! We've definitely taken a few drives around the block with unfinished cars, and this one was extra special. If you recall, we drove the Marmon Wasp quite a bit in its earlier configuration, but with the new engine and drive train, it's a whole new animal. [caption id="attachment_1459" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="It drives!!! "][/caption]

That's right! All of the hard work by the guys at Honest Charley Garage is paying off because the rumble of the massive T-Head engine is filling the shop! Hal and Delton teamed up and installed all of the necessary components to fire this thing up, and boy does it sound awesome! We're really getting pumped, as the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500 draws closer and closer! At the same time, we know there's a lot of work left to do on the Marmon Wasp, so we're really leaning on our guys at HCG to get the job done. [caption id="attachment_1444" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="YES, that is fire coming out of the cylinders! Hal is over there controlling the throttle, while we soaked up the exhaust fumes and enjoyed the fireworks display!"][/caption]

It's time for the daily update on the Marmon Wasp--today, it's ALL about the engine! When our Marmon Wasp replica was first built, it had an overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine, which was no where near correct for this era. It was built just to get it on the road, but we're going all out this time with a period-correct power plant! The original Marmon Wasp used a six-cylinder T-Head engine, which was a one-off build, so we were on the hunt for a similar engine. Luckily, we found one and it's almost identical to the original! [caption id="attachment_1429" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Hal preparing the Marmon Wasp Engine and Chassis"][/caption]

With most of the painting complete, Hal and Delton could get busy on reassembling the Marmon Wasp chassis and getting it back on its wheels. Speaking of wheels, Richard worked his magic on the wheels to recreate the original look, and had help from J.D. Scott to machine a few necessary parts for the hubs. The end result is a perfectly matched appearance, down to the intentional dings in the wheel covers. [caption id="attachment_1414" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Not so mellow yellow...this thing is bright!"][/caption]

Although we spend most of our time talking about antique cars and motorcycles, Coker Tire is also heavily involved with professional drag racing by offering a wide variety of drag racing tires, available at www.dragracetires.com. With our Phoenix Race Tires brand, which are born from Firestone heritage, we have a great number of supporters on the track. One such supporter is Mike Crutchfield--he campaigns a Pontiac G5 in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, running in the Super Stock class. Oh, and we should probably mention that Mike is our Vice President of Performance Brands! [caption id="attachment_1409" align="alignleft" width="350" caption="Photo by www.dragracecentral.com"][/caption]

There's something to be said for a historic race track, be it a dirt track, a paved track or a drag strip. Knowing that gear heads just like you were racing on that very surface 50 years ago is an eye opening experience that will put a smile on any car guy's face. With this in mind, folks around the country are flocking to nostalgia drag racing events at historic tracks. One such event and track, is the Paradise Show-N-Go, held at Paradise Drag Strip in Calhoun, Georgia. [caption id="attachment_1395" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Paradise Drag Strip is known for its uphill burnout box and slightly unlevel starting line, which causes cars with manual transmissions to roll backward at the line. Even with this flaw, it was a state-of-the-art track during the \'60s."][/caption] The track opened in 1961, and it was home to lots of big-name match races and also a home track to many Super Stock racers in the mid-60s. Legends of drag racing, such as "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick and "Dyno Don" Nicholson have raced at Paradise Drag Strip, drawing huge crowds to watch the exciting action. Back then, every driver had a nickname, and every car had a distinct personality, unlike today's professional ranks in NHRA, where each car in its class is identical, aside from a few sponsor decals.

As you probably know by now, the Marmon Wasp replica built by Honest Charley Garage has actually been semi-complete for a year or so. However, it's never seen an ounce of paint, so it's time to get with the program and blast some yellow on this beast! Richard aka the "Car Carpenter" did an awesome job on the metal work, getting it ready for Zane to prep the panels and lay down some paint. [caption id="attachment_1381" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Zane lays down the base color, which has been professionally matched to the original Marmon Wasp."][/caption]

...flock together. And that was exactly the case today, as the Mockingbird Run came through Chattanooga, Tennessee and stopped at Coker Tire Company. These guys and gals are dedicated Thunderbird enthusiasts, and they braved some hard rain to get here, and braved it again as soon as they pulled into the Coker compound. Perry Anthony puts this run together, and has a Thunderbird of his own!

The guys at Honest Charley Garage are still hammering away (literally) at the Marmon Wasp rebuild. Lots of metal work happening right now, with the chassis nearing completion, but Zane is also hitting it hard in the body shop. We're going to be providing daily updates of the car's progress, and show you guys its debut at the 100th anniversary Indy 500, which is just a few weeks away. We're counting on the guys at HCG to get the job done in time, so follow take a look at some of our latest photos to see exactly what these guys are capable of... [caption id="attachment_1357" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Delton Scott making a bracket for the revamped Marmon Wasp chassis."][/caption] Click to see lots more cool photos of the fabrication process!

If you guys follow along with our blog, or Coker Tire in general, then you know we built a replica of the Marmon Wasp, the winning car from the inaugural Indy 500, which took place in 1911. That's 100 years ago, if you hadn't already done the math. So, with this year marking the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500 it's the perfect time to unveil the Marmon Wasp in finished form. [caption id="attachment_1347" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="The old engine--A Ford inline six-cylinder....not exactly period correct!"][/caption]

It's official--we're in full on show season, so we have trucks and trailers, and people running the roads constantly. We have booths set up at nearly 50 events this year, so our guys are super busy with setting up for shows and making sure we have enough product to keep you guys happy! What you may not know is that while our trucks and trailers go to big events, we also hit up a few other shows just for the fun of it. For instance, we dropped in on the NSRA Street Rod Nationals South this past weekend, which is held just up the road in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was a one-day trip, but we saw plenty of Coker Tire supporters in a wide variety of vehicles, from chopped and channeled Model A's rolling on Firestone whitewalls to flawlessly restored Camaros shod with redline tires. We snapped a few pictures along the way, so take a look. We might've grabbed a shot of your car! [caption id="attachment_1337" align="alignleft" width="475" caption="BFG Silvertown Whitewall Radials tucked WAY under the fenders of this Chevy pickup!"][/caption]

We were invaded by classic cars of the Chevrolet variety this past Friday! Bow ties were EVERYWHERE! The Vintage Chevrolet Club of America rolled into Chattanooga for a big meet at the Chattanooga Choo Choo and decided to make a stop at Coker Tire. Raime gave 'em a tour and some refreshments, while we snapped a few pictures of the cars and trucks in attendance. Check it out!

We have groups of people come into our facility for tours all the time, but it's extra special when they show up in a cool car! Take for example, the Bandit Run--this event came through Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago, and made a stop right here at Coker Tire. Many Trans Ams surrounded the area, including over a dozen "Bandit" Trans Ams, which parked in front of Honest Charley Garage, across the street.

Last week, we posted a couple pictures of Squindo and his gang as they made the trek to the Lonestar Round Up in Austin, Texas. Now that the event is over, these folks from the East Coast need to make the long drive back home, so we had a few more visitors stop by as they passed through. Yesterday it was "Scary" Larry Garland and his crew piloting a killer Deuce roadster and a '34 five-window. Scary Larry puts on a very cool nostalgia car show called the Jalopy Showdown, one is held May 21st at Latimore Valley Fairgrounds in York Springs, Pennsylvania, while the other is held October 1st at Beaver Springs Dragway in Beaver Springs, Pennsylvania. Check out www.jalopyshowdown.com for more information on the shows. Here's a couple of shots of their cars.... Today, we had Mike Szuba stop by in his vibrant Deuce five-window, and he had Dave Knight riding shotgun. The coupe rolls on whitewall Firestones, so he gets a big thumbs up for that! Hey, and get this--the coupe made that long road trip

This coming weekend is time for the annual Lonestar Round Up in Austin, Texas. It's a hotbed for traditional hot rods of all shapes and sizes, so folks from all over the place are making the trek to Texas for this awesome event. One such fellow goes by the name "Squindo" and has a thing for Kustom Art...that's Kustom with a K if you didn't notice. He's a master at pinstriping, hot rod art and wicked paintings, but he's a hot rodder at heart. He and his crew stopped by the office today and took the nickel tour of the place. They are en route to the Lonestar Round Up all the way from Pennsylvania. He's behind the wheel of a '60s Chevy panel truck, while his buddy is piloting the slammed Olds...he has super wide whitewalls on it but they're not Coker's. We won't hold that against him. Anyway, we hope they had a good time here in Chattanooga, and wish them a safe trip to the show and back home once it's all said and done.

Alright, the weather is beginning to straighten out, and it's time to roll the windows down and go for a ride. As you know, we don't really get into the whole "trailer queen" thing--these old cars are meant to be driven! With that in mind, you should always keep an eye on your tread wear characteristics, to make sure you get the most out of your tires. Tread wear depends greatly on your suspension alignment, and if that's off, you'll chew through a set of tires in no time. Of course, our business is selling tires, so we don't mind if you buy a new set of tires every few thousand miles, but it's important to get this stuff sorted out, so you get a little more enjoyment out of your collector car. Vehicles with solid axles, front and rear, are a little tougher to align properly, while vehicles with independent suspension have a lot more wiggle room when it comes to adjusting camber, caster and toe. Suspension alignment makes sure the vehicle tracks straight as it goes down the road, and it

Because there are a lot of events that happen in all things collector car, hot rod and the whole automotive aftermarket all over these United States, this dumb ole country boy from Tennessee often has to jump time zones to be in California. Since the first of the year I have had the "opportunity to fly to LA three times. With that much time on wings (I would much prefer to behind the wheel of a hot rod) I have been disenfranchised (flights cancelled, unexplained delays, weather delays cancellations, flight crew issues) by Murphy (it's a law) all three times. One was because of weather when Dallas got snow, two were "mechanical delays or cancellations" both resulting in delay opportunities. I don't know about you but I do not do time alterations or delay opportunities very well.

Through the years, I've traveled to so many events and met so many great people, it's tough to stay in touch with ALL of my buddies. That's why it's so great when people take the time out of their schedule to visit me while I'm in town. This past Friday, my good friend Eric Edwards stopped by with a couple of his friends, which were visiting from Italy. Eric is from Canada and is the National Director of the Horseless Carriage Club of America. The trio was en route to the HCCA National Meeting and Tour at Mount Dora, Florida. I'm glad they stopped by to visit, and it was great showing them around the shop and the museum!

We get emails from customers all the time, telling us about their experiences with our tires. And as most of you know, we're FIRM believers in driving old cars, instead of letting them sit. Well, take a look at this email we got from Joyce Chance: Model T Ford Touring car 1916/17 from North Pole, Alaska. It was used on the Valdez to Fairbanks trail from 1917 to 1926 and around Fairbanks until 1929 when placed in storage. I got the car in 2006 when it came out of storage for the first time. It was first registered in the Territory of Alaska in 1957. I am the first to register the car in Alaska with a plate. All Coker Firestones. Here are some pictures of the car!

We had a special guest here at the Coker Tire headquarters today. His name is Dr. Leonard J. Nyberg Jr. PhD, and he's a retired Economics Professor from Lisbon, New Hampshire. If that last name sounds familiar, you may remember the 1910 Nyberg racecar built by the Honest Charley Garage. Dr. Nyberg stopped by the office with his wife Dawn, on their way back from West Palm Beach, Florida. He's been searching for a Nyberg vehicle for years and was excited to find out he could scope out the one in the Coker Collection. Dr. Nyberg knew the car was here, and actually saw photos of it, but wanted to check it out in person, so he did just that and slid behind the wheel for a quick photo opp! He's been researching Nyberg Automobile Works for a while and we're glad a fellow Nyberg enthusiast stopped by for a visit. We wish the Nyberg's a safe trip back to New Hampshire and hope to see them again soon.

We always try to make each new catalog better than the previous version, and the 2011 edition is no different. We went all out on the 2011 catalog, including all new cars, and lots of cool, new imagery. It's packed full of our best sellers, as well as several new products. Also, you'll see on the cover that we're now a distributor for Rocket Racing Wheels, meaning you can order a custom wheel and tire combination from us, just like you can with our line of Specialty Wheel muscle car wheels and Roadster Wire Wheels. These catalogs are hot off the press, so pick up your copy today! Oh and don't forget to stop by our headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee or give us a call at 1-800-242-0009.

It's that time again! Every winter, the World of Wheels comes to Chattanooga, inside the Chattanooga Convention Center, which is right around the corner from our headquarters on Chestnut Street. It's an indoor car show that always draws a big crowd because of its attractions, and of course the great collection of cars being displayed! This year, our neighbors at Honest Charley Garage are showcasing a few buildups at the show, including the recently-finished 1952 MG TD owned by Wes Kliner. You'll also see the Honesty Charley rat rod pickup, the GR3 Deuce roadster pickup, as well as the Double Exposure '32 Ford, all of which were built right here in Chattanooga. Oh yeah, how could we forget the Marmon Wasp? The hand-fabricated replica of the legendary 1909 Marmon Wasp will be on hand to showcase the quality workmanship from the folks at Honest Charley Garage. If you're tired of waiting for warm weather to make its return, check out the World of Wheels this weekend. It's open Friday January