Great Race
-
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
-
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.
-
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 -
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
-
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!
-
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
-
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
-
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!
-
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!
-
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!
-
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!
-
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!
-
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,
-
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.
-
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
-
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
-
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!
-
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!
-
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
-
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!
-
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
-
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!
-
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
-
July 19, 2018The Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty is geared toward vintage cars and trucks, so it makes sense that the majority of them are using Coker Tire products. We offer tires that have the period correct look, while also providing great performance for precision rallying. Jeff and Eric Fredette have been rallying for many years in their 1933 Ford pickup and they rely on Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial tires to get the job done. And if you've seen some of our pictures of this attention-getting pickup truck, then you know Jeff puts those tires to the test. This year, he led the field for several days of competition, but had a rough scoring day on 8th day of competition. It allowed John and Scott Hudson to jump into the lead, leaving the Fredettes with a tough deficit on the final day of
-
July 01, 2018We're so close to the finish we can almost taste it! Actually, we're staying in Halifax, Nova Scotia tonight, as it's right across the bay from this evening's hosted stop in Dartmouth. Tomorrow we will finish the Great Race at the Waterfront Warehouse in downtown Halifax! With awesome water views and lots of tension in the air, the crowd will be at full attention when its time for the Great Racers to cross the finish line. Whether or not they win their division, the real thrill of the Great Race is crossing the finish line. Today, we started in Moncton, New Brunswick, and crossed over into Truro, Nova Scotia for a very well attended lunch stop. Then, the racers had a tricky route in the Nova Scotia farm land, looping around to the same intersection three times throughout the afternoon. Finally, we rolled into Dartmouth for the Day 8 evening stop. There was a big shake up in the overall standings today, and it sent John and Scott Hudson to the top of the leader board. Gary and Jean Ann Martin
-
June 30, 20187 down and 2 more to go! We're getting closer to the Grand Finish in Halifax, Nova Scotia but we have two more tough days of rallying ahead of us. Today was a long one, as we traveled from Bar Harbor, Maine into Canada. It was an early start to give us plenty of time to cross the Canadian boarder, and get ready to start the day's timed course. The morning course covered lots of ground, but kept us on one particular road for many miles (or kilometers, since we're in Canada). We made our way to a packed-out lunch stop in Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada, and then hit the road again. We received a warm welcome in the town of Sussex, New Brunswick. They were not a hosted stop, but they knew the limited roads would send the Great Racers through their town. They watched us drive through, offering waves, cheers and even a live band playing near the street. It was great!
-
June 28, 2018We have eclipsed the half way point of the 2018 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. We're spending a few days in Maine, exploring the back roads and some really cool destinations. Today's route sent us on a maze of bumpy back roads leading to a spectacular lunch stop in Owl's Head, Maine. The Owl's Head Transportation Museum welcomed us by providing lunch, opening the doors to the museum and doing fly-by's in vintage airplanes all day. It was an awesome stop, and our only complaint is that we wanted to stay longer! From there, we hopped back on the road, finishing a tough day of rallying with a great evening stop in Bangor, Maine. Team Coker Tire knocked out an awesome day, and ended up in a tie for the best raw score of the day. After the age factor is accounted for, Gary and Jean Ann Martin finished third with a final score of 13.58 seconds. This bumped them up to 5th place in the cumulative standings, and they are within about 5 seconds from the overall leaders (Jody
-
June 27, 2018On the road again! We launched from the beautiful town of Burlington, Vermont this morning, and our course instructions sent us on another journey through rural farm land and small towns. We eventually crossed into New Hampshire, making our way to a lunch stop at base of Mount Washington. We had a great turnout of folks at the lunch stop, and all racers had the option of making the trip to the Summit using the historic Mount Washington Auto Road. This treacherous 7.4-mile road has no guard rails, and it's barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other. About 30 of the 117 teams elected to go to the Summit, and we were there to capture some great photos as they climbed. After the Mount Washington adventure was complete, we had a direct route into Maine, and an outstanding stop in Gardiner. The small town offered the perfect venue for our entourage, and the locals came out in droves to support the Great Race. Check out our highlights from today's route, and look for some beautiful Maine
-
June 26, 2018The Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty keeps on rolling! Today, we left New York, and rallied through the beautiful state of Vermont. The landscape offered great views, and it also offered a challenging course for the Great Racers. With a variety of terrain, dozens of speed changes and a tough stretch of highway rallying, the course took its toll on the teams. We stopped in Bennington, Vermont for lunch, and couldn't believe the awesome spectator turnout on a Monday. The venue was the Hemmings Motor News facility, which actually has a full service vintage gas station out front. From there, we headed north to Burlington, Vermont, where we invaded the Church Street Marketplace. The pedestrian area of downtown Burlington came alive with sound of vintage engines as our teams made their way into town. Check out our photo highlights from today's rally through Vermont and get ready for some epic scenery tomorrow as we tackle the Mount Washington Auto Road in New Hampshire.
-
June 25, 2018Today, we tackled the state of New York. Yesterday's route didn't cover a lot of ground, as we made the easy jump from Buffalo to Fairport. However, today was a new animal, as we started the day in Rochester, New York and ended on the Eastern side of the state in the city of Troy. We saw fields and farmland for many miles of today's trip, but we also saw some cool old towns sprinkled throughout New York. After a morning route full of hills, twists and turns, we made our way into Norwich, New York for lunch. The venue was the Northeast Classic Car Musuem, which houses an incredible collection of cars, trucks, motorcycles, engines and more. We could've stayed there all day! But the clock was ticking and we had to hit the road. We then drove into more scenic farmland, and saw dozens of Coker-equipped vehicles performing well on the course.
-
June 24, 2018Today, we officially started another Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. Coker Tire has been involved with the Great Race for many years, and has orchestrated the event in-house since 2011. It is a huge undertaking, but it's a labor of love for Director Jeff Stumb and the rest of the Coker staff who contribute to the effort. This year, the route takes us from Buffalo, New York to Halifax, Nova Scotia, by way of the back roads of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and of course New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It's an epic route that will give us some great scenery, and lots of cool towns to visit. Like last year, Gary and Jean Ann Martin are "Team Coker Tire" in their Coker Blue Chevy II. They're running on a set of our BFGoodrich Redline radials and Chevy Rallye wheels. There is a high percentage of teams who use Coker Tire products on their Great Race vehicle, as our tires offer great performance and authentic looks. Today's route took us from Buffalo, New York to
-
September 16, 2017When September rolls around, we know that we'll be covered up with events, as events like the Street Rodder Road Tour, Somernites Power Cruise and more occur in the busy month. The Coker Tire Challenge to be the third weekend in September, and we can always count on many of our Great Race rally friends to join the fun at our little hometown regional rally. It's a much more relaxed atmosphere than the hustle and bustle of Great Race, but the competition aspect is still there, so it gives the veterans awesome practice and gives them a chance to win a few bucks too! This year, we had about 40 teams join us on the Coker Tire Challenge, even after a few dropped out due to the unfortunate hurricanes of late. Great Race regulars, like Curtis Graf, Rex Gardner, Gary and Jean Ann Martin, and of course, Brad Phillips from Hagerty were among the field of stellar teams in this year's Coker Tire Challenge.
-
July 03, 2017We have finally reached the finish line of the 2017 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, in Traverse City, Michigan. This 9-day, 2,300-mile journey has been full of ups and downs, but one team that had an unbeatable consistency was Jody Knowles and Beth Gentry. They are always competitive in the Expert division, but they stepped it up a notch this year. With a winning score of 44.55 seconds, this team is taking home more than $50,000 in cash and prizes! By the way, the Knowles/Gentry won the race on a set of our BFGoodrich Silvertown wide whitewall radial tires and Hot Rod Steel wheels! In fact, 9 of the Top 10 teams were rolling on Coker Tire products!
-
July 02, 2017As we moved further north on the 2017 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, the temperatures dropped and we enjoyed a cool Michigan breeze. The day's route offered loops and mazes, and lots of tough maneuvers to keep the racers on their toes. Suddenly, we found ourselves on the coast of Lake Huron in the beautiful town of Alpena, Michigan. Then, it was a long afternoon of rallying, as we made our way to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on the United States and Canada border. Tomorrow is the big day as our journey comes to an end in Traverse City, Michigan, and we see where all of the teams stack up. Currently, 9 of the top 10 cars are rolling on Coker Tire products. Unfortunately, our Coker Tire sponsored team dropped a few positions, but they are still in the Top 10 in the Expert division. Take a look at today's highlights and stay tuned to see the results of 2,300 miles and nine days of rallying!
-
July 01, 2017Another tough day of rallying is in the books on the 2017 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. Director of Competition, John Classen didn't cut the racers any slack today, providing a tough route with lots of short rally legs, which can really throw off the day's scores. With a total of 9 legs on the day, it kept everyone on their A-game. We made two awesome stops today--first was the Stahls Automotive Museum in Chesterfield Township, Michigan. Ted and Mary Stahl are great supporters of the Great Race and have an unbelievable collection of cars, motorcycles, automatic musical instruments, vintage signs and more. We enjoyed a great meal and then headed toward the overnight stop in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The German town has tons of character, and we were blown away with the turnout. Thousands of people crowded the streets, welcoming the racers to their beautiful town. The Team Coker Tire entry of Gary and Jean Ann Martin moved up a position today in the overall standings,
-
June 30, 2017We're still truckin' right along on the 2017 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty! As we embarked on day 6 of this epic adventure, we knew it would be action packed and rather busy...but the good kind of busy! We stopped in three towns, all of which featuring awesome museums! First was a pit stop in Shipshewana, Indiana, and the Hostetler's Hudson Auto Museum. Usually, these pit stops are highly advertised, but we ended up with hundreds of spectators checking out our cars while we looked at the impressive collection of Hudsons. We also grabbed a quick snack, provided by the museum. Then, it was onto lunch at the incredible Gilmore Auto Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan! This place was packed with spectators, some of which drove their old cars to offer us the warmest of welcomes! Finally, we made the final push to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where a HUGE crowd would greet us. Ypsilanti is the home of the last remaining Hudson
-
June 29, 2017The 2017 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty has eclipsed the half way point! We're well on our way to the North, and today was spent navigating the flat and straight roads of Indiana and Ohio. We spent all day in farm land, with a set of emergency instructions due to road construction, tractor interference and a generally tricky timed course. At the end of the day, we saw another new daily score winner, with Jim and Louise Feeney taking it with a 6.64 second day. We'd be missing a great opportunity if we didn't tell you that they're doing it on Coker Tire products! In fact, the top 5 finishers in today's route are rolling exclusively on Coker's! Team Coker Tire finished fifth on the day with a score of 14.55 seconds. Today's hosted stops included an incredible turnout in downtown Wapakoneta, Ohio, and a stop at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum (in Auburn, Indiana) that was beyond words. The collection was great, but the people and
-
June 28, 2017We're getting close to the halfway point of the 2017 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. It's no wonder that the Great Race is the world's premier vintage car rally...every town rolls out the red carpet for us, and makes us feel so special when we roll through. And even though we're only there for a short time, we make new friends and meet so many new people at every stop. Today, our route sent us into Indiana for an excellent lunch stop in French Lick, where town was full of spectators, and classic cars. From there, the route took an unexpected turn, due to road construction in the area, so our afternoon ride was quite relaxing! The evening stop in Franklin, Indiana was mind-blowing. This small town has a HUGE courthouse, which is surrounded by historic buildings and historic houses. We just couldn't get enough of Franklin, as it had all the right scenery, and thousands of people to cheer us on as we finished our day.
-
June 27, 2017Today's route on the 2017 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty had twists and turns, mountain grades, gravel roads, farm roads and even a race track. We saw cars slide around on tricky corners, and we saw them miss corners all together. There is no doubt that today's ride from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Bowling Green, Kentucky offered some thrills and the intense rallying shook up the standings a little. Josh Hull and Trevor Stahl got the best time of the day with a 4.05 second score, beating out legends of the sport in the process. Maybe it was something to do with those Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial tires? The Team Coker Tire entry of Gary and Jean Ann Martin (Kentucky natives) scored well today, with a total time of 12.61 seconds, putting them into fifth place overall. We had a couple of excellent stops--one in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and one in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Both were filled with smiling faces, and folks who cared enough to cook us a bunch of good food! Bowling
-
June 26, 2017Today was a day of hometowns on the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. We hit the throttle in Tifton, Georgia and didn't let off until we got into Vienna, Georgia, where we would gas up and get ready for a big day. We made our way through historic towns, such as Lilly, Byromville and Thomaston on our way to a lunch stop in Newnan, Georgia. This town was full of character and we enjoyed our stop on the courthouse square. The church traffic was thick, but the scenery was beautiful! Newnan is the hometown for a few of our teams, including the Caldwell family, and the Gentry and Knowles families. From there, we visited Wayne Vick's hometown of Armuchee, Georgia, and made a quick pit stop to view his awesome collection of vintage iron. Then, it was onto OUR hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee for an awesome overnight stop here in the Scenic City. We threw out the red carpet for the racers, by hosting a cruise in to show them that the Chattanooga area is FULL of car people who
-
June 25, 2017We've spent the last few days in Jacksonville, Florida getting ready for the 2017 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. It's time to wind down from Day 1 of the race, and it was a hot one! It was an awesome turnout at the Grand Start, which took place on Main Street in the Historic Springfield District. The Coker Tire sponsored team car is once again the beautiful Chevy II of Gary and Jean Ann Martin. The Martins had an awesome day, with a raw score of 2 seconds, which came out to 1.94 seconds after their car's age factor was calculated. With that type of score, the Martins are on task to get out front and take the lead, but they'll have to string together a few awesome days to do it. Our final destination of the day was the beautiful downtown of Tifton, Georgia, and the town welcomed us with open arms. We're super excited about tomorrow's route, as it lands in our hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee! We're welcoming the racers with a cruise in, and a delicious catered dinner
-
May 25, 2017Chattanooga, Tennessee is a hot spot for all sorts of events, and we feel like we've encouraged a bunch of car folks to visit the city with our annual Chattanooga Cruise In event. This year, the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty is paying a visit to the Scenic City, and the racers are stopping right here in the Southside! This isn't the first time that the Great Race has visited Chattanooga, but we're going to pull out all the stops to make it the best evening stop on the event! The streets around Coker Tire and Honest Charley Speed Shop will be closed, and we're hoping to PACK the streets with hot rods, muscle cars, restored classics and more to welcome the 120 Great Race teams as they enter the Chattanooga evening stop. It all happens Sunday, June 25th from 4 to 8pm Eastern time, and the first Great Race cars should begin arriving at 5:30pm. We plan to have an open house, just like our regular cruise in events, so
-
July 05, 2016We are huge supporters of the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. This year, the event went from San Rafael, California to Moline, Illinois, using the Lincoln Highway as a guide. It was 2,400 miles of grueling mountains, rough roads and farm lands, but a large percentage of the 109 teams finished the race. In the end, the top 12 finishers in the Great Race were rolling on Coker Tire products. Of course, that includes the winners--G.R. Pike and Bobby Hadskey in their 1916 Hudson, which rolls on Goodrich Silvertown Cord high pressure tires. Second place went to David Reeder and Sawyer Stone in their 1916 Hudson touring car, while third place overall went to Team Coker Tire...Gary and Jean Ann Martin in their 1964 Nova! Moving further back, we saw lots of cars sporting our Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial tires, including teams such as Jeff and Eric Fredette in their famous flag-waving Ford pickup. The team of Jody Knowles and Beth Gentry debuted a new tire and wheel setup, going
-
June 27, 2016We did it! We survived the 2016 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty! The racers crossed the finish line this afternoon in Moline, Illinois, much to the delight of thousands of spectators, and of course, a great network of racers and support crews. These guys and gals are fully committed to having fun, driving hard and making it to the finish, so supporting their fellow racers is just a part of being in the Great Race family. After the scores were tallied, it actually ended up being a tie between the teams of Pike/Hadskey and Reeder/Stone, both past Grand Champions, and both driving 1916 Hudsons. The Great Race scoring staff had to go to two levels of tie breakers to determine that G.R. Pike and Bobby Hadskey had won the 2016 Great Race! The Coker Tire team of Gary and Jean Ann Martin won the Expert Division, and finished third overall, but we'd like to add that the Martins actually had the best "raw score", which is the actual number of seconds they were away from a perfect
-
June 26, 2016It's getting down to the wire on the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty! We're biting our nails as the final two days of competition are known as the Championship Run, where racers are not allowed to throw out their worst leg of the day. The day's route was a tough one with lots of turns and maneuvers over the course of the day. A wonderful lunch stop in Mason City, Iowa was sunny and hot, but as soon as we got back to rallying in the afternoon, we finally got some cloud cover! The afternoon route was once again farm land and a bunch of tough turns. Gary and Jean Ann Martin of Team Coker Tire have led the entire race, but had a rough day today, which allowed G.R. Pike and Bobby Hadskey slide ahead of them. The two are only separated by a little over one second, so we'll just have to see how it shakes out tomorrow! We'll be sure to keep you updated...but for now, check out our highlights from today!
-
June 25, 2016It's hard to believe that it's already Friday! It feels like we just kicked this thing off but it's already been a solid seven days of rallying through some of the most scenic areas of the United States. Today, we racked up a bunch of miles, traveling from one end of South Dakota to the other...starting in Rapid City this morning and ending in Sioux Falls this evening. In between, we had a quick pitstop at the Pioneer Auto Show, an eclectic collection of old cars, tractors and other cool stuff. We also had a great lunch stop in Chamberlain, South Dakota, as we made our way across the state. Tomorrow, we start the Championship Run and enter Iowa for a tough day of rallying. Can Gary and Jean Ann Martin retain the lead? We sure hope so! Enjoy our highlights from Day 7 as Great Racers made it through the Badlands and the flat lands in the same day.
-
June 22, 2016Yesterday's route on the Great Race was full of long, boring straightaways, that kept the driver staring intently at the speedometer, while the navigator patiently waited for the next instruction to come along. Today was a little different, as the day's rallying kicked off with a tricky maze through the town of Wells, Nevada. Then, it was a straight shot to an un-hosted lunch stop in Wendover, Utah, where we grabbed a quick bite to eat and hit the road again. The Great Race staff allotted a few extra minutes so we could check out the Bonneville Salt Flats, which was super cool. From there, we motored across the state of Utah with a head of steam that would eventually put us into Evanston, Wyoming for our Day 4 evening stop. In between the lunch and evening stops was some of the most beautiful scenery that the United States has to offer. Here are a few samples of our big day on the race, but if you want more please check out www.greatrace.com
-
June 21, 2016Today's adventures on the 2016 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty featured a LONG route that included Highway 50, deemed the "Loneliest Road in America" and we can see why. It was a long stretch, and we often wondered what was on the other side of the horizon...as it turns out, straightaway after straightaway took us completely out of civilization. Finally, we arrived in Austin, Nevada for lunch, and enjoyed a delicious tri-tip beef sandwich and plenty of treats from the local Girl Scouts troop. We also spent some time with a Nevada hot rodder with a beautiful '32 Ford roadster, rolling on a set of Firestones (450/475-16 and 750-16 in case you were wondering) and our Hot Rod Steel wheels. Moving on, we blasted across even more lonely terrain, on our way to an evening stop in Elko, Nevada. The Coker Tire team of Gary and Jean Ann Martin finished the day with a score of 8 seconds, putting them in a great position. Trust us when we say that having an 8 second day with such
-
June 20, 2016We're back on the road with the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. Today's route sent us from Sacramento, California to Gardnerville, Nevada for an awesome lunch and local car show. We spotted a bunch of great cars in the show that were rolling on Coker Tire products, including a beautiful 1932 Ford station wagon (woody) owned by loyal customer, Michael King. The racers entered and exited Gardnerville on the same stretch of road, which hugged up against a beautiful mountain range, complete with snow on top. Our route from lunch to dinner was tricky, but offered even more awesome scenery as it led to Reno, Nevada for our evening stop. The National Automobile Museum hosted the stop, and welcomed us into its breath-taking facility! Every make imaginable is represented in the collection, and you can bet a LOT of them were rolling on Coker's! Speaking of which, the daily winner for Stage 2 is rolling on Coker's...it's David Reeder and Sawyer Stone's awesome 1916 Hudson. Good
-
June 19, 2016Today marked the official start of the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. This year, the event is traveling from San Rafael, California to Moline, Illinois with a route that is loosely based on the Lincoln Highway. The town of San Rafael was fully committed to making sure this would be one of the biggest Great Race starts of all time, and their efforts resulted in a packed house! Thousands of people converged on Fourth Street of San Rafael, as more than 100 teams blasted off from the starting line. The Coker Tire team of Gary and Jean Ann Martin had an outstanding day, despite some issues along the route. They were able to make up time, and scored a three second day, putting them in first place overall! That's right, the Coker team is number one! Today's route sent us to Vacaville, California for lunch, and then hightailed it through the farm land of northern California, on our way to the dinner stop in Sacramento. It was an awesome first day, and we can't wait to show
-
June 18, 2016For the past few days, we've been in San Rafael, California, gearing up for the 2016 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. We've had a busy week of pre-race activities, and the next nine days will be wide-open as a Case knife. Earlier this week, we had a movie night at the Rafael Theater for a showing of "The Great Race" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the classic film. Ted Stahl provided the "Leslie Special" and the "Hannibal 8" cars from the movie to be on display in front of the theater. Thursday was even busier, with a photo opportunity at the Golden Gate Bridge, a few hot laps at Sonoma Raceway, a viewing of the Charlie Goodman car collection and a dinner cruise on the San Francisco Bay. All of this led up to Friday's activities, starting with a big meeting, Rally School and the Hagerty Trohpy Run. Take a look at some of our highlights from the pre-race activities and stay tuned to the blog, as well as our Facebook
-
June 10, 2016Coker Tire has been heavily involved with the Great Race for many years, and since 2011, we have used our staff to organize and promote the event. It has grown tremendously over the last few years, with highly anticipated routes and of course, a $50,000 prize for the winners. Since Coker Tire is a sponsor of the event, we always want at least one team to represent our company during the race. This year we have two Coker Tire corporate teams, and both will be great representatives for the Great Race, which is a nine-day time, speed, endurance rally for vintage vehicles. Coker Tire 1 is car number 38 of Gary and Jean Ann Martin, piloting a 1964 Chevy II, while Coker Tire 2 is car number 6, a 1927 T35b Bugatti replica built by Pur Sang. Both cars will be rolling on Coker Tire products, and proving themselves along the 2,400 mile race from San Rafael, California to Moline, Illinois on June 18-26, 2016. [products]
-
July 13, 2015The Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty is an annual vintage car rally that puts driver, navigator and car to the test through nine days and 2,400 miles of intense competition. The route changes every year, and this year, it featured a Route 66 theme, starting in Kirkwood, Missouri and ending on the Santa Monica Pier in Southern California. It was the ultimate road trip for a car enthusiast, and the field of 120 cars filled quickly when the route was announced. We covered the entire trip with daily blog entries with cool pictures from each day's adventures, but we'd like to sum it up here with a collection of our favorite photos, and to let you know that more than half of the 120-car field was running on bias ply or radial tires from Coker Tire! Even the winner, Howard and Doug Sharp's 1916 Hudson, was running our tires--more specifically a set of Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial tires. The Great Race is the adventure of a lifetime that you can do every year, and we certainly enjoyed our involvement with the event this year. Next year is gearing up to be even better, as the race starts in San Rafael, California and ends in Moline, Illinois, using the Lincoln Highway as the theme. Be sure to check out www.greatrace.com for more information on how you can participate!
-
June 29, 2015Team Coker Tire has battled with mechanical problems during all nine days of the 2015 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. Despite the difficulties, the team crossed the finish line today on the Santa Monica Pier with a crowd of thousands on hand to take part in the celebration. The day's route was a tricky one, and the lunch hour was spent at the incredible Nethercutt Museum, where we wish we could've had a bit more time to look around. It was outstanding! We then motored across town to the Santa Monica Pier, where the Great Race would crown its champions. This year it came down to a close battle between Great Race veterans, with Howard and Doug Sharp coming out on top with their 1916 Hudson, which is rolling on Coker's of course! It was an awesome way to finish an epic car adventure, and we're already looking forward to next year's route from California to Illinois on the Lincoln Highway!
-
June 28, 2015It's been a long run, and we're getting close to the end of the 2015 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. Today was another hot one, but we saw a 20-degree drop when we rolled into our overnight hosted city of San Bernardino, California. An awesome crowd of spectators came out to view the Great Race, and we enjoyed a challenging route throughout the day. A lunch stop in Twentynine Palms, California was packed out, and we enjoyed a few pieces of fried chicken before we hit the road toward San Bernardino. We passed by a crazy Wind Farm with hundreds of windmills visible from our route. It was another big day, and we're in Championship mode, so tomorrow is obviously a day that cannot have any mistakes. Take a look at the day's highlights and stay tuned to find out the winner tomorrow, as we finish on the Santa Monica Pier at 2pm.
-
June 27, 2015The Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty presses on, as we make our way across the country. We've spent plenty of time on Route 66, and today was no different, as the course instructions put us on one of the longest uninterrupted strips of Route 66 early in the morning. We made our way to Kingman, Arizona for lunch, were three-digit temperatures were already in play. It was then time to do some mountain climbing, as we scaled the Hualapai Mountains, and eventually made it to Sitgreaves Pass for one of the most amazing scenic views in Great Race history. At the bottom of the mountain, we rolled into Oatman, Arizona, which is one of the coolest old towns in the country. Donkeys greeted us as we stopped in town for a quick look at some of the establishments. The temperatures climbed to a maximum of 117 degrees, and it's still over 100 degrees here in our overnight hosted city of Lake Havasu City, Arizona as we write this recap. Enjoy the scenery and take a look at our favorite shots of the day!
-
June 26, 2015Things are changing on the 2015 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. We're heading into new territory and we had a wild range of temperatures and terrains throughout the day's rally course. The day started at our overnight host city of Gallup, New Mexico but we jumped into Arizona right off the bat. From there, we entered the Petrified Forest National Park and saw some extreme scenery on our way through the park. Unfortunately, Team Coker Tire's Volkswagen Beetle continues to have problems, but that's not keeping them from finishing each day's route. As they say, "to finish is to win" and sometimes that can be easier said than done. After a hot lunch stop in Winslow, Arizona, we climbed to a much higher elevation and drove through a beautiful forest atop the plateau. It was a nice break in temperatures, and the evening hosted stop in Flagstaff, Arizona offered a bunch of spectators and LOTS of choices for dinner. We're anticipating a scorching hot day tomorrow, so wish us luck, as Team Coker Tire's air-cooled VW fights through the desert.
-
June 25, 2015It's starting to heat up on the 2015 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, and we mean that in a couple different ways. It's heating up in the sense that the competition got a huge shake up with a very challenging route with lots of opportunities for mistakes, and it's also heating up in terms of the temperature. We're sure the next couple days will be scorching hot, as we spend two full days in Arizona. This morning's scenery wasn't outstanding, but we made up for it in the afternoon with big mountain scenes and beautiful canyons. Lunch was hosted at the Unser Racing Museum, which covered many eras of the Unser family of racing and offered an excellent venue for a big crowd of spectators. Our hosted evening stop in Gallup, New Mexico was also a packed out stop, and we enjoyed coming through town on Historic Route 66, seeing all the cool vintage signs. Check out our highlights from the day!
-
June 24, 2015Wow. That sums up today's route on the 2015 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. We started the day in Amarillo, Texas and made a quick pit stop at Cadillac Ranch, which was just a couple miles from our host hotel. From there, it was a LONG morning of rallying on some of the flattest and straightest roads in the United States. The wind was a huge factor, as the strong head wind gave the driver's yet another challenge when it came to holding speed. Speaking of which, most of the day was spent with the speedometer needle on 50 miles per hour, and that presented quite a challenge. Sometimes, our courses feature dozens of turns, speed changes and other maneuvers, but today, it was all about the driver holding steady. We stopped for lunch in Tucumcari, New Mexico and embarked on a challenging afternoon route in the middle of no where. We drove for MILES without seeing other cars, other humans or buildings. We finally made it back to civilization and rolled through Las Vegas, New Mexico before hightailing it to our overnight hosted stop in Santa Fe. Tomorrow's another big day in New Mexico, but for now, enjoy the photos!
-
June 23, 2015It's not often that you have a flooded bridge in the middle of the day's course, especially in Texas, but it happened today. As we made our way toward our evening stop in Amarillo, Texas, we came across a flooded bridge with just enough water to make a nice splash without causing too much of a problem. We certainly saw some terrain changes, and had a challenging day on the course. Team Coker Tire is still dealing with mechanical problems, but made it to the Day 3 finish in Amarillo. We had lunch in Elk City, Oklahoma, and covered a LOT of ground today. We're headed to New Mexico tomorrow, and it will likely be another challenging day on the course. Check out our highlights from today and enjoy!
-
June 22, 2015Another awesome day of Great Racing is done, and we're hanging out in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for the evening. We had an excellent time on the route, and even more fun at the hosted city stops in Claremore, Oklahoma and OKC! Spectator turnout was spectacular at both stops and we saw lots of cool landmarks on the course. Route 66 has a lot to offer, and we're taking advantage of it. Team Coker Tire's Volkswagen Beetle is having a few mechanical issues, but it's a freshly-rebuilt car so that's to be expected on a road trip of this magnitude. The scores are tight and it will only get tighter as everyone gets in the groove this week. We're having a blast and we hope you enjoy our daily recaps. Check out www.greatrace.com for scores and additional pictures, and also remember to keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook pages for live updates of all the cool stuff on the road!
-
June 21, 2015We are truly blessed to be in the position to sponsor the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, and we are also blessed to own and operate the event from our Chattanooga, Tennessee headquarters. Over the last five years or so, we have poured a lot of effort and time into the event to bring it back to its former glory and it's working! This year, the Great Race had 117 entrants, all 1972 or earlier, so that means that between racers, support, staff and others, we have about 400 people rolling from town to town. It's amazing, and we're glad to be a part of it. The 2015 event is super special, because the theme is Route 66, and driving Route 66 in an old car is on every gear head's bucket list. Our time in the start host city, Kirkwood, Missouri was excellent and the teams departed with thousands of spectators on hand to cheer them on. Greg Cunningham is once again representing Team Coker Tire, but this time, he's in his customized Volkswagen Beetle, which is (of course) riding on a set of whitewall radials from Coker. Check out today's action from Day 1 of the 2015 Great Race, as we traveled across Missouri, from Kirkwood to Rolla and eventually to Springfield. Stay tuned for daily updates and you can also watch our Instagram and Facebook pages to see live updates each day.
-
February 24, 2015Coker Tire Company has been a huge supporter of the Great Race for many years, and continues to be a sponsor of the event each year. The Great Race promotes DRIVING old cars, and that's what we're all about. We're excited to announce that the Great Race has expanded its format to include the Great American Tour for this year's course on historic Route 66. And while the Great Race is geared toward competition, with $150,000 up for grabs, the event organizers decided to offer a more laid back option for car enthusiasts who wanted more of a tour and less of a race. The result is the Hemmings Motor News Great American Tour presented by Hagerty, an epic journey on historic Route 66 to see all the sights of The Mother Road.
-
August 29, 2014A Cadillac, especially a beautiful black 1947 sedan, deserves a good set of whitewall tires. But not just any whitewall tires will fit the bill--this one is rolling on a set of our brand new American Classic bias look radials, sized at 8.20-15. These tires have the right look for a period correct restoration, hot rod or custom, as the narrow tread profile and piecrust shoulder offer the vintage appearance of a bias ply tire. Combine this with radial construction and you have the best of both worlds. These tires are available in nine sizes, in whitewall and blackwall configurations. Get yours now!
-
June 30, 2014What a crazy week! It's always a lot of fun, and a lot of work to compete in the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. We consider 2014 a huge success, as both Coker teams crossed the finish line in one piece, here in The Villages, Florida, during one of the greatest finishes we've ever seen. We had a blast this year, and we're expecting to have a lot of fun next year, too. The Great Race is the adventure of a lifetime that you can do every year! Congrats to Barry and Irene Jason for claiming the third consecutive Great Race Grand Championship...this time in a Post WWII car (first time it's ever been done). Click HERE for the overall results from the 2014 Great Race.
-
June 29, 2014We've driven all week to get to Florida and now we're here! Today was another long transit from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida with a lunch stop in Savannah, Georgia in between. It was a long day of rallying with the heat and humidity playing a factor in our comfort level yet again. Both Coker teams are rockin', although Coker #2 (Karen Stumb and Whitney Brown in the Corvair convertible) had a flat tire and had to finish the day with a space saver spare. Our stops were awesome, and we had a great time truckin' through the backroads of South Georgia for most of the day. Tomorrow is the final day of competition, so we're ready to buckle down and get it done!
-
June 28, 2014There is one thing for sure at this point in the 2014 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty...we're in the south. What makes it so obvious? For one, we had BBQ for lunch and dinner (washed down with a cool sweet tea). Second, it's hot, humid and there are pop-up storms all over the place. We had a great (but abbreviated) lunch stop in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We had to leave lunch early to make up time for a bunch of traffic in Myrtle Beach. So we made it back to our restart point, and hit the afternoon route wide open. The route was packed with lots of high speed turns, as well as a 22-mile run on a two-lane road, most of which was traveled at 40 miles per hour. Our dinner stop was simply incredible. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina rolled out the red carpet for us, and treated us to a wonderful dinner on board the U.S.S. Yorktown ship. We were also allowed to check out the ship, and check out some of the cool airplanes on the flight deck. As we exited the ship, a wall of storm clouds rolled in and dumped a bunch of rain at dusk. Tomorrow, we continue south on a long trek to Jacksonville, Florida. Stay tuned!
-
June 27, 2014And when we say HOT, we mean it. Today was by far the hottest day so far on the 2014 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. With temperatures in the mid-90s for most of the day, and humidity on the rise, we had an exhausting day. The sun was harsh for most of the day, even when a couple of surprise rain showers popped up. We kept on truckin' and made our way to a cool lunch stop in Clinton, North Carolina. The folks there were extremely nice, and prepared an over-the-top lunch with BBQ, chicken, and all sorts of good fixin's. From there, we had a tricky afternoon route, and eventually rolled into the evening stop in Wilmington, North Carolina. Another rain shower came just as the cars started coming into the finish line gate, but Wilmington still had a great crowd! On to another hot and sticky day tomorrow--South Carolina, here we come!
-
June 26, 2014Ahh yes, we're back in the South! This morning we crossed into North Carolina, but it's not the Carolina's that we're accustomed to in our neck of the woods. Our version of North Carolina is mountains and winding roads, but the Eastern portion of the state is very flat with lots of farm land and swamp land. We enjoyed the day's rally and visited a couple of very cool towns. Lunch was at Elizabeth City, where we ate a wonderful lunch and hit the road soon thereafter. From there, we rallied down the road, and crossed the Albemarle Sound on our way to an outstanding stop in New Bern. The town was absolutely packed to the gills, so we made our way through the crowd and had a delicious BBQ dinner. What a day, and we get to spend another full day in North Carolina tomorrow!
-
June 25, 2014Today was a four-state day, which is a lot, even if we didn't span the entire length of the states involved. Our day began in Pennsylvania, dropped into Delaware, then Maryland and finished in Virginia. We logged a bunch of miles, and covered a lot of ground, but it was a great day. Considering the length of the transits, and difficulty of the route, the day was much easier on equipment than yesterday. Our lunch stop in Bob Bryan's hometown (where he's also the Mayor) of Millsboro, Delaware and it was fantastic. We then snaked through the small town of Berlin, Maryland, on our way to the Chesapeake Bay, where we would eventually cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Our dinner and overnight stop in Portsmouth, Virginia was great, and we'll be on our way into North Carolina for tomorrow. Today's scores for Greg and Vernon Cunningham placed them in 9th place, while the all-girl Coker team of Karen Stumb and Whitney Brown had a rough day and placed 50th in the running.
-
June 24, 2014Everyday of the 2014 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, we go a little further south. Today, we covered some major ground, as our day started in New York state and ended in Southeast Pennsylvania. Even as we motivate South, we know we're still up north because of the distinct countryside, Northeastern style barns and covered bridges. We're also still dealing with a lot of impatient drivers! Team Coker had a decent day, with a 9th place finish for Greg and Vernon Cunningham in the GR3 '32 Ford pickup, and 18th place for Karen Stumb and Whitney Brown in the cute Corvair convertible. Our lunch stop in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania was great, as we scarfed down some awesome cafeteria food (no seriously, it was a great meal!) and then our evening stop took place at the Valley Forge Casino Resort. Stay tuned for more updates!
-
June 23, 2014New England has a lot of mountains, just like our home state of Tennessee. Rolling hills, big mountains and beautiful valleys made up a lot of today's route, and we loved it! Team Coker, Greg and Vernon Cunningham, had an outstanding day in the '32 Ford roadster pickup, placing second overall in the day's scoring. Today's lunch stop was held at Bennington Station in historic Bennington, Vermont (the home of our buddies at Hemmings Motor News). A great crowd greeted us at the gate, and watched as we blazed a trail to get onto our afternoon route. Finally, we reached the final destination at Shadows on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, New York. We're ready for tomorrow's rally and we'll be sure to keep you updated with photos.
-
June 21, 2014Another beautiful day in Ogunquit, Maine resulted in a lot of fun for the racers, staff and guests of the Great Race. The racers and staff had a big meeting first thing in the morning, and then had Rally School, before being sent off on the Hagerty Trophy Run, a practice rally. We saw all sorts of great stuff while we were on the road, and our Coker team ended up placing first in the Grand Champion division--congrats to Vernon and Greg Cunningham! After the rallying was complete, we went to the fabulous Beachmere Inn for a reception and Opening Banquet. Two very special guests joined us for reception--Bob Varsha and Wayne Carini! Now, it's time to get some rest and get ready for a big day tomorrow--the start of the 2014 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty!
-
June 20, 2014We rolled into Ogunquit, Maine yesterday, and we had a full day of fun at registration and tech inspection today. More than 100 cars and trucks are registered for the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, so that means we got to see a lot of cool stuff throughout the day. Here are some highlights from today's fun, but stay tuned for updates along the route. There are two Coker Tire teams this year, so follow along to see how they're doing! For now, enjoy the pictures, and check www.greatrace.com for more!
-
September 21, 2013Well, it looks like all that bragging about yesterday's weather bit us, as we fought rain showers almost all day on today's route. We headed north, through towns such as Charleston, Athens and Englewood, before descending on the REAL backroads of Eastern TN, where the pouring rain certainly made it tough for the racers to stay focused. Our lunch destination was Cleveland, Tennessee, as a large AACA car show was being held at Westwood Baptist Church. Unfortunately, the rain was severe enough to have drastically thinned the crowd, so we didn't get to stick around for very long. After that, the rain finally started to ease up, and we rallied our way back to Chattanooga through all sorts of backroads in areas such as Georgetown and Harrison. Finally, our day ended with a Parc Ferme here at Coker Tire, and now we're ready to change into some dry shoes and give our cameras a break. Check out our favorite photos from today's wet and wild action!
-
July 01, 2013We're proud to announce that Barry and Irene Jason have WON the 2013 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty! The Jason's are a strong force in the rallying world, and they had another incredible stretch of Ace's and awesome scores in order to bring home the 'Bird trophy as well as a check for $50,000! By the way, the Jason's drive a '35 Ford coupe, which rolls on a set of our Excelsior Stahl Sport radial tires! The Great Race crowned a number of winners today in Mobile, Alabama, most of which rally on Coker Tire products. We want to say congrats to all of the winners, as well as all participants in general. The Great Race is a grueling challenge, but it's oh-so sweet when you cross that finish line! We did just that today in Mobile, Alabama, and we're already planning for next year's event! Thanks to everyone who followed along on our blogs and social media sites...y'all are awesome!
-
June 30, 2013Whew, what a day! We started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and headed West on I-10, crossing over the swamp, on our way to a packed house in Crowley, Louisiana! Great Racers Ed Habetz and Tom Regan call Crowley home and they certainly knew how to get the small town excited about the Great Race. Spectators lined the streets and gave us a very warm welcome. Then, we blasted out of town on our way to another over-the-top stop in Covington, Louisiana! It was incredible...one of the biggest stops we've seen in a LONG time! Check out our pictures from today, and check back tomorrow to find out who wins the $50,000 prize at the 2013 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty.
-
June 29, 2013As we continue to head South we have officially crossed into Louisiana and we will spend the next two days rallying throughout the state, and finally into Mobile, Alabama on Sunday for the Grand Finish! We're definitely in the Deep South, and we're seeing a lot of great scenery, so check out our favorite shots from today's route, as well as our lunch stop in Natchez, Mississippi and the evening stop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. See y'all tomorrow!
-
June 28, 2013The 2013 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty started in St. Paul, Minnesota, and we've dealt with heat, rain, washed-out road and many more obstacles. Today's biggest obstacle was a grueling route, and upper 90's temperatures. After about 325 miles of rallying, we made our stops in Monticello, Arkansas and Vicksburg, Mississippi and a few fuel and rest room stops in between. It was an awesome day, despite the heat, and we even saw a very cool (accidental) farm sprinkler, which sprayed water into the one of the roads on our route! Today was a challenge for the rally participants, as well as the staff, but we came away with some great pictures, so check 'em out!
-
June 27, 2013We're back in Tennessee! Germantown to be exact! We started today's route in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and made an incredible lunch stop in Paragould, Arkansas and then to a Great Race favorite town of Germantown, Tennessee. The Great Race has stopped in Germantown on a couple of different occasions, and it has always been a must-see stop. This year was no different! Today's route was super tricky with lots of hard turns and speed changes, so it gave us plenty of opportunities to grab cool pictures and videos. Here are a few of our favorites!
-
June 26, 2013What a day! We had a great day on our Great Race adventures and we're going to show you our favorite shots of the day! We left out from Hannibal, Missouri, and blasted through lots of farm land, which eventually led us to some mountain roads that was an awesome change of pace. Then, we stopped in Washington, Missouri for lunch, and received a warm welcome! Then, we hit it hard and motored south to Cape Girardeau, Missouri for one of the biggest Great Race stops in recent history. The folks at Cape G really came out for the Great Race, and we certainly appreciate their effort! Check out our pics!
-
June 25, 2013Yep, we're still on the road, so it's time for some pictures from today's rallying action! Road closures due to flooding shook up today's route, but we made it through to our lunch stop in Peoria, Illinois as well as a rockin' dinner stop in Hannibal, Missouri! Check out even more pictures on the Great Race website and all of our Social Media outlets!
-
June 24, 2013We're continuing our nine-day journey down the Mighty Mississippi River with a bunch of rallying through the back roads of Wisconsin and Iowa! We made a stop in Dubuque, Iowa for lunch, then made a run by the river, passing through Bellevue, Iowa. The small town came out in droves to watch the Great Race pass through its main street, so we grabbed a few shots there as well. Then, we cut a trail through the farm land of Iowa, on our way to a final destination of Davenport, Iowa! Check out our favorite shots of the day, and be sure to keep track of our daily progress on our Facebook page and Instagram feed!
-
June 23, 2013Wow, what a day! We started off with thousands of hot rodders and car enthusiasts watching as we released the racers one by one. It was an incredible display, and we had Grand Marshall Wayne Carini from Chasing Classic Cars waving the green flag! We had a blast in St. Paul, Minnesota, but it was time for our rolling circus to make its way south, so we high tailed it to Eau Claire, Wisconsin for lunch and then La Crosse, Wisconsin for dinner. Check out our favorite shots of the day!
-
June 22, 2013We're in St. Paul, Minnesota for the kickoff of the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. We've been super busy with getting all of our gear setup and ready for a nine day journey down the Mighty Mississippi! We're kicking off tomorrow from the Back to the '50s event at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, and we'll be motivating down the most beautiful backroads in America on our way to the final destination of Mobile, Alabama. We started the Great Race with a practice rally today (we call it the Hagerty Trophy Run) and then went to the kickoff reception later in the day. It was a blast and we're ready for a FULL day of action tomorrow, and the next nine days! Also, check out a few shots from the Back to the '50s Car Show here in St. Paul...we saw lots of Coker Tire products out there!
-
February 22, 2013We were just informed that the time slot changed for Hot Rod TV on Speed Channel! The Great Race will be featured on an episode of Hot Rod TV, which will air on March 23, at 10am EST. It will re-air on Sunday, March 24 at 7am and 10:30pm EST. Check your local listings just to be sure...you don't want to miss it!
-
February 07, 2013We have just been informed that the Great Race television show will air on Speed Channel on Saturday, March 23, at 10:00am EST. It airs as a special episode of Hot Rod TV, and it's going to be awesome! Coker Tire is a major sponsor of the event and it's an extreme passion for all the folks involved in promoting the event, so seeing it on Speed will be great!
-
July 06, 2012A special thank you message from Coker Tire Company President and CEO, Corky Coker. Corky thanks sponsors, volunteers, staff and participants for making the 2012 Hemmings Motor News Great Race a huge success.
-
June 29, 2012If you have ever been present at a Great Race event in the thirty years we have existed, you know that our event is about God, Country, wonderful Old Cars, and family. We have a band or soloist sing or play the National Anthem and we always open our Great Race programs with a prayer for safety for the racers and thanksgiving for our great country. Since Coker has owned the Great Race, I have had the honor of offering up this prayer twice per day during our events.
-
June 28, 2012Tuesday evening in Kanata, Ontario marked the finish of Stage Four of the 2012 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. What a reception we received from the hometown of our own Brian Goudge aka Motormouth in Kanata/Ottowa, Ontario!When our PA system malfunctioned and could not play the Canadian National anthem, "Oh Canada" I asked if there was anyone who could lead us in singing it. Our new best friend "Page" jumped right up and led the crowd with a beautiful rendition of the Canadian favorite. Thank you again Page! There were several thousand passionate old car fans and several hundred cruise in cars on display. Kanata did it up right too with a wonderful roasted chicken meal for all the Great Racers.
-
June 26, 2012The Great Race Stage 2 evening stop in Sudbury, Ontario started with a rain so hard I thought the big ole raindrops would knock me out as I thundered up to the venue at the A & W in my Shafer 8. Despite the short rain, we had a wonderful crowd to welcome the Great Racers. Motormouth is already losing his voice some because of demands of introducing our wonderful sponsors and participants to the crowds. My Grandpa-in-Law Vernon Cunningham and his son, (my Son-in-Law) Greg Cunningham apparently had the best raw score but were (old car'd...the older the car the better the discount off ur score) putting them In 2nd place for the Stage 2 of the 2012 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty!
-
June 22, 2012Well, we made it to Traverse City, Michigan! We got to our hotel pretty late in the evening, but we did manage to see a couple of our rally friends. Knowing that the next day was going to be really busy, we unloaded the truck that Greg and Vernon will be rallying in that evening, and hit the hay!
-
June 20, 2012Well, it's that time again, GREAT RACE time! We couldn't be more excited (let alone busy)! It's been a crazy couple of weeks here at Coker Tire, but this week has been especially jammed packed with all kinds of last minute things to do, and all those, "Oops, did we remember to..." kind of things.
-
March 13, 2012If you follow our blog, then you know that we're passionate about vintage automobiles. We're even more passionate about getting out and DRIVING these pieces of automotive history! Aside from casual driving to local car shows, what's the best way to get out and enjoy your old car??? Well, we might have a biased opinion, but the answer is the Great Race! [caption id="attachment_2366" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Check out the map for this year's Great Race!"][/caption]
-
October 07, 2011Jeff Stumb's final blog about his planning trip for the 2012 Hemmings Motor News Great Race, presented by Hagerty. Ypsilanti to Dearborn, Mich. The last day of the 2012 Great Race will travel north back into the state of Michigan, marking the first time the Great Race has ever left a state and returned in the same event on a following day. The final day of Championship Run continues in Ohio before making its way into Michigan, and after the competition is complete the first stop is Ypsilanti (pronounced Ip-sah-lan-ah by the locals). And this is not just going to be any ordinary stop for lunch on the last day of the event while waiting for the scores to be tabulated. Ypsilanti is a car town that has produced millions of vehicles over the years, including the Corvair. But it is also home to the famous Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum, better known as the Last Hudson Dealer. It is run by the equally famous Jack Miller, and he and the
-
October 07, 2011Director of Great Race, Jeff Stumb, continues his trips and tells us a bit about the route for the 2012 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. Mansfield and Findlay, Ohio Warren, Ohio, was such a pleasant surprise yesterday, and today would deliver another one in Mansfield. Some may remember, although it has been more than 10 years, that there is a carousel in downtown Mansfield, Ohio. The Great Race made a pit stop there some years ago and racers got a few minutes to take a ride. Well, for anyone who is interested, you too can ride the Mansfield carousel when we stop for lunch on the 2012 Great Race. The run into Mansfield on next years event will also be the start of the two-day Championship Run, and if ever there was a perfect state to have a Championship Run it is Ohio. For the first time on the trip it made me sad that I cannot compete because the route was so wonderful. [caption id="attachment_2194" align="alignleft" width="500"
-
October 06, 2011Director of Great Race, Jeff Stumb, continues his planning trip for the 2012 Great Race. Day 8--Franklin, Pa., and Warren, Ohio We left Buffalo early and got a great look at Lake Erie for the last time. Obviously, we cannot hug the shore of all of the Great Lakes all the way around, and at this point we will be traveling 50 miles or so away from Lake Erie all the way into Dearborn for the finish. Early on, like on the Trophy Run and the first couple of days of competition, we will be hugging the shoreline. In fact, several days we will be having lunch and dinner on the shoreline. And for the first time we are getting into some hills. This will probably be the flattest Great Race ever run since we will be spending so much time at sea level, but the morning into Franklin, Pa., will see a few rolling hills. Franklin is a scenic town that we have been to on a previous Great Race, but it has been a long time. The good folks there are planning a fantastic lunch and
-
October 04, 2011More commentary from Director of Great Race, Jeff Stumb: Day 7--Fairport and Buffalo, N.Y. After spending four plus glorious days in Canada, it is back to some more familiar territory in New York state. While in Canada, we had to get used to buying gas by the liter and eating at Tim Hortons (sort of the Wendys of Canada). I learned what a Looney is (the nickname for the Canadian one dollar piece), and a Tooney (the Canadian two dollar piece). Since the Great Race has never been to the Upper Penisula of Michigan nor the first several days in Canada, the route will be all new roads for Great Racers. And only a few, like Curtis Graf and Dave Reeder, would have participated back in 1995 when the Great Race started in Ottawa to recognize any of the roads outside Canadas Capital City. Of the 19 cities hosting the 2012 Great race, the event is returning to only four cities for a second time (Franklin, Pa.; Mansfield, Ohio; Findlay,
-
October 03, 2011Still on the road and documenting his steps, Jeff Stumb gives us another overview of his day's travels. Check it out: DAY 6 -- Kingston, Ontario, and Watertown, N.Y. We enjoyed our time in Canada, but we were looking forward to getting back in the United States. So we were not prepared for what lay ahead in Kingston. Canada is beautiful, but Kingston was an unexpected pleasure. It was like a mini Seattle or Vancouver the way is sits on Lake Ontario. It is a city of almost 150,000 people, and the downtown actually overlooks the lake, including Confederation Park and City Hall which is where the lunch stop will be on June 27, 2012. It is also the exact halfway point of the race. When we left Kingston we traveled back into the United States across Thousand Island Bridge. It wasn't long before we arrived in Watertown, New York and met with volunteers for the event. The stop in Watertown has been moved to the Fairgrounds to handle the enormous crowd local organizers
-
October 02, 2011More 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
