Page 2 - Great Race

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 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!

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

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.

Have you ever wanted to hop in an old car and drive it across the United States? Now that Coker Tire has acquired the Great Race, you can do just that with a bunch of car guy buddies along the way. The Great Race has been around for quite some time, but the new configuration will have more elements to make your driving experience even more fun! The veterans are tough to beat, but its hard to become one without being a rookie firstcome try it out and youll find out why everyone enjoys it so much! Doing well in any of the Great Race events requires precision, as with any time, speed, endurance rally, and youll find a gathering of very skilled and well known teams at each rally event. Good times and old cars are key aspects of the Great Race series, and your first chance to find out about it is June 11-17, 2011, with a rally from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Bennington, Vermont. Check it out and hit the road with an old car! If you want more information, check out www.greatrace.com!