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Every year, we attend about 50 events across the country, but one stands out as "the big one" for us. The AACA Hershey Region Fall Meet is its official name, but we just refer to it as Hershey. Every year, we send thousands of tires and a van load of employees to serve our Northeastern customers. It's one of our biggest shows of the year, because there are so many people there to buy parts for their project car, truck motorcycle, etc. Oh, and there is also a great selection of cars on display. This year was no different, and we had a blast during our entire two week stretch of Carlisle and Hershey. Take a look at some of our favorite photos from Hershey and be sure to join us next year! Wherever you live, it's worth the trip!

We love a good ol' car guy adventure. We do stuff like the Great Race, the Driven Dirty Tour and other road trip adventures on a regular basis, but we encountered a slightly different approach to the standard old car road trip this week. Apparently, a group of guys from California flew to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the AACA Fall Meet with a pocket full of cash, in search of a classic car. The goal was to buy a car at Hershey and drive it back home to California, with Coker Tire being a pit stop along the way. Ok, you have our attention!

While I was in Hershey, Pennsylvania for the big AACA swap meet, I visited the annual Mini Muster at the Marmon Club spot in the Chocolate Field on Friday. Clay Thomas, a longtime member of the Marmon Club, told me about his 1922 Marmon 2-passenger speedster while club members Lou Iaccino and Dave Cargill listen in. The Mini Muster has been a 3-5 p.m. tradition for decades at Hershey for Marmon lovers from all over the world and I'm one of 'em! This year it was attended by 25 owners and club members. [caption id="attachment_2217" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Having a good time with great friends at the Mini Muster, during the Hershey AACA meet!"][/caption] Of course, I had to brag to the club members about my two Marmons,

When I was a young man, my mom always worried about me drivin fast. I had some fast cars and I did drive fast,.. You know it! Mustangs and GTOs were the thing though, not Mercers... [caption id="attachment_2211" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Me and momma in a Mercer!"][/caption] At the Hershey AACA National meet, my friend Fred Hoch took a picture of me and my momma in his T Head Mercer Raceabout. I am pretty sure that I was born at the wrong time. I would have been the terror of the dirt roads in a teens era Mercer Raceabout. It is my kind of car. it goes fast and is a man's sports car! Fred Hoch should leave me that Mercer in his will,... I am sure it would be the right thing to do! From the road,

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...

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.