When Coker Tire purchased the assets of the Great Race back in 2010, it hit the ground running with its first event in 2011. That event, from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Bennington, Vermont changed the scope of the Great Race and the event has been in a growth pattern ever since. Coker Tire’s involvement in the Great Race has been all over the map, from marketing to logistics and everything in between. And in 2023, the Chattanooga-based tire company made the move to the Presenting Sponsor position.

Coker Tire was founded in 1958 by Harold Coker. His deep passion for antique cars led to the development of new tire production for early applications like Ford Model T and many others as a side project to the main tire business. It didn’t take long for the side business to surpass the modern car tire dealership, which led to licensing agreements with Firestone, B.F. Goodrich and other tire companies to reproduce classic tires for classic cars.

Coker Tire went on to invent the first wide whitewall radial tire in 1994, then the first “bias look radial tire” in 2013 and is now the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of tires and wheels for collector vehicles. More than 75 percent of Great Race participants use Coker Tire products on their classic cars, and we hope to get that number closer to 100 in the coming years. Coker Tire continues its presenting sponsorship this year and will continue to be a major part of the Great Race for many years to come. If you’re in the market for tires, wheels or accessories for your collector vehicle, check out www.cokertire.com to browse thousands of great products.