If you are a follower of the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, you may notice that the original venue was the Chattanooga Riverfront, offering a scenic view of the Tennessee River. While it was a beautiful setting, the Great Race organizers made the decision to change venues, due to the overwhelming response and the predicted size of the turnout. There simply would not be enough room in the allotted space, so the Great Race crew put together a plan with Coker Tire to make the Chattanooga stop even bigger and better.

The Chattanooga, Tennessee stop will take place at the Coker Tire headquarters, which is home of the famous “Chattanooga Cruise In”, an annual car event that brings in more than 2,000 cars and 20,000 people each year. The setting is perfect for the Great Race stop, and the Coker Tire crew plans to welcome the Great Racers with a slightly downsized version of the Chattanooga Cruise In. The event will last from 4 to 8pm, offering a cool cruise night atmosphere, in addition to the awesome display of vintage iron that travels with the Great Race.

While the cruise in portion of the event lasts from 4 to 8pm, the first Great Racers will roll into the venue at 5:30pm, and continue filing in until approximately 7:30pm. The racers will enjoy a complimentary catered meal inside of the Coker Tire Museum, while cruise in participants will have other options for food and refreshments, including the “Cruisin’ Cone” vintage ice cream truck.

Each stop on the Great Race is free to the public and spectators will be able to visit with the participants and to look at the cars. It is common for kids to climb in the cars for a first-hand look. “When the Great Race pulls into a city it becomes an instant festival,” race director Jeff Stumb said. Take advantage of this chance to see 120 Great Race vehicles and hundreds of other classic cars with the awesome Coker Tire cruise in and Great Race block party on Sunday, June 25th from 4 to 8pm.

The 2017 Great Race route travels 2,300 miles using the Dixie Highway as a guide, which provides an excellent opportunity to stop in Chattanooga. The action starts in Jacksonville, Florida, as drag racing legend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits waves the green flag on Saturday, June 24th, and it ends nine days later in Traverse City, Michigan. The racers’ goal is to match a pre-determined time, set by a special pace car, while following precise course instructions, but just getting to the finish line is sometimes a victory in itself. In fact, the Great Race motto is “To Finish is to Win!” so that gives you an idea of the challenge at hand.

To find out more about the Great Race, you can email [email protected] or call 1-800-989-7223.