Vintage autos on display at the Westin
A new Motorcar Festival will debut in Chattanooga Oct. 11-13.
At a press conference at the Westin Hotel downtown, organizers said it will include Between the Bridges Time Trials, a Rendezvous of the Greats display of vintage autos and a High Jinks Rallye ride through nearby rural areas in vintage cars. The time trials will be on a 1.5-mile section of Riverside Drive and will be limited to 50 cars in 10 classes. Each car will be competing against the clock.
Jim Pace, a racecar driver from Mississippi, said the new festival was the brainchild of Byron DeFoor, one of the developers of the West Village that includes the Westin that is in the former Blue Cross Gold Building.
Mr. Pace said he and Mr. DeFoor met when they were racing at Daytona and elsewhere.
He said they went on a tour of motorcar festivals in various parts of the world, and Mr. DeFoor proclaimed, "We can do this in Chattanooga."
Mr. Pace said the event was put into place in a short time.
Mr. Coker, whose Coker Tire firm sells antique tires and other old vehicle parts in 80 countries, said the event will draw collectors from around the country.
The event will be a fundraiser for Erlanger's Neuroscience Institute.
Sponsors include Volkswagen and Coca-Cola.
General admission of $55 includes access to all the events on Friday and Saturday as well as West Village. A full festival package is $145.
From left are Dr. Thomas Devlin, Mark Gillies of Volkswagen, Corky Coker, Barry White and Jim Pace