Introducing the Great American Tour--The Ultimate Old Car Road Trip

Coker Tire Company has been a huge supporter of the Great Race for many years, and continues to be a sponsor of the event each year. The Great Race promotes DRIVING old cars, and that's what we're all about. We're excited to announce that the Great Race has expanded its format to include the Great American Tour for this year's course on historic Route 66. And while the Great Race is geared toward competition, with $150,000 up for grabs, the event organizers decided to offer a more laid back option for car enthusiasts who wanted more of a �tour� and less of a �race�. The result is the Hemmings Motor News Great American Tour presented by Hagerty, an epic journey on historic Route 66 to see all the sights of The Mother Road. The Great American Tour is a guided tour on the most historic and recognizable highway in America�Route 66. The event will visit several states, from Missouri to California, ending at the Santa Monica Pier with an audience of thousands. It�s the road trip of a lifetime for car enthusiasts! The event is open to all vehicles built in 1979 or earlier, and it will feature 2,400 miles of some of the best scenery the United States has to offer. Old gas stations, Cadillac Ranch, the Petrified Forest, the Grand Canyon and many more attractions can be seen on the Great American Tour. It will be led by a Route 66 historian, who will offer lots of great insight on all the popular attractions on this historic highway. The Great American Tour will be run simultaneously with the Great Race, but the tour will not interfere with the intense competition of the race. Participants of the Great American Tour will be included in the finish line ceremonies most nights, as the Great Race makes it way from town to town. The 10-day guided tour ends at the Santa Monica Pier, where the winner of the Great Race will be crowned. While the Great Race has cash prizes for the winners, the Great American Tour is just for the fun of seeing Route 66 from behind the wheel of a collector vehicle. The entry fee for the Great American Tour is $4,500�that counts for two people, and includes all meals, attractions and hotel accommodations. Additional charges will be applied for each additional passenger or hotel room. You don�t have to deal with booking rooms, finding good food or figuring out which attractions are the best�the Great American Tour handles it for you! Each overnight city stop on the Great Race and Great American Tour is free to the public and spectators will be able to visit with the participants and to look at the cars. �When the Great Race pulls into a city it becomes an instant festival,� race director Jeff Stumb said. �Last year we had three overnight stops with more than 10,000 spectators on our way to having 250,000 people see the Great Race during the event.� To find out more about the Hemmings Motor News Great American Tour presented by Hagerty, visit www.greatamericantour.org, or you can email info@greatamericantour.org or call 1-800-952-5070.