indy 500
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May 31, 2016The Indy 500--no other automobile racing event has been more prestigious, or more treacherous. The evolution of automobile racing, and the automobile itself can be credited to the buzz that surrounds the Indy 500 and the drive to win the biggest race of them all. And to think, 40 teams entered the race in 1911, all driving cars that you may have never heard of--National, Knox, Westcott and many others. The Marmon Wasp and its driver, Ray Harroun claimed the first Indy 500 victory, and this car still resides in Speedway, Indiana. Several years ago, Corky Coker and his crew at Honest Charley built a replica of the famed Indy racer, so it has been quite a popular display piece since it was finished and debuted at the 2011 Indy 500. And though the 2011 event was technically the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500, we had to wait until 2016 to see the 100th running, due to the pause in racing caused by the World Wars (two year pause for
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May 03, 2016On May 1, 2016, Corky Coker visited Anderson, Indiana to pay tribute to a racing legend, Ray Harroun. The town of Anderson debuted a memorial marker for Ray Harroun, and Corky Coker was invited to the event to be a part of the festivities. Corky has a great love for vintage racing, and owns the most authentic Marmon Wasp replica in the world. The Marmon Wasp is typically on display in our showroom here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but it made a special trip to honor Mr. Ray Harroun for his achievements. Corky dressed in period correct attire, and drove the Marmon Wasp replica around the area, spreading smiles all around. Enjoy some of our pictures, and continue reading to learn more about the man who took Indy by storm in 1911. [products] Although Ray Harroun was born in Pennsylvania, his legacy is in Indiana, where he later lived, and made history as the first winner of the Indy 500, way back in 1911. Ray Harroun was a pioneer, and there is no doubt he left his mark as a champion racecar
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October 17, 2011Yesterday, October 16th, 2011, was a difficult day in the racing world. No matter what kind of racing you enjoy, a tragic accident always makes you stop and think about why we do what we do. And by that I mean, we REALIZE why we do it...not REGRET why we do it. The camaraderie of racecar drivers is truly special, and when tragedy strikes, be it at the race track or elsewhere, emotions are at an all-time high. Unfortunately, the racing world lost two young men yesterday. One being Dan Wheldon, this year's Indy 500 winner, and the other being Rick Huseman, a short course off-road racer. Crashes are a part of motorsports that cannot be avoided, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier when lives are lost. In the case of Dan Wheldon, he lost his life doing what he loved...driving an Indy car. Part of a 15-car crash on lap 13 of the final race of the IZOD Indy Car series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dan Wheldon sustained unsurvivable injuries and passed away at the age of 33. Dan
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October 12, 2011While 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
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June 08, 2011In case you haven't heard, we recreated the infamous Marmon Wasp, which was the winner car at the inaugural Indianapolis 500 back in 1911. It was driven by Ray Harroun, and it was the first racecar of its kind--it had a single seat, and a rear view mirror, as opposed to other cars at the time, which had a ride-along mechanic. This lighter design, in combination with strict guidelines from the engineers at Firestone tires regarding speed and possible tire failure, gave Ray Harroun the win with an average speed of nearly 75mph. By the way, the Firestone representatives allegedly stated that speeds over 75mph would result in tire failure...
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May 28, 2011Around here, there's no better way to celebrate the Indianapolis 500 than to show off some of our tires, built specifically for vintage Indy cars. In fact, we're up here in Indy right now, showing off our Marmon Wasp replica, along with our Firestone Indy tire selection, which are all built from either original Firestone molds or new molds built from the original drawings. We'll post up some pictures from the event later, but for now, check out a finished photo of the Marmon Wasp, and our line of Firestone Indy tires in the spirit of the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500! [caption id="attachment_1522" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Group shot of the Honest Charley Garage crew with the finished Marmon Wasp!"][/caption]
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May 25, 2011With the Marmon Wasp mostly complete, we snuck it out of the shop for a few minutes and snapped some pictures of it. We're just gonna let those pictures do the talkin'... [caption id="attachment_1503" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="The Marmon Wasp, hand built by Honest Charley Garage"][/caption]
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May 24, 2011Hey, remember when we said we had a short deadline on the Marmon Wasp rebuild? Well, it just got shortened up! Everybody at Honest Charley Garage is thrashing on this thing to get it done in time, and it's time for the final touches to make it as authentic as possible. The body is on, and the guys are hammering out the belly pan as this is being typed. The seat arrived today, so the "interior" (if you want to call it that) is complete. [caption id="attachment_1491" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Engine is pretty much done--paint didn\'t last too long on that exhaust!"][/caption]
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May 23, 2011Ya know, the funnest part of building an old car is driving it for the first time. Anybody that has taken the time to build an old hot rod or vintage race car knows the first drive is always the most exciting, even if the car is barely hanging together. In fact, the less complete the car is, the more fun it is to drive! We've definitely taken a few drives around the block with unfinished cars, and this one was extra special. If you recall, we drove the Marmon Wasp quite a bit in its earlier configuration, but with the new engine and drive train, it's a whole new animal. [caption id="attachment_1459" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="It drives!!! "][/caption]
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May 19, 2011That's right! All of the hard work by the guys at Honest Charley Garage is paying off because the rumble of the massive T-Head engine is filling the shop! Hal and Delton teamed up and installed all of the necessary components to fire this thing up, and boy does it sound awesome! We're really getting pumped, as the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500 draws closer and closer! At the same time, we know there's a lot of work left to do on the Marmon Wasp, so we're really leaning on our guys at HCG to get the job done. [caption id="attachment_1444" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="YES, that is fire coming out of the cylinders! Hal is over there controlling the throttle, while we soaked up the exhaust fumes and enjoyed the fireworks display!"][/caption]
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May 18, 2011It's time for the daily update on the Marmon Wasp--today, it's ALL about the engine! When our Marmon Wasp replica was first built, it had an overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine, which was no where near correct for this era. It was built just to get it on the road, but we're going all out this time with a period-correct power plant! The original Marmon Wasp used a six-cylinder T-Head engine, which was a one-off build, so we were on the hunt for a similar engine. Luckily, we found one and it's almost identical to the original! [caption id="attachment_1429" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Hal preparing the Marmon Wasp Engine and Chassis"][/caption]
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May 17, 2011With most of the painting complete, Hal and Delton could get busy on reassembling the Marmon Wasp chassis and getting it back on its wheels. Speaking of wheels, Richard worked his magic on the wheels to recreate the original look, and had help from J.D. Scott to machine a few necessary parts for the hubs. The end result is a perfectly matched appearance, down to the intentional dings in the wheel covers. [caption id="attachment_1414" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Not so mellow yellow...this thing is bright!"][/caption]
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May 16, 2011As you probably know by now, the Marmon Wasp replica built by Honest Charley Garage has actually been semi-complete for a year or so. However, it's never seen an ounce of paint, so it's time to get with the program and blast some yellow on this beast! Richard aka the "Car Carpenter" did an awesome job on the metal work, getting it ready for Zane to prep the panels and lay down some paint. [caption id="attachment_1381" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Zane lays down the base color, which has been professionally matched to the original Marmon Wasp."][/caption]
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May 13, 2011The guys at Honest Charley Garage are still hammering away (literally) at the Marmon Wasp rebuild. Lots of metal work happening right now, with the chassis nearing completion, but Zane is also hitting it hard in the body shop. We're going to be providing daily updates of the car's progress, and show you guys its debut at the 100th anniversary Indy 500, which is just a few weeks away. We're counting on the guys at HCG to get the job done in time, so follow take a look at some of our latest photos to see exactly what these guys are capable of... [caption id="attachment_1357" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Delton Scott making a bracket for the revamped Marmon Wasp chassis."][/caption] Click to see lots more cool photos of the fabrication process!
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May 12, 2011If you guys follow along with our blog, or Coker Tire in general, then you know we built a replica of the Marmon Wasp, the winning car from the inaugural Indy 500, which took place in 1911. That's 100 years ago, if you hadn't already done the math. So, with this year marking the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500 it's the perfect time to unveil the Marmon Wasp in finished form. [caption id="attachment_1347" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="The old engine--A Ford inline six-cylinder....not exactly period correct!"][/caption]
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January 07, 2011It's that time again! Every winter, the World of Wheels comes to Chattanooga, inside the Chattanooga Convention Center, which is right around the corner from our headquarters on Chestnut Street. It's an indoor car show that always draws a big crowd because of its attractions, and of course the great collection of cars being displayed! This year, our neighbors at Honest Charley Garage are showcasing a few buildups at the show, including the recently-finished 1952 MG TD owned by Wes Kliner.