Where Speed and Spectacle Collide: Chattanooga Motor Car Festival | Features

As revving engines and tire smoke hung in the air like a fragrant promise of adrenaline, Chattanooga hosted its fourth annual Motorcar Festival, a spectacle fusing the raw power of racing with the heartwarming spirit of philanthropy.

From Oct. 13 to 15, the city’s streets echoed with the rumble of extraordinary machines, drawing car aficionados and intrigued spectators from every corner. The event acted as a charitable conduit, channeling its proceeds towards the Fifty Plus Foundation: a beacon of hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s and a staunch supporter of cutting-edge neuroscience research for over a decade.

Alongside the cars, many celebrity guests attended. The B52s performed on stage in West Village, and there were many notable racecar drivers and respected collectors. Formula Drift driver Adam LZ made an appearance, putting on an impressive display of tire smoke drifting around the Motorcar Festival’s track.

The event had three locations, West Village, The Convention Center and “The Bend.” In West Village, event-goers viewed multiple incredible collections of cars- notably the Luftgekühlt curated Porsche display and Ferrari collection courtesy of Ferrari of Atlanta. Cars typically kept in temperature-controlled garages or museums were parked on the streets of Chattanooga- it was truly a spectacle.

Just next door to the West Village, the Chattanooga Convention Center housed the Mecum Auction, again curating an incredible collection of cars in our city. Spectators were open to view the auction, providing even more entertainment.

Taking a shuttle from West Village and the Convention Center, the Pace Grand Prix at The Bend allowed event attendees to view racing, right here in Chattanooga. Located off of Riverfront Parkway, a makeshift racetrack was built just for the Motorcar Festival.

With air-cooled Porsches, 1920s-era race cars, American muscle cars and even a Nascar, there was something for everyone during the races. Although the races weren’t timed, it was clear that ACI was putting down some of the fastest lap times. ACI is Chattanooga’s own championship contender Porsche Racing Team.

Sterlyn Holley, a team member of ACI, made it clear that even though the racers weren’t competing, it’s still a serious ordeal to get the cars on track.

“We got all the cars prepped and ready, we made sure they were safe to go on track, made sure there were no parts failing, tires or anything like that,” Holley said. “We have to make sure they’re safe for the drivers.”

Safety is clearly a top priority for ACI- there were a few concerns on Chattanooga’s track. After seeing multiple cars wreck, event organizers decided to reinforce some of the hay meant to reduce driver impact in the event of a collision with the wall. Driver perspective on the track itself offered better insight.

“I hope they can improve the track, it’s a little rough, a little bumpy, and a little slick,” Holley described. “The black painted stuff they put down is not ideal… it’s super tight with concrete walls, no forgiveness- if you mess up you’re putting it in the wall and it’s a bad day.”

The Motorcar Festival has already been involved in lawsuits surrounding the Pace Grand Prix at the Bend’s safety. It’s obvious that improvements were made this year, but there is still work to be done.

“There are no guarantees in racing,” ACI’s website quoted Curt Swearingin, the team’s founder, “But no matter what, we’re always going to do our absolute best and that’s what puts us on the podium.”

The Motorcar Festival continues to grow, bringing people together through their love of cars and motorsports– all for a good cause. It’s one of the most unique car events in the country, one that Chattanooga is lucky to have in our city.