Smoky Mountain Tour: This is why Chattanooga is a destination

Photo by Sarah Swainson

Why make Chattanooga and its Westin Chattanooga the hub for this year’s Classic Motorsports Smoky Mountain Tour? Because the Scenic City rocks.

Don’t take our word for it. According to Visit Chattanooga, Lonely Planet named Chattanooga as the “Best in the U.S.” and “10 U.S. destinations you need to see.” The New York Times put Chattanooga on its list of “Top 45 Places to go” in the world.

Why?

Chattanooga offers a vibrant arts scene, fine dining, natural beauty and amazing things to do.

The good news? The Classic Motorsports Smoky Mountain Tour serves as your personal guide to the hidden gems in Chattanooga and surrounding areas while also offering you a few opportunities to explore on your own, too. It's a recipe that will leave you with an unforgettable trip that you will talk about for years to come.

Reserve your spot today. Space sells quickly for our tours, with our Empire State Tour in September already having a waiting list.

Next on the Schedule: A Reimagined Smoky Mountain Tour!

As registration for the Orange Blossom tour closes this weekend, another door opens: and it’s a door to the Smoky Mountains!

In case you didn’t hear: our Smoky Mountain tour this year is all-new and fully redesigned to be based out of downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, one of the South’s best small cities.

Although this tour is one of our longest-running annual adventures, it’s gotten a complete refresh for 2025 and will be like nothing you’ve ever seen before, even if you’ve been on a Smoky Mountain Tour with us in the past.

We’ll be honest: the move to Chattanooga was forced by nature, thanks to hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on North Carolina, and we entered the planning for this tour with a lot of apprehension about how to proceed in a different host city while respecting the time needed for our original host city, Asheville, to recover.

That apprehension went away as soon as we spent some time in Chattanooga testing routes and scouting locations for the tour. The energy and beauty we found in Tennessee were undeniably refreshing. 

The Volunteer State features some of the best roads we’ve ever driven, and they’re wide open, not clogged with tourists and bikers. The same goes for the breathtaking scenery and delicious food. And as for accommodations and amenities, Chattanooga offers a walkable downtown filled with restaurants (several of which we’ll be visiting), true southern hospitality, and a genuinely outstanding host hotel: the Westin Chattanooga. 

Chattanooga and its surrounding areas also boast some considerable automotive attractions. We’ll be visiting Corky Coker’s Honest Charley Garage and the Coker Museum, Byron DeFoor’s extensive collection, the beautiful Savoy Automobile Museum, and the nearby Flatrock Motor club, where you’ll have a chance to get your car out on its impressive circuit.

We’re proud to have this new Smoky Mountain Tour on our 2025 roster, and hope that you’ll be able to join us June 8-13th to find what we’ve discovered in Tennessee.

Classic Motorsports Road Tours are presented by Sunoco in association with Chubb and BMW Classic.

Last Chance: Registration closes soon for the Orange Blossom Tour

Tired of all this wintry stuff? (Yes, that goes for the Deep South, too.) Well, drive your classic down to Daytona Beach, Florida on March 9 for a weeklong excursion with the Classic Motorsports Orange Blossom Tour.

Join the owners of Classic Motorsports as they proudly show off Florida’s finest back roads and destinations–those hidden gems known only to longtime residents.

The tour not only includes an opportunity to drive your car on Daytona International Speedway, but there’s also an exclusive add-on to join the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America’s annual induction dinner. Yes, the same affair that many legends, such as Mario Andretti, Skip Barber, Ray Evernham, Linda Vaughn and more attend. This experience is only available to Orange Blossom Tour participants.

Space is limited, so secure your spot on the Orange Blossom Tour and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America dinner before February 1.

If you’re looking for other tours to enjoy, we also have the Smoky Mountain Tour, now based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Empire State Tour based in Watkins Glen, New York.

Drive your classic around Daytona with the Orange Blossom Tour

Sure, the Classic Motorsports Orange Blossom Tour takes you on some of Florida’s finest back roads to see hidden gems known only to longtime residents. However, sometimes the best-known sights are in order, too, like Daytona International Speedway.

Ever dream of making laps at the destination called the “World Center of Racing?” Well, you’re just in luck, it’s on the itinerary with the Orange Blossom Tour. Our guests will have the opportunity to take their classic cars around the track for parade laps. Afterwards, it’s a visit to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America museum.

Can’t get enough of the Speedway and motorsports? We also offer an exclusive add-on where you join the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America’s annual induction dinner. Yes, the same affair that many legends, such as Mario Andretti, Skip Barber, Ray Evernham, Linda Vaughn and more attend. This experience is only available to Orange Blossom Tour participants.

Space is limited, so to secure your spot on the Orange Blossom Tour and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America dinner, click here.

Already registered for the tour but interested in getting tickets for the dinner? Email us at tours@classicmotorsports.com.

Orange Blossom Tour Exclusive: Motorsports Hall of Fame Dinner

Want one more reason to sign up for the Classic Motorsports Orange Blossom Tour? Guests have the exclusive opportunity to purchase tickets for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America’s annual induction dinner as an add-on experience.

That’s right, you’ll have the chance to sip cocktails and meet some of the most famous names in motorsports history, such as Mario Andretti, Skip Barber, Ray Evernham, Linda Vaughn and more. Even our columnist Peter Brock is known to make an appearance, having been inducted into the hall in 2022.

The Classic Motorsports Orange Blossom Tour features some of Florida’s finest back roads and hidden gems known only to longtime residents.

Seats are limited, so to secure your spot on the Orange Blossom Tour and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America dinner, click here.

Hall of Fame dinner tickets are not available separately from the tour.

Already registered for the tour but interested in getting tickets for the dinner? Reach out to tours@classicmotorsports.com.