This year’s Chattanooga Motorcar Festival set for Oct. 15-17 will honor the late Jim Pace, an accomplished race-car driver , event chair and chief operating officer of the inaugural 2019 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. Organizers have added his name to the Pace Grand Prix at the Bend, and he will be celebrated in a pre-race ceremony during this year’s festival on Saturday, Oct. 16.
The Pace Grand Prix will celebrate the life of the respected racing veteran who died Nov. 13, 2020, from COVID-19. Pace was well known in racing circles after three decades of driving and coaching in a variety of series and cars.
The all-new, purpose-built, 2-mile race course in downtown Chattanooga will be dedicated to Pace’s memory. Notable supporters, industry leaders and friends will reflect on Pace’s contributions to the festival and the sport. A number of other special events surrounding the celebration will be announced at a later date.
“It is hard to imagine that, after living the perilous life of a race-car driver with all its dangers, a healthy man like Jim could be taken away by a virus called COVID-19,” said festival founder Byron DeFoor, in a news release. “We all feel that we had more time, more instruction, more of life’s racing adventures with him.
“We are privileged to have known him and worked with him, and this tribute is just a small gesture to honor the man whose Southern charm, talent and grace were unequaled.”