Cars Yeah With Mark Greene

Craig Blake-Jones is the Founder and CEO of Paddock-Life magazine and Paddock-Speedshop TV show. A born petrol head whose career started in fashion, turned a corner into music, which in turn landed in film & television. Criag created Paddock Life magazine in 2014 as a lifestyle journal and into the wonderful world of racing, classic cars and all things automotive. Designed to be a cool coffee table collectable, Paddock Life is 180 pages of gloriously printed and presented petrol hedonism. In 2020, working with his 2 sons Ethan and Harvey, they brought petrol head Lucy Busby on board and built the Paddock Speedshop to create a TV series restoration show that appealed to a younger audience. They are using the Speedshop to bring a new generation of petrol heads into our established brand.

Judson Dayton is one of this year’s Willard J. Marriott Ferrari Club organizers at the fourth annual Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. Jud’s been an automotive enthusiast his entire life and has participated in many automotive events including the Cavallino, numerous Ferrari Club of America avents, Wheels of Italy in Minneapolis, and his Ferrari 250 SWB won best of show at Amelia Island Concours Festival of Speed. Jud shares some great stories abouthis Ferrari.

Ken Gross is the Concours Director for this year’s Fourth Annual Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, a three-day festival that includes multiple events including a wheel-to-wheel race car exhibitions, and a Concours d’Elegance and more. Ken’s career in the automotive world includes time as the Executive Director and Guest Curator for the Petersen Automotive Museum. He’s curated numerous highly acclaimed exhibitions across the country. He’s authored over 25 automotive books on a wide variety of historic vehicles, and is a member of ICJAG, the International Chief Judge Advisory Group. Ken has judged in most of the finest Concours d’Elegances in the world and had received the Automotive Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Citation, the Lorin Tryon Trophy at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, The Ken Purdy award from the International Motor Press Association, and the Dean Bachelor Lifetime Achievement Award to name just a few.

Corky Coker is the Grand Marshal Emeritus for this year’s Fourth Annual Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, a three-day event that includes a Rallye, multiple events, and Concours d’Elegance. Corky assumed the leadership role in the Coker Family’s BF Goodrich tire dealership in 1974 and for the next 45 years he and his team helped define the collector-car hobby. Coker tires solved the challenge of finding the right tires for your collector cars. The company grew to the largest supplier of collector vehicle tires with distribution in over 50 countries. He sold his business in 2018 and retained the Honest Charley Speed Shop in downtown Chattanooga where he shares over 180 vintage cars and motorcycles. 

Luigi Chinetti Jr. is this year’s Grand Marshal at the fourth annual Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. His father’s pre-World War II life in Milan and Paris with Alfa-Romeo as well as Talbot-Lago, led to his becoming the exclusive North American importer of Ferrari automobiles and the founding of the North American Racing Team. NART gave Luigi the opportunity to fulfill his own ambitions of racing and designing automobiles. He has done both, finishing 5th overall at Le Mans as well as winning his class at the Daytona 24hour Endurance race in a 312P Ferrari with a body he designed himself. He has also overseen the restoration of a number of highly significant Ferrari racing cars several of which required complete restorations. Luigi has distinguished himself both as a driver and designer.

Donald Osborne is the Chief Executive Officer at Audrain in Newport, Rhode Island where he oversees the Audrain Automobile Museum, Audrain’s Newport Concours d’Elegance & Motor Week, and Linkage, a quarterly automotive publication and website. With their tagline “Geard for the Automotive Life” Linkage is all about the automotive marketplace, driving, restoration, collecting, events, and discovering the passion for vehicles. You’ll recognize Donald from his appearances on Jay Leno’s Garage and the Audrain videos and you’ll find him walking the lawns of numerous concours events around the world.

Jeff DeMarey is a passionate auto enthusiast, collector, and insurance agent. Nearly twenty years ago, he started Stonewall Insurance Group, to specialize in protecting classic cars and getting them the coverage they deserve. He currently serves on the National Board of Directors for the Classic Car Club of America. He also serves as a judge at some of the most prestigious auto events in the country, such as The Amelia and Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. Recognizing the aging crowd at classic car events, he has recently, started the Springfield to Boston Education Foundation, a charity aiming to inspire, educate, and motivate students, while providing them with the necessary tools to learn about the world of classic and collector cars.

Alec Harrell is the owner of Harrell Engines Los Angeles. At 27 years old he is the fourth-generation member to carry on the family business. Alec’s great Grand Uncles, Jim and Nick Harrell, started Harrell Engine LA in 1932 in the heart of Los Angeles. Today, Alec carries on the tradition building nostalgia style Hot Rods among other classic car restoration services, in addition to bringing back the old family speed parts. 

Mike Marsh is the Founder and Director of the Renaissance Euro Fest and Classic European Auto & Motorcycle Show. His passion for European automobiles led him to collect Mercedes-Benz automobiles. Mike founded and directed the Natchez Euro Fest, L’Auberge Euro Fest and his latets endeavor has been the founding of the MS Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America being elected their first President.  

Jeff Zwart is a commercial film director, racer, photographer, cameraman, and author. He’s shot commercials for Porsche, BMW, Cadillac, GM, Huyndai, Ford, and many others. He’s a graduate of the Art Center College of Design and has enjoyed an exceptional life and career around automobiles. He’s traveled all over the world shooting, directing, racing, and photographing cars. Jeff speaks and lectures and has driven in numerous races and rallies including: Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the Panama-Alaska Rally, the Baja 1000, and the TransSyberia Rally, to name just a few. Jeff is one of the Creative Directors for Porsche Cars North America at the Rennsport Reunion 7 this year

Brian Redman is the co-originator of the Rennsport Reunion, the celebration of Porsche Motorsports, past, present, and future. Brian participated in 358 races in his professional career. He haled from Great Britain and was victorious, outright or in his class, in 94 of those races. He finished in the top three 177 times. His tally of classic long-distance victories included the Targa Florio, Daytona 24 Hours (three times), Sebring 12 Hours twice, Nürburgring 1000Km twice, and at the Spa 1000Km four times. He won four long –distance road racing team championships and five individual road-racing championships, the list goes on and on and on. Brian also raced Formula 1, Formula 5000, and today Brian promotes and participates in historic race car events throughout the world.

Patrick Long, along with his mentor and friend Alwin Springer, are co-Grand Marshals of this year’s Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7. Patrick has become the personification of the spirit of Rennsport Reunion, the celebration of Porsche Motorsports, past, present, and future. Patrick started racing at 8 years old, starting with karting and moving up through the ranks, living and racing in Europe. After a run for F1 and landing in a Porsche Supercup as a Junior, he got his taste for GT cars and he became a Porsche factory driver in 2004 until his retirement. But that didn’t mean hanging up his helmet. Today his calendar is filled with vintage racing, motorsports events around the world, a Porsche brand ambassedor, and his co-creation of Luftgekühlt which has become a huge success with events across the country.

Frank Wiesmann is the Manager of Product Communications at Porsche Cars North America. He was obsessed with cars from an early age, uttering his first car-focused words before the names of his parents, and identifying specific models from the comfort of his stroller at age 2. An avid collector of magazines, brochures, and model cars, he went on to become a test driver and editor for a European car magazine before transitioning to Porsche Cars North America in 2014 as the Product Spokesperson for the 911, Boxster and Cayman. Six years later, Frank assumed the managing role on the product communications team at Porsche Cars North America. He and I will be at Rennsport coming up in few weeks.

Sam Webster is an automotive enthusiast, fabricator, and podcaster and the Founder of Webster Auto Collective. His goal is to build cool cars and share what he learns with other enthusiasts through social media platforms. Sam’s currently working on one of the biggest projects of his life. He is building a Baja race truck. Sam’s goal is to transition to all of this as a full-time career, living a life as a car enthusiast to the fullest.

Kelly Dietrick is the Exceptional Car Broker, Brokering Historic Competition Cars Worldwide at Historic Competion Services. While most people are retiring at her age, Kelly got the hare-brained idea to get on the road. And she’s not regretted it for one single moment. Kelly has been traveling between the UK, Europe, and the USA for the last 14 months. She sold all her worldly belongings and left the US with one suitcase and a plan to travel from car destination to car destination, guided only by the desire to see more, talk more, and experience more through automotive events both  large and small. If you are buying or selling – anywhere in the world, Kelly will be there. Simply call her.

Michael Schneider is the President of McPherson College where he graduated in 1996 with honors. McPherson College also boasts one of the largest endowments of any private college in Kansas. When Michael was named president in 2009, he was one of the youngest college presidents in the United States. With niche degree programs including as automotive restoration, McPherson is reinventing itself as a significant contributor in higher education. McPherson College garnered recent notoriety for having a student-restored 1953 Mercedes Benz 300S win 2nd in the Post War Luxury Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance, the most prestigious car show in the world, and for securing a $1 billion endowment commitment, which is the largest philanthropic commitment in the history of higher education.

Pete Vicari is the President of Vicari Auctions where they conduct numerous auctions across the southern USA. Pete’s bought and sold over 500 collector cars over the years. Vicari Auctions longest running event is in Biloxi, Mississippi that takes place yearly during Cruisin’ the Coast event that’s been voted Best Cars Show in the Nation by USA Today. With six events annually you’ll be offered hundreds of collector cars to choose from and all of the events are filmed for the Vicari Collector Car Auction TV shows.

Jasper Fedders is one of this year’s 10 Inaugural recipients of the Piston Foundation’s recipients from 2022. He’s a 21 year old, soon to be senior at McPherson College who grew up on a farm in Sioux Center, Iowa, where he was introduced to automotive tinkering and restoration with his dad’s 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 that was sitting idle and in need of some love. Today he works at No Coast Customs installing engines, working on brakes, and more. Oh, did I tell you about the ’69 Caddy and ’68 Dodge Charger he’s also restoring? The car hobby is in good hands indeed.

Tim Stevenson is a YouTuber and produces Decent Garage where he works on automotive projects in his home garage. The show’s focus is on 12 valve Cummins trucks. The underlying mantra on Decent Garage is “If I can do it anyone can.” By day, Tim is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a national board certification in orthopedic physical therapy. His mechanical knowledge is all self-taught from years of reading on forums, watching plenty of Youtube, and seeking advice from other mentors in the industry. It was 1st gen Cummins trucks that sparked his passion for mechanical work and these trucks are still the focus of this hobby of wrenching.

Jared Gastineau is the owner of Mile High Muscle where they restore and modify classic vehicles. Mile High is also an authorized dealer/distributor for high end parts. Jared is a seasoned classic car restoration expert with years of performance upgrade. He founded Mile High Muscle in 2017 and recently built a 1969 Chevelle that’s the first streetcar featuring the ZZ632 motor. He owned a ’69 Chevelle in high school and that car is being restored in his shop as their third Chevelle project.