Jim Pace to be honored at Motorcar Festival
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.”
Pace was born in 1961 in Monticello, Mississippi, and his racing career began in the Barber Saab Pro Series in 1988. Over his career, he won the GTU class at the 1990 24 Hours of Daytona, and along with co-drivers Scott Sharp and Wayne Taylor, Pace drove the Riley & Scott Mk III to victory in the 1996 24 Hours of Daytona.
Later that season he competed for the same team in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After years of only driving at Daytona, Pace returned to regular drives in the Rolex Sports Car Series GT class in 2007. In 2008 he drove a Porsche 911 for The Racer’s Group and in 2009 drove for Farnbacher Loles Racing.
Events on the Pace Grand Prix at the Bend course during Friday and Saturday will include class races among a limited number of 12 competitors at a time. The new track replaces the Time Trials course used in 2019.
The 2021 Festival features the Concours d’Elegance, West Village Road Rallye, Mecum Auctions and The Pace Grand Prix at the Bend. Other familyfriendly events will be scheduled and announced later. Additional information may be found at