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Marietta wins Great Race’s Best Overnight Stop Award

By Michelle Dillon 4 min read

MARIETTA -- Marietta has won a 2024 Hemmings Motor News Great Race award after participating as one of the event's overnight stops in June.

Marietta has won the Best Overnight Stop award, David Haas, a co-chair of the Great Race Committee Marietta, announced on Tuesday afternoon in front of the Marietta Armory.

According to the Great Race website, the overnight stops for 2024's race were Marietta, Lawrenceburg, Ind., Frostburg, Md., Gettysburg, Pa., Binghamton, Ny., Providence, R.I., Freeport, Maine, and Owls Head, Maine.

"All of the overnight stops were fantastic, but Marietta did all of the little things that put them over the top in voting," Great Race Director Jeff Stumb said in a Great Race Committee Marietta media release. "Many racers mentioned the tractor show and the giant American flag. It was one of those stops that will be talked about for years to come by participants because of the extra effort everyone went to for the racers."

The release said following close behind Marieta were Gardiner, Maine, and Ownesboro, Ky.

"We cannot thank the community enough for showing up and making Marietta the best overnight stop this year," Great Race Committee Marietta Member Jill Witucky said in the release. "It's a huge honor for Marietta to step up and host an event of this magnitude. American Flags and Poles, Jim and Sylvi Corporale and their staff, as well as Mustang Aerial Services, played a major role in securing and staging a 30 x 60 (foot) American flag waving high above Front Street. The Marietta Noon Lions Club's Bridge of Heroes added the extra touch welcoming the Great Race as they arrived.

Storefronts were decked out in race themes, our community lined the streets and people of all ages cheered and waved race finish flags to welcome our guests."

Great Race Committee Marietta Co-Chair Dave Archer agreed with Witucky about community help being essential in Marietta hosting the Great Race.

"Without the financial support given by many, we would not have been able to host the Great Race," Archer said in the release. "We are very grateful for the support of our local businesses and individuals who donated and kept this event free to the community.

Haas spoke after announcing the win for Marietta.

"We beat out Gardiner, Maine, who was giving away lobster dinners," he said. "I just think all of the hospitality that we showed them - everything from the American flags to the hospitality that the committee put together, all the people who turned out, all the sponsors who helped make it happen - we were told by the Great Race folks the little things made a difference. And the other one that really put it over the top was the big flag hanging over the finish line"

Hass presented a plaque for the award to the city of Marietta and the Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Marietta Mayor Joshus Schlicher accepted the plaque. According to Witucky the plaque will reside at the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"It was an absolute pleasure to host the Great Race on (June 23)," Schlicher said. "We had I think about 15,000 people down here for the main event ... I want to congratulate the Great Race (Committee Marietta) and all the partners and everyone who put this together .. It was just a great day."

Haas thanked Archer and Motorsports Car Show Chair Steve McCarthy, who moved the auto show to the weekend of the Great Race's stop in Marietta; the sponsors; hotels, restaurants and businesses that stayed open; everybody who was involved inthe planning and execution of the event; the Great Race Committee Marietta; and Witucky.

"Thanks to everybody who was involved," he said.

Executive Director Deana Clark of the Convention and Visitors Bureau said the bureau is elated that Marietta was named the best overnight stop.

"We're proud of the work of the Great Race Committee and the assistance we were able to provide at the Convention and Visitors Bureau," Clark said after learning about the award. "It was an amazing day in the history of Marietta. Winning this honor is like icing on the cake."

She said winning the award will help entice other events like the Great Race to come to Marietta.

According to the release, the 2025 Great Race route and dates have been announced and it will start in Minnesota on June 2, 2025, and finish in South Carolina on June 29.

To learn more about the Great Race visit www.greatrace.com.

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