After shutting down for a year due to the Coronavirus, organizers of the Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix, the world’s largest karting street race, have announced plans for the race to return to its usual Labor Day weekend dates, Sept. 4-5, this year. It will be the 26th year for this popular motorsport event, run through the downtown streets of the city’s Arts & Entertainment District.
The event annually involves hundreds of race teams from across the country and thousands of spectators. The organizing committee and its partner, National Karting Alliance, said racers can expect a class lineup similar to that last run in 2019. National Karting Alliance rules will be used. Additional race details will be announced soon with registration to open this summer.
The Grand Prix is the biggest weekend event of the year in Rock Island and race organizers are planning expanded festival weekend entertainment this year, with new activities being planned for both race teams and spectators.
“The race weekend is an important one for both race teams and Rock Island and the Quad-Cities. It is important that it return this year and help boost the downtown and reestablish the Rock Island Arts & Entertainment District as the place people go to have fun,” said Roger Ruthhart, Grand Prix president. “We look forward to working with Joe Janowski and his team from the National Karting Alliance to continue to produce one of the top kart racing events in the world.”
A Rock Island Grand Prix room block has been set up at the Holiday Inn in Rock Island.
Rock Island is located in an area known as the Quad-Cities, equally divided between Illinois and Iowa, with a metropolitan population of 400,000. It is home to the Rock Island Arsenal military base and corporate headquarters for John Deere in Moline, Ill. It is served by the Quad-City International Airport and is at the intersection of Interstate highways 80, 74, 88 and 280.
Teams at Rock Island in 2019 represented Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Missouri, Massachusetts, Indiana, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Kansas, Tennessee, Maryland and Arizona as well as Canada and Bermuda. Rock Island is licensed through the United States Auto Club (USAC) and is on the ACCUS calendar so that drivers from any country can compete. There have been drivers from 8 foreign countries and 13 foreign winners.
fot. Ekartingnews/qconline.com
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