The prestigious 30th Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix, the world’s largest karting street race, will run through the streets of that city on Labor Day weekend featuring 20 races, food, fun and entertainment.
Admission is free to the Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 30-31, family-friend event.
This year the race – which according to a Datify study commissioned by Visit Quad Cities has attracted as many as 20,000 spectators – will return to the same familiar downtown course it used for in the first 28 Grand Prix races, a Grand Prix news release said. It was temporarily rerouted in 2024 due to downtown’s massive street reconstruction.
Racing is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday with morning practice and afternoon heat races and two features on Saturday, followed by practice, opening ceremonies and Feature races Sunday.
Joining the historic King of the Streets shifter race – which the Grand Prix called “one of the most iconic races in karting” – as premiere events are King of the Rock races for 100cc engines and for Briggs & Stratton 206cc 4-cycle engines. Three classes of Vintage karts are again being featured this year.
What’s new?
New this year is an exciting partnership between the Grand Prix and Bushwood Entertainment, which is hosting a hospitality area with food and beverage service at 1820 Fourth Ave.
A pedicab, or bicycle taxi, also will offer complimentary rides around the racetrack on Saturday and Sunday. The service is sponsored by 1st General Companies.
A popular Rock Island weekend attraction is the 8 a.m. to noon QC Farmers’ Market in the newly renovated 1800 block of Second Avenue, which is now known as Festival Street. The market features local vendors, outdoor seating and yard games. Visit DowntownRockIsland.org to see a full directory of downtown businesses.
This year’s race also will feature the entertaining beam of Jay Kidwell, sports director at WHBF-TV, and long-time racer Carter Pease. They have been popular announcers in the past and the entire downtown is wired for sound, the release said.
Racing will be webcast on ekartingnews.com and a wealth of information is available through the Online Event Guide at racerockisland.info as well as on social media.
To accommodate the race, some downtown streets will be closed after 5 p.m. Friday including portions of Second, Third and Fourth avenues and 16th to 20th streets. Race fans are encouraged to park either in the large lot off of First Avenue; on the streets and neighborhoods south of the track at 17th and 16th streets; or to the east. Do not park in lots with Tow Away warnings posted. The race also warned that several “No Spectator” areas will be strictly enforced.
Concerts kickoff
Music has long been a feature of the Grand Prix, whose catch phrase is “Come for the Races, Stay for the Party.” Concerts kick off with Fair Warning from 7- 9 p.m. at Schwiebert Riverfront Park during Thursday Night Groove Concert Series.
Saturday night’s free concert will welcome home the Blooze Brothers to the riverfront park. The 11-piece Chicago tribute band has been one of the region’s most popular and in-demand show bands. It has featured some of the top musicians for the past 30 years. They not only honor the music made famous by the original “Blues Brothers” movies, TV, and recordings, but like Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, they fuse great musical traditions into a stage show that energizes and delights hundreds of thousands of music fans every year.
The evening is sponsored by the Grand Prix, the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. The Rock Island Parks and Recreation Department will have the grill going to sell food. Bent River Brewing Co. will sell beer.
Car fans welcome
From noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, the Grand Prix also will host a Cruise-In Car Show. It will be in the main city parking lot between 17th and 16th streets. Cruise-In cars should enter from 16th and must feature cruise-in type vehicles.
The annual Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix also offers an inside look into STEM careers, especially in motorsports. This year, the Bradley University Society of Automotive Engineers will be at the races. Its race cars will be on display and leaders will chat with fans about the program. Also features is their Eco Marathon car. This lightweight vehicle is designed to travel long distances using the least amount of fuel.
The event’s opening ceremonies will be at 10 a.m. Sunday. They will feature Derek Grant on bagpipes and the National Anthem will be sung by Sydney Richardson of East Moline. Local dignitaries and sponsors will offer welcoming remarks. It is followed by a kids’ autograph session with racers.
Event sponsors
- National Karting Alliance, Mediacom, Simpson Motorsports-STL, Bally’s Quad-Cities Casino & Hotel, Margay Racing, Group O, Illinois Casualty Co., Neilson Trucking, Shaw Electric, Halligan McCabe DeVries Funeral Home, Hiland Toyota, Lincoln Electric, Speedway Fire & Rescue.
- RLV Tuned Exhaust; CBS TV4 / Fox 18 and CW; the local iHeart Radio stations: Big 106.5, Fox Sports QC, WOC and WLLR; QC Sports Net; Schurr Power Racing Engines and Tyler Schurr Racing; Sunbelt Rentals; Johannes Bus Service; C&W and Sons Trucking; Holiday Inn Rock Island, eKartingNews.com.
- Key Auto Mall Moline, Gas & Electric Credit Union, Unified Scale, Duncalf Racing, Fastenal, Hughes Tire, RIGP Corner Workers and 61 Kartway.
For more information, visit racerockisland.info or Facebook or Instagram pages.
