The 22nd annual Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix powered by Mediacom, the world’s largest karting street race, will offer two days of high-speed racing through the city streets September 3rd – 4th.
Saturday morning will be practice with heat races beginning at 1:15 p.m. Racers will run 10 lap sprints to earn points which will determine starting positions for the Sunday Finals. On Sunday, Opening Ceremonies will be at 10:40 a.m. with the kids’ autograph session at 10:55 a.m. followed by 17 exciting races. Best of all general admission is free. Daily pit passes are $10.
More than 130 race teams from coast to coast as well as Ontario, British Columbia and Bermuda will compete. This is also the first year with Mediacom as the races’ naming rights sponsor.
This year’s race will again feature the Travis DeVriendt Memorial Race for Briggs LO206 Heavy sponsored by Gett Industries in memory of the kart racer who died last year. The race will honor his long-term participation at Rock Island and raise awareness of suicide prevention. This will be the first race of the day and has a huge field entered.
Former SuperKarts! USA director Jim Murley is also being remembered this year with the running of the Jim Murley Memorial King of the Streets race sponsored by LeCont tires to crown the best gearbox street racer on the planet.
Vintage kart racing will become a bigger part of the event again this year with three different vintage classes on the card featuring karts from 1985 or older.
Margay Racing will again showcase its economical Ignite spec racer package which features the Margay K3 chassis, the Briggs & Stratton sealed 206cc 4-cycle engine and Bridgestone tires. Both senior and junior classes will be run. In all, 17 races will be featured in 2-cycle, 4-cycle, gearbox and vintage classes.
Sponsors include Mediacom, AT&T, Jumer’s Casino Rock Island, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Jack’s Brake & Alignment and Modern Woodmen Bank.
Race sponsors include Briggs & Stratton Racing, Modern Woodmen Financial agent Joe Schurr, CBS4- TV, Schurr Power Racing, Sunbelt Rentals, LeCont Tires, AMT Ambulance, Johannes Bus Service Inc., Gett Industries and Margay Racing.
Media partners include The Dispatch and Rock Island Argus newspapers, CBS4, Fox 18 and Quad-Cities CW, eKartingnews.com, and radio stations Q106, Fox Sports QC, WOC and WLLR.
Other sponsors include Rock Island McDonald’s restaurants, Holiday Inn Rock Island, Courtesy Car City, Verizon IndyCar Series, Miller Trucking and Excavating, Meier Trucking, Gas & Electric Credit Union, Rogan Scale, J&J Camper, 61 Kartway, Triple E Sales, and Zimmerman Honda – Alpha Romeo – Fiat.
Action starts Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. and concludes around 5 p.m. In its 22 years the Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix powered by Mediacom has drawn top drivers from coast to coast as well as Canada, Bermuda, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, France, Italy, Poland, Costa Rica, the Philippines and England. The races will be web cast live on eKartingNews.com .
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