LABOR DAY WEEKEND
August 30-31, 2025
About the
Rock Island Grand Prix
The Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix ranks as the ultimate experience in kart racing. There is no greater thrill than racing through city streets at speeds approaching 100MPH one inch off the ground as thousands of spectators cheer you on. Since 1994, Rock Island has been providing that experience for thousands of racers each labor day weekend, helping to build the careers of drivers like Graham Rahal, Nelson Philippe, Joey Hand, Scott Speed, Conor Daly, Philip Geibler, Michelle Bumgarner. Drivers from coast to coast and 8 foreign countries have competed at "The Rock."
OUR RACE HAS HISTORY
During the day racers go head to head against the best in the sport on the safest street circuit in karting. Fans of all ages and interests enjoy free admission to this exciting 2 day event filled with racing. At night, competitors and fans join to enjoy the nightlife of Downtown Rock Island (Ill.) Arts & Entertainment District including outdoor concerts, theater, a casino, bars and restaurants, and much more. It is one of the largest weekends of the year in the Quad-Cities, a metropolitan area on the Mississippi River in both Illinois and Iowa.
Rock Island is one of the few races in the country where 2 cycle, 4 cycle, gearbox and vintage classes draw equal billing. Pro classes, with a cash purse, are featured for shifters, where since 2000 Rock Island has hosted the King of the Streets race, one of the most coveted titles in North American karting, as well as the newer King of The Rock classes for Briggs & Stratton and 100cc 2 cycle karts.
THERE IS A REASON WHY WE HAVE BEEN RACING FOR 30 YEARS
The goal always has been to offer the most fun anyone will have in karting, on and off the track. As hundreds of drivers and spectators have attested, the races in Rock Island have delivered just that with a carnival-like atmosphere among the most-popular refrains. "I think that's why you see so many racers bring their families, friends and sponsors with them,” said Ruthhart. We're not out in the middle of a cornfield somewhere like most karting events. There's more than just the racing to enjoy. It's so much more than just a day at the races." For some the fun goes on into the night. The Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix will again be run on a 7/10ths of a mile race course using the downtown city streets of Rock Island, Illinois. It’s like an IndyCar or Formula 1 street race except on a much smaller scale. It features 2 cycle and 4 cycle engine classes, six-speed gearbox karts hitting speeds of 80 MPH or more, and vintage karts from prior to 1985. Over the years, the race has attracted racers from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Costa Rica, England, France, Italy, the Philippines, Lativa and Poland. From the sponsor perspective, racers come from all over the country and are likely to spend many weekends in their truck, RV or toter pulling a trailer full of gear, while maintaining equipment in between. Not all have easy access to kart parts stores so rely on auto parts, hardware and megastores for the repair parts they need. Among the high-profile professionals who have raced at Rock Island are Scott Speed, the last American Formula 1 driver who also raced with NASCAR as well as Global and American Rallycross and Formula E; IndyCar drivers Graham Rahal, Conor Daly, Nelson Phillippe and Phillipe Giebler; sports car racer and NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Hand; Anna Chatten, long-time IndyCar mechanic who was the first woman over the wall in Pit Lane at the Indianapolis 500; Cal Stewart, a shock technician for Hendrick Motorsports; and Michelle Bumgarner, the Asian Karting Queen from the Philippines, who became the first female winner at Rock Island (winning twice), the 7th foreign-born winner, and later raced in Indy Lights and Pro Mazda.
