LANCASTER – The City of Lancaster and SuperKarts! USA (SKUSA) will team up once again for the fastest street race in the nation. From Friday, Sept. 14 to Sunday, Sept. 16 the Grand Prix roars onto Lancaster BLVD for the fourth straight year. Powered by Lancaster Honda, this year’s Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix will feature nearly 200 go-kart racers from across the country showcasing their karting skills at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
“We’re so excited about this year’s Grand Prix that we moved it up a month to ensure we offer the absolute best event to date to our citizens,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris in a city news release. “Tom Kutscher’s organization did a phenomenal job coordinating last year’s races, and we are thrilled to see him ramping up even more involvement from the karting circuit. Of course, none of this would even be possible without the support of my dear friend, Rick Clutter, and Lancaster Honda, the premier sponsor for this annual event.”
The SKUSA California ProKart Challenge drivers will exhibit their season finale during the Streets of Lancaster weekend. What’s more, SuperKarts! USA CEO, Tom Kutscher, has challenged hopefuls for the SKUSA SuperNationals to join this temporary circuit in downtown Lancaster as a precursor to this Fall’s face-off. Kutscher attests that “their ability to come to quick grips with a temporary circuit… will be extremely useful when they head to Las Vegas in November.”
SKUSA joined up with the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix last year, and elevated the local karting experience with top-notch professional event management. The 2012 round of karts will once again include both 125cc shifter karts and single-speed TaG karts, with classes to include:
- S1 Pro Stock Moto
- S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto
- S3 Novice/Intermediate Stock Moto
- S4 Master Stock Moto (and the S4 Magnum category)
- S5 Junior Stock Moto
- TaG Senior
- TaG Master
- TaG Junior
- TaG Cadet
In addition to the kart-racing experience, the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix will offer entertainment, food and activities for the entire family.
Music lovers can enjoy on-stage and off-stage performances by a number of artists, including Faultline, Backstage Pass, Cougrzz Rock, Mike West, Jennifer Housholder and the Creosote Fire Dancers.
New to this year’s entertainment line-up is a BMX exhibition, which will perform around the track during Sunday’s lunch break. The event will also feature a cruise-in car show, sponsored and coordinated this year by Gary Avant of All Things Engravable.
There will be numerous children’s activities as well, including mini go-karts races, face painting, balloon twisting, caricatures, jump houses, rock climbing walls, water games, video games and much more.
“Everyone is invited to come out and celebrate this awesome sport with us,” said Mayor Parris. “If you’ve never been to the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix and Street Festival, you have no idea how much fun you are missing. I hope to see you here.”
For more information on this event, visit www.streetsoflancaster.com or call 661-723-6077.
View an accessibility map, which highlights public parking, street closures, business access and pedestrian walkways during the Streets of Lancaster here.
View video of a go-kart test drive!
BLVD business owner and AV Media contributor Adam Chant unleashed his inner speed demon Wednesday with a go-kart test drive around a course set up at Lancaster Honda. Several media representatives and city officials tested the go-karts after Wednesday’s press conference.
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TS says
It will be a shame to see people hurt again this year over the total Ignorance and Arrogates of the Event Organizers, any driver VIP or Pro should have never been put into a Kart with out all the proper “basic safe equipment, SAFETY must be the first and formost the number one priorty, factors of the reason for injuries last year warhere, arrogates of the people responsible,,, there MUST be a total independent Track Stewart,,, one to make sure ignorance on ones part dose not result in the injuries of another as they did last year,,,
Palmdale_Steve says
Well that’s too bad then. If the race organizers want spectators, then the course has to be accessible to the general public. The current course layout really does not encourage spectators to walk around and see all the sights.
Adam Chant says
Steve, The entire race course is lined with wide sidewalks so I really don’t see how there would be an accessibility problem for spectators. I know that there was a bottleneck at Elm/Ehrlich and the BLVD last year where a lot of activity was happening, but this year with 2 music stages, festival, car show and vendors things will be more spread out over the entire BLVD from 10th to Sierra HWY. Additionally last year they had a lot of the telemetry equipment in what is now a business on that corner along with the VIP tent, grandstands and the large format monitor. I hope they learn from last year’s congestion and do a better job of allowing pedestrian flow through that area. I feel that not only is that a safety issue, but it choked off all of the access to the east side of the track. Some of the best activity is at the right-hander and hairpin on the South and East side of the track. I contend that one of the best spectator spots will be at Begue Jewelers on Date and the BLVD.
Other than the track format, not much is set in stone yet. Hopefully the concerns people had for last years event will be addressed next week in our BLVD Association meeting with the city.
Palmdale_Steve says
Adam
As just a spectator I found last year’s version of the race not so good for the following reasons, compared to the year before.
1) Access to walk around the track was poor, you mentioned one reason and a response to the issue. You mention that the course was remaining the same, so obviously access by spectators to the course is less important??
2) Two years ago the BBQ competition gave spectators something to do besides just watch the race. The sale booths were OK, but I tend remember the number as being lower compared to the year before.
Bottom line is a philosophical question: Is the event more catering to the out of town kart racers and making a first class race event or creating an event to attract people to the area with side entertainment, with Blvd merchants and the vendors. I don’t see those two points of view as mutually exclusive, but answering that question is something the city and organizers probably have figure out.
I will most likely go anyway as the price as a spectator is right…FREE.
TS says
last year there was a fee to enter the pits by SKUSA,,,,, is there a fee this year and what is it??
Adam Chant says
I don’t have an answer to that at this time. I have asked at the last few organizational meetings that it be free to enter the pits, but that detail is up to SKUSA and not the city of Lancaster or us BLVD businesses. Worst case it will only be blocked by open chain link fence and easy to see what is going on. Really other than limiting pedestrian activity for safety for the karts there is not any real reason to charge for the pits in my opinion.
Though I can see how asking $15 for entry would dissuade the screw offs that loiter around the BLVD all the time from going in that area and doing something they shouldn’t.
TS says
WRONG ANSWER,,,,, the first 2 years where open to the public,,, we had ZERO problems with the screw offs that loiter the BLVD as yoou put it,,,, the fee go’s direct into SKUSA’s pockets,,,, and what ever precentage the City get kicked back to them,,,, FROM NON-PROFIT TO A PROFIT RUN EVENT,,,thats the only reason for the fee
Mario says
What time? and Where?
Adam Chant says
There will be grandstand seating available at the track and the community is invited to bring out lawn chairs for viewing the race from any location. Friday will feature a number of City of Lancaster races starting at 11 AM and continuing until the early evening. Saturday will be the first day of SKUSA racing starting in the morning and going until early evening. The Street festival will begin at 12 PM and continue until 8 PM. The Car Show will take place Saturday evening and will feature 1973 or older classic vehicles. Sunday will close out the weekend with racing in the early day and awards presentations mid-afternoon. The Street fair will be going on from 12 PM to 4 PM Sunday also. The businesses on the BLVD will be adjusting their hours to accommodate the expected crowds so food, refreshments and merchandise will be available at both the Festival and BLVD Businesses.