The Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix, the world’s largest karting street race to be run Sept. 3-4 through the downtown city streets of Rock Island, this year will feature a new announcing team designed to bring a new level of excitement to the event. Jay Kidwell and Dave MacIntyre will tag team this year’s exciting race action. Their work will be heard throughout the downtown which is wired for sound, and on the webcast of eKartingNews.com. Both are veterans of many previous Rock Island kart races.

Jay Kidwell joined the WHBF Local 4 News team as sports director in 2001.  Previously, he was sports director at the CBS affiliate, WFSB-TV in Hartford Connecticut.  Prior to that, Kidwell was a sports anchor/Reporter at WGGB-TV, the ABC affiliate in Springfield, Massachusetts. He is originally from southern Connecticut and graduated from the University of Hartford with a degree in Mass Communications. He has always had a passion for sports, even as a child when he would listen to baseball games on the radio and pretend to announce the “play by play!”  Kidwell enjoys covering local sports teams in the Quad Cities and says not only does he get to follow the teams, but he also enjoys the opportunity to meet many great students, families, and people throughout the community. He also takes part in many local charity events for organizations such as NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), The HAVlife Foundation, and The United Way. Jay, his wife, and two children live in Bettendorf.

Dave MacIntyre is a Minnesota native who is well-known throughout the US as the official announcer for the Cup Karts North America kart racing series. Being a recent retiree allows him to spend more time at the kart tracks. Dave found and enjoyed kart racing later in life and later became a club executive. He has said the recent changes have allowed him to have the time of his life. He has also come to Rock Island for many years just to enjoy the thrill of the races and hoping someday he would be able to share his love of announcing for local fans.,

In a recent interview with eKartingNews.com, MacIntyre explained his love of announcing this way:

“My goal in this whole experience is to fill the grandstands with spectators who aren’t related to any of the racers. I’m absolutely convinced that our racing is more exciting, has better drivers, has better spectators, and is a better bargain than any NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA, WoO or any other sanctioning body. We may not be as fast or as loud, but our people will race wheel-to-wheel, lap-after-lap and do some astonishing things on the track and shake hands or even hug at the scale line. Who does that? Karters! That’s who.”

His addition to the Rock Island announcing team will be heard throughout the downtown, which is wired for sound, and on live web coverage by eKartingNews.com

“Our goal since last year has been to have several individuals work together to provide spectators and racers with a new level of information and excitement,” said Roger Ruthhart president of the Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix. “The feedback we received last year from both racers and spectators put the Rock Island race in rare territory. Local fans will enjoy the knowledge and energy that our announcers bring to the sport which makes this one of the prime announcing events in the sport. Race fans connecting through our live internet reporting from eKartingNews.com will experience the race almost as if they were seated trackside.”

Head over to racerockisland.info to learn more about the Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix.

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