The Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix, the world’s largest and most prestigious karting street race, will be held August 30-31, 2025. It will again feature race classes for 2 cycle, 4 cycle, shifter and Vintage racers.

A number of items will change as the race heads into its fourth decade with details coming soon. But the Grand Prix Committee has approved classes for 2025 and there will be some changes as the race offers the most classes in its history.

“As we move back to our old track and a new decade, we are excited about some changes we are going to offer racers. We will be sharing that information as soon as details are finalized. Some classes that didn’t draw well last year have been dropped, others brought back, and some exciting new ones added,” said Roger Ruthhart of the Grand Prix. Already announced has been the addition of The Blooze Brothers tribute band in a free Saturday night concert.

Back again this year in Briggs 206 are: Briggs Heavy 1 & 2, Briggs Medium 1 & 2; Briggs Light and Briggs Masters. Rock Island will once again be the final race in the Ignite Grand Prix Cup series. Ignite Briggs classes are Ignite Senior 1 & 2, and Ignite Masters.

New this year is Margay’s new 100cc Ignite 2 cycle Senior and Masters classes. Returning this year is the 100cc 2 cycle class for KA, VLR and Yamaha Pipe engines.

Also back are Open Shifter and Shifter Masters and the addition of the new KZ80 Senior shifter class from SIRA in Indiana.

Vintage karts will again be featured including Open, Mac and Yamaha.

The highlight of the weekend will again be the King of the Streets race for shifters and King of The Rock races for 100cc and Briggs 206 entrants. All King classes have guaranteed purses of $1,000, $500 and $250 to first, second and third place finishers as long as there are adequate entries. All drivers are only eligible to enter the three King races if they have entered another race in the same engine class.

One change being made this year is that one Briggs Heavy and one Briggs Medium race will be run at the end of the afternoon after Heat Races on Saturday. These races were rescheduled to ease the burden on Briggs teams racing multiple classes on Sunday. Ruthhart also noted that some of the smaller classes will be run together and scored separately so they can be added without disrupting an already busy schedule.

Also, Rock Island Grand Prix Scholarships to the SKUSA SuperNationals from Simpson Motorsports-STL will be awarded to winners of King of the Streets, Masters Shifter and 100cc King of The Rock races. Winners receive paid entry fee, 2 sets of tires, oil and gas paid for, a $1,600 value). While there is no 100cc Masters class, an eligible driver could win a fourth SuperNationals Scholarship.

ROK Cup USA is also offering tickets to ROK Vegas or one race to the 2026 Florida Winter Tour (one race) to ROK racers who finish first, second or third in 100cc or shifter classes with a Vortex engine ($600 value). If racers finish on the podium with a Vortex engine and Levanto or Vega tires they will receive a free entry with consumables (a $1,500 value). These tickets can also be traded for a wild card ticket that can be used at any Rok event in the US or Canada.

Ignite Senior 1 & 2 and Ignite Masters drivers now have the chance to win the Ignite Grand Prix Cup championship by competing at the Quincy Grand Prix, Elkhart Grand Prix and the final races at the Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix. Points will be assigned using the current Formula 1 points structure for places 1 through 10 with zero drops. The championship was created by Margay Racing and presenting sponsor is the Skip Barber Racing School which will present the Ignite Senior champion with a one-day formula car school, valued at $4,000.

“The changes we will be announcing soon include a number of issues that racers have raised with us in the past and which we have found a way to resolve this year,” said Ruthhart. “One thing I know is we will be able to offer smoother streets over a good portion of the track thanks to the downtown revitalization, but there’s even more to come.”

Huge crowds are again expected after the race drew an all-time high of more than 19,769 race fans over the two-day event – the majority for the Sunday Feature races. That was up from 17,900 in 2023 and 11,000 in 2022. The Saturday night Blooze Brothers concert alone is sure to boost daily attendance, said Ruthhart. “Racing in front of 20,000 people is something most kart racers, their teams and sponsors never experience. The whole weekend, including the free Saturday night concert which we pitch as ‘Come for the Races, Stay for The Party’ is something special too,” said Ruthhart.

Ruthhart encourages racers to make plans early. The room block for the Grand Prix at the Holiday Inn is waiting and it’s easy to get here. More than 159,000 passengers passed through the Quad Cities International Airport in Moline last year with direct flights from Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Phoenix-Mesa, St. Pete-Clearwater, Charlotte, Atlanta and Las Vegas. Interstate highways 80, 88, 280 and 74 all pass through the area.

Rock Island is located in an area known as the Quad-Cities, equally divided between Illinois and Iowa, with a metropolitan population of almost 400,000. It is home to the Rock Island Arsenal military base and corporate headquarters for John Deere in Moline, Ill.

The race has featured competitive teams from 39 states as well as 11 foreign countries and 13 foreign winners.

Sponsors for the event include: Mediacom, Simpson Motorsports, Bally’s Quad-Cities Casino & Hotel, National Karting Alliance, Margay Racing, O’Reilly Auto Parts, 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, Gas & Electric Credit Union, Rogan Scale, Duncalf Racing, Fastenal, Hughes Tire, RIGP Corner Workers and 61 Kartway.

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