ROCK ISLAND GRAND PRIX DECEMBER 2008 NEWSLETTER

This is the latest update from the Rock Island Grand Prix, the world´s largest karting street race, held each year in Rock Island, Illinois. As always, if you would like to be removed from this list, please reply stating such and we will remove you immediately.

KING OF THE STREETS: In early November, the RIGP and Superkarts! USA announced that for 2009 the King of the Streets race will be stock moto. Winners of the S3 and S4 races at the SKUSA SuperNationals receive free entries to the King of the Streets. The 2009 King of the Streets winner will redceive a free entry to the 2009 SuperNationals as well as a free entry to the first round of the 2010 Florida Winter Tour. The 2009 FWT points champion will also receive a free entry to the 2009 King of the Streets race. Watch for more exciting announcements about this event.

COMPETITION COMMITTEE: In the past, decisions by the Rock Island Grand Prix Organizing Committee have often been spur-of -the moment actions occasionally made without adequate input. This year, the RIGP has created a Competition Committee made up of racers, race officials, kart shop and factory owners, and technical officials. The Competition Committee is being asked to advise the Organizing Committee in the areas of class structure, rules/tech changes and the overall event experience - as well as any other issues it chooses. Future ideas brought to the RIGP in these areas will be referred to the Competition Committee for a recommendation befoe action is taken. The organizing committee is not bound by the recommendation, but at least will have some valuable input on which to base its decisions.

The Competition Committee is currently reviewing the class structure for 2009, to be followed by rules and the overall event experience. If you have thoughts in any of these areas that you would like the committee to consider, please send them to grandprix@qconline.com .

JUMER´S CASINO AND HOTEL: Jumer´s Casino & Hotel, a major sponsor of the Rock Island Grand Prix, has just opened its new Casino, Hotel and Convention Complex on Interstate 280, a couple of miles from its downtown location. For those located in our area, or those passing through on one of the Interstates, please stop by and check it out. I can best describe it as Vegas - downsized. It has a 43,000 square- foot casino floor (more than twice the size of the old casino), four restaurants, night club, poker room, convention center and 200 room hotel with 11 suites. We will soon have a block of rooms available for the 2009 Grand Prix and will have that information posted on our website as soon as it is available.

RACE FAN RADIO AT PRI SHOW: Lucas Oil Presents RaceFanRadio Live from the MOPAR Stage Driven by Bridgestone and Motorama Kart Parts (wow, is that a mouthful!). RaceFanRadio.com has announced that RDD Motorsports and Kart Mini will present the live broadcast of "the 2008 Performance Racing Industry All-Stars Karting Classic" taking place Thursday, December 11, adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, the centerpiece event during this year´s P.R.I. Trade Show. In addition to the exclusive live internet broadcast starting at 5pm EST, a simulcast will be transmitted to limited edition "RaceFanRadios", small FM receivers attached to a special event lanyard. Race attendees will have an opportunity to tune in plus join the worldwide listening audience, allowing for all to be eligible to win various prizes during the broadcast. RaceFanRadio´s live broadcast of interviews with motorsports personalities will give attendees an added bonus while perusing over 1400 exhibitor booths. And for those who can´t get to Orlando, there will be dozens of reasons to tune in all weekend for details for a weekly interactive game, live event broadcasts for 2009 and more. For full details, go to:
http://www.RaceFanRadio.com or visit http://www.StarsOfKarting.com

The All-Stars Karting Classic will be televised on Fox Sports. With support from Bridgestone Tires, Masters Entertainment and the PRI show, karting will once again be brought to the forefront of the mainstream media with a half-hour televised broadcast in April of 2009.

Watch for additional reports and updates all weekend long at Ekartingnews.com.

FLORIDA WINTER TOUR: On-line registration for the 11th Annual Formula Kart Racing Florida Winter Tour, presented by Tony Kart Florida, is now under way.
Online FWT registration saves the competitor a minimum of $150 over on-site registration. This year Formula Kart is also offering an additional $100 savings to competitors who register for all 3 Rotax or Formula Kart event-weekends before December 15. In addition to the $100 savings, registering for all event-weekends before December 15 also guarantees the competitor entry into capped classes for all event weekends.

After review of the current registrations FWT officials have decided to cancel the JICA category from the list of classes offered for the 2009 Florida Winter Tour. The few drivers registered for the JICA category have been contacted and will have their registrations transferred to the KF3, TaG Junior or Rotax Junior class.Competition numbers are assigned this year. Each on-line pre-entry will receive one set of custom FWT / Endless Industries number panels. However, Rotax competitorsmust register and pay on-line prior to December 25 to be eligible. Formula Kart competitors must register and pay on-line prior to January 2 to be eligible. The first meeting of for FWT Rotax competitions will be January 9-11 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The first meeting for FWT Formula Kart series is January 16-18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For more information contact Bill Wright at info@formulakart.com or 850-258-0846.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !: All of us at the Rock Island Grand Prix would like to wish our friends and competitors a Happy and Safe Holiday Season. We hope when you get that new 2009 Calendar, the first thing you write on it will be the Rock Island Grand Prix dates of Sept. 5-6, 2009.