Editor’s note: This is the third in a five-day series featuring teams fielding Vintage Kart Mini Racers in the second annual Scottsdale Grand Prix, to be held November 4-6 on the streets of Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona.
The streets of downtown Scottsdale will be transformed November 4-6 into a modern Great Gatsby-inspired version of the roaring ‘20s as Vintage Mini Races hit the streets in the second annual Grand Prix of Scottsdale.
The three-day event begins Friday evening with a display of the cars in team livery during the “Gatsby Under the Stars Gala.” The gala takes place on the Marshall Way Bridge and benefits Southwest Human Development, one of the racing weekend’s charity partners.
Gatsby lawn parties take place Saturday and Sunday with attendees encouraged to dress in ‘20s-era attire as they sample local beer, wines, and food while enjoying music from the era, choreographed dance performances, and a special cigar bar with club seating.
Also Saturday is the Concours d’ Kids for children to compete in the Grand Prixni, a mini driving experience as well as various crafts and games.
The Grand Prix of Scottsdale officially begins at 11 a.m. on Sunday, following the 2016 Vintage Victory Trophy presentation during the trackside Dine and Drive breakfast. Radio personality Dave Pratt will be master of ceremonies and Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane is the pace car passenger for the main event.
Race winner gets the Vintage Victory trophy while second- and third-place finishing teams also getr awards, as does the person who posts the best individual lap.
The half-mile course begins near the bridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront and takes racers past local landmarks along Goldwater and across 5th avenue before completing the lap.
Restaurants and local businesses along the course are slated to offer race-day specials and multiple viewing areas are accessible along the course and near pit row at no cost.
Each team competing in the Grand Prix of Scottsdale may have up to six drivers in a Vintage Kart Company’s Arizona-built Vintage Mini Racer, which was inspired by cyclecars of the 1920s. Each mini racer features a 200cc engine capable of 30–35 miles per hour.
Teams competing in the 2016 Grand Prix of Scottsdale include:
| Big-O Metals, car No. 50 Big-O Metals is one of the Southwest's premier metal wholesalers, supplying a variety of metals and alloys to metal fabricators and manufacturers throughout the region. Big-O owner and 2015 Grand Prix driver, Lin Pryor, will be returning with his Big-O Metal's Italiano model Vintage Mini Racer to try to claim the Grand Prix of Scottsdale's top prize. |  |
| In-Ground Trampolines, car No. 4 In-Ground Trampolines has created a simple and innovative solution in the design of the only complete in-ground trampoline system in the world. In-Ground Trampolines address two of a parent's major concerns -- safety and aesthetics -- while providing an excellent source of safe entertainment and exercise. IGT's trampoline design incorporates a retaining wall with a trampoline frame, built as one integral system, designed specifically to be installed underground. This innovation has eliminated the need for a costly retaining wall, yielding a more cost-effective system for families looking for a safe, aesthetically pleasing in-ground trampoline system. IGT's system, unlike any other, comes with the trampoline jump mat, springs and pads -- everything you need. The IGT Vintage Mini Racer returns to the Grand Prix of Scottsdale hoping to get a great jump on the competition and take home the Grand Prix trophy. |  |
| Dripping Springs Vodka, car No. 5 Handcrafted in the Texas Hill Country, Dripping Springs Vodka and Dripping Springs Orange Vodka is made with sweet, Mid-Western non-GMO corn, is naturally gluten free and is Certified Kosher by the Houston Kashruth Association. Dripping Springs is micro-distilled over 20 times in small 50-gallon batches using hand-made copper pot stills. To create the signature taste of Dripping Springs Vodka, we mix our vodka with pure, mineral-rich artesian spring water from the Texas Hill Country then slow filter through Swedish activated carbon. The result is a lush and balanced vodka with a smooth finish—an ideal sipping vodka. Dripping Springs Vodka is the vodka of choice at the 2016 Grand Prix of Scottsdale Gatsby Lawn Party. Enjoy! |  |
| iHeart Media & iHeart Radio, car No. 99 With over a quarter of a billion monthly listeners in the U.S. iHeartMedia has the largest reach of any radio and television outlet in America. iHeartMedia's iHeartRadio is the only music app that features thousands of the country's best live radio stations AND custom artist stations controlled by its listeners covering Pop, Country, Hip-Hop, R&B, Alternative, Rock, Talk, News, Sports, and Comedy. With a library of 20 million songs and 800,000 artists, iHeartRadio allows users to create personalized, all-music custom stations for their listening pleasure. The white iHeart MonoCar, number 'nine-nine', returns to the Grand Prix of Scottsdale to make some waves and post the best team time. |  |
