It’s August and in downtown Elkhart, that means go-kart racing.
The city Thursday morning closed off some downtown streets for the Elkhart Grand Prix, running Friday and Saturday. The track closes parts of Jackson Boulevard, Nibco Parkway, Elkhart Avenue and Waterfall Drive. The streets will reopen late Saturday or early Sunday.
"It's pretty unique and old-fashioned that you get to race over a bridge," said Jack Hoaglin, event director for the United States Auto Club, which sanctions the races. "So the way the Elkhart track is set up, you race over the river through the Riverwalk."
This year’s Grand Prix features a full schedule of events, starting at 1 Friday with the Mayor’s Challenge. That’s where Mayor Rod Roberson invites area mayors and their staffs to compete in a relay race for bragging rights over the coming year.
"It's a fun event," Hoaglin said. "He hosts the mayors for lunch. They race. They talk smack. They compete against each other to see who's the fastest mayor in northern Indiana."
At 8 p.m. Friday there will be Live Band Karaoke with a $1,000 prize.
On Saturday there will be a cornhole tournament with a $5,000 purse. The green flag flies for the karting main feature races at 4:30, and awards will be presented at 7:30.
Things wrap up Saturday night with a concert by Hillbilly Rockstarz followed by fireworks.
