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. 50Big-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.
