Featured image: SteelStacks Grand Prix – by David Happel
Event expands to three days, June 15-17, over Father’s Day Weekend
BETHLEHEM, PA—Rev up your engines as the SteelStacks Grand Prix returns for its second year with an all-new track layout, public racing under the lights and new attractions and activities. This year’s Grand Prix has expanded from one to three days, with exciting racing action taking place June 15-17.
At the SteelStacks Grand Prix, the public can race high-speed go-karts around a nearly half-mile track that winds though PNC Plaza at SteelStacks. The course, which is specially designed for the event by Mike McCreary and Lehigh Valley Grand Prix, provides ample room for action-packed racing, with cars capable of reaching 40 MPH.
“It is an exciting opportunity to bring one of the largest consumer karting events in the nation to the Lehigh Valley,” says McCreary. “The partnership with ArtsQuest and Lehigh Valley Grand Prix is a great fit to deliver the ultimate racing experience.”
This year, the public is invited to open public racing sessions on June 15, 4-11 p.m., and June 17, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Cost for public racing is $25 per person and includes a safety briefing, helmet and eight minutes of track time; proceeds will go to support ArtsQuest and its arts education programming for the community. Tickets for the public session will be sold on a first-come basis at the track starting at 3 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Sunday.
Highlighting the weekend’s activities at the Grand Prix is the Corporate Challenge, featuring 30-plus corporate teams battling it out for the checkered flag to raise funds to support ArtsQuest’s arts education programing for the community. Over the past two years, the nonprofit ArtsQuest has doubled its educational programming for the region, providing enriching classes, workshops and field trips for more than 5,000 youth, as well as veterans and individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities.
The corporate challenge, a Le Mans style race which takes place June 16, will feature two qualifying sessions – one from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and a second from 1-5 p.m. – with the finals set for 6:30 p.m. Fans will be able to watch all the action track-side, including ‘grandstands’ set up just for the event. Among the businesses already confirmed to take part in the challenge are Aesthetic Surgery Associates, Bazella Group, Chevy 21, Christmas City Veterinary Hospital, Deiter Brothers, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Levan Associates, Sands Resort and Service Electric Cable TV & Communications. In the event of inclement weather, the Corporate Challenge will take place June 17.
Other activities and attractions during the Grand Prix include the showing of World Cup matches like Mexico vs. Germany (June 16, 11 a.m.) and Iceland vs. Argentina (June 16, 9 a.m.), as well as free 7:30 p.m. Levitt Pavilion concerts by Choir! Choir! Choir! June 15, JUTAUN June 16 and Southern Avenue June 17. Red Robin Catering will also be on site during the weekend, offering a variety of great food options for Corporate Challenge participants June 16 and Grand Prix attendees June 17.
Local businesses and corporations that want to get in on all the racing action at the Corporate Challenge can do so by contacting ArtsQuest Sr. Director of Business Development Nicole Dotta at ndotta@artsquest.org or 610-332-1334. All businesses that sponsor a car are able to enter their own five-person team in the event, as well as enjoy a variety of other great benefits.
Other partners helping to make the Grand Prix possible include Barry Bartakovits and Jim “The Judge” Stocklas, 99.9 The Hawk and Service Electric, which will broadcast the Corporate Challenge. For more information on the SteelStacks Grand Prix, visit www.steelstacks.org.
Information and image provided to TVL by:
Mark Demko, ArtsQuest
http://www.artsquest.org/
