NEWS RELEASE - City of Elkhart

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Aug 14, 2017 - downtown, Jeremy Bontrager, owner of the Electric Brew Coffee Shop, decided to open additional hours on S
CITY OF ELKHART FROM THE OFFICE OF MAYOR TIM NEESE

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 14, 2017

Mayor Neese praises success of Elkhart Riverwalk Grand Prix ELKHART (August 14, 2017) – An estimated 15,000 people traveled from across the country to witness the return of the Elkhart Riverwalk Grand Prix. The day after the conclusion of the race, Mayor Tim Neese said the event not only met expectations, but exceeded them. With 140 karters participating, Elkhart is already considered one of the top three go-kart street races in the U.S. “Throughout the course of the weekend, people were consistently providing me with positive comments about the track location, the family-friendly activities and overall experience. One of these individuals was a gentleman from Colorado who had traveled to Elkhart specifically for the race,” Neese said. “None of this would have been possible without the unparalleled collaboration of the United States Auto Club (USAC), the event planning committee, city employees from various departments, and local businesses and sponsors, including Bob Martin of Thor Industries.” Prior to the races, Mayor Neese emphasized the importance of downtown events and the opportunity they provide for local restaurants and hotels. With the additional foot traffic downtown, Jeremy Bontrager, owner of the Electric Brew Coffee Shop, decided to open additional hours on Sunday, a day when his business is typically closed. Overall, he says the shop saw a twenty-five percent increase in sales Friday and Saturday. While other downtown businesses said they benefitted from seeing new faces come through their doors, many were still crunching numbers Monday morning. With all of the feedback generated during and after the race, USAC – the sanctioning body for the Elkhart Riverwalk Grand Prix – is already excited about next year. “The street race in Elkhart was everything we anticipated and more,” said Kevin Miller, CEO of USAC. “On behalf of USAC, I want to thank Mayor Neese and the city of Elkhart for opening their streets for competition once again. We will be back next year and are already exploring ways to make the event bigger and better than ever.” Several ideas currently being explored by USAC include bringing in an additional race series geared towards youth competitors, offering more musical entertainment and providing a larger festivallike atmosphere around the races. Within three years, USAC believes Elkhart can be the biggest street race in the country. Although the exact weekend is yet to be determined, Mayor Neese anticipates the race will occur again in August of 2018. If you would like to provide feedback to the mayor’s office and have not yet had the opportunity to do so, please call 294-5471 ext. 241. -30-

Note to the press: Please include the attached and below photos in your continued coverage of the Thor Industries Elkhart Riverwalk Grand Prix. All photo credit should be given to Vala Marketing.

Mayor Neese prepares for the start of the first annual Mayor’s Race.

Crowds gather at Elkhart’s Central Park for the return of the Elkhart Riverwalk Grand Prix.

Karters line up heading into the hairpin turn at the intersection of Waterfall Dr. and Elkhart Ave., near the Elkhart Police Department.