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Purdue Grand Prix

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Purdue Grand Prix
VenueGrand Prix Track, Northwest Sports Complex, Purdue University
LocationWest Lafayette, IN
40°26′15.7″N 86°56′38.5″W / 40.437694°N 86.944028°W / 40.437694; -86.944028
Corporate sponsorPurdue Grand Prix Foundation
First raceMay 17, 1958
Last raceApril 22, 2023
Distance50 miles
Laps160
Duration1:11:41.405 (Alexander Kardashian, 2022)[1]
Most wins (driver)Jimmy Simpson (4)
Circuit information
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.2698 mi (0.4342 km)
Turns5
Lap record24.953 seconds (Jacob Peddycord, Yamaha KT100, 2023, 38.924 mph[2])

The Purdue Grand Prix is a go-kart race that has been held annually by Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, since May 17, 1958. It is known as "the Greatest Spectacle in College Racing." It hosts approximately 3,500 live spectators per year, with many more watching televised or streamed broadcasts.[3] The primary function of the event is to raise money for Purdue student scholarships under the aegis of the Purdue Grand Prix Foundation and its motto: 'Students Helping Students.' Though the race is traditionally held on a Saturday, associated festivities, parties, parades, and other events, both sanctioned and unsanctioned, begin the weekend before and are held throughout the week. Grand Prix is also a large event for alumni who often return to campus for the weekend.

Details

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Student organizations, resident hall clubs, co-op houses, and Greek organizations build and race go-karts on a purpose-built course located northwest of the main campus at the block of Cherry Lane, McCormick Road, and US Highway 52. Each kart is required to use a Yamaha KT100 engine and costs approximately $5,000. The event is open to all members of the Purdue student body, including students at other Purdue University System campuses. Students from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis[a] have won the race on several occasions, possibly due to the motorsports engineering major offered at that campus.

Qualifications are held, weather permitting, on a single day one week before race day. The karts are divided into groups of four and are allowed seven minutes on the track. Each kart's fastest lap is recorded as its qualifying time. The top 27 times are placed in the starting field from fastest to slowest. The remaining six positions are determined by three 15-lap sprint races held prior to the main Grand Prix race. The top two finishers from each sprint race comprise the rest of the 33-kart starting grid. The race is traditionally held on a Saturday; however, due to inclement weather, the race may be postponed to Sunday.

Every five years alumni races are held where former students who participated in the Grand Prix return to race. Karts built prior to 1986 take part in a 15-lap Classic race. Newer karts race in a 35-lap Modern race.

History

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The first race was held on May 17, 1958, at the North Intramural Field and adjacent parking lot as a way for engineering students to exercise their skills. It was organized by David Ross and Dan Tubergan. Each cart was built from scratch and was powered by a lawnmower engine. Originally managed by the Purdue Auto Club, the Grand Prix Foundation took over administration of Grand Prix when it was founded in 1965. A purpose-built 3/8-mile track was built near Ross–Ade Stadium in 1968 for $25,000; it was first used in the 1969 Grand Prix.

The 2007 Grand Prix was the 50th-anniversary celebration. David Wolf, a Purdue graduate and astronaut, was the grand marshal for that year's pre-race parade.

The 2008 Grand Prix was the final race held on the "old" track north of Ross–Ade Stadium. This track was demolished due to the Mackey Arena expansion project. The new track, which has been used since 2009, is located at the Northwest Sports Complex. It cost roughly $1 million to build and is modeled after the World Kart Championship Track in Japan.

In 2010 the first Electric Vehicle Grand Prix was held at the Purdue Grand Prix track, following a similar format to its gasoline-powered counterpart. The annual race is usually held at the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; some years an additional race is held at the Grand Prix Track in West Lafayette. Purdue teams and teams from visiting universities are often allowed to test at Purdue's track on the days in which the gas karts are not practicing. While the EV Grand Prix does not attract as many karts as the Purdue Grand Prix, it has a much more widespread reach, attracting teams from three continents and across the United States.

Breakfast Club

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Breakfast Club is a tradition where students and alumni dress in costumes to fill local bars and nightclubs early in the morning.[4] It is best described as a cross between a pep rally, a Halloween party, and a bar crawl. It was started by members of the Theta Chi Fraternity in the mid-1980s who wanted to see how early in the morning an establishment could be legally open for drinking.[5] Breakfast Club is also seen the morning of home athletic events, and plays a significant role during the football season. Many participants are dedicated; getting up at 5:00 a.m. on Saturdays and lining up at the bars on Chauncey Hill and the levee by 6:00 a.m. on game days.[6][7]

Winners

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Year Champion(s) Team
1958 James Moneyhun

Fred Bartlett
Gregory Boman
Ronald Moffett
Kenneth Shull

Gable Courts
1959 Dick Clayton
John Alexander
Robert Elsperman
John Jeffers
Tom Ross
Sigma Chi
1960 John Mullaly Chauncey House
1961 Tom Ellis Phi Delta Theta
1962 Jon Mickley
Bert Rosendahl
Bob Whiting
Jerry Williams
Tom Williams
H-1 SE Resident Hall
1963 Edward McDonald Sigma Phi Epsilon
1964 Robert Booty Alpha Sigma Phi
1965 Jim Feutsel Flying Vegetables
1966 George Taylor The Photon
1967 Al Brittingham Kappa Delta Rho
1968 Al Brittingham Kappa Delta Rho
1969 Gary Van der Heide Sigma Chi
1970 James Fry Acacia
1971 George Kozak Wiley
1972 Mike Goodson Alpha Eta Rho
1973 Charles Workman, Jr. Sigma Phi Epsilon
1974 Wayne Gerhart Alpha Tau Omega
1975 Mike Brennan Kappa Sigma
1976 Chuck Sprague Tarkington
1977 Dave Jones Beta Theta Pi
1978 Robert Keagy Sigma Chi
1979 Dave Fleek Phi Sigma Kappa
1980 Brian Grant Tarkington
1981 David Fuhrman FuBaR
1982 John Brenan Alpha Chi Rho
1983 John Shumaker Alpha Sigma Phi
1984 Curtis Chariton
1985 Doug Wright Pi Kappa Alpha
1986 Bob Pitzer Cary/Meredith
1987 Dave Skelton Pi Kappa Phi
1988 Steve Daughtery Tarkington/Windsor
1989 Tom Smith FarmHouse Racing
1990 Doug Hodgdon Alpha Sigma Phi
1991 Doug Hodgdon Alpha Sigma Phi
1992 Brian Berrisford
1993 Ian Smith
1994 Ian Smith
1995 Ian Smith
1996 Dustin Smith
1997 Joe Troyer Delta Theta Sigma
1998 Kyle Smith
1999 Tom Gray Theta Chi
2000 James Weida
2001 Tom Gray Theta Chi
2002 Timothy O'Brien Wiley
2003 Timothy O'Brien Wiley Hall Excalibur Club Racing No. 2
2004 Clayton Smith Team Smith
2005 Timothy O'Brien
2006 Clayton Smith Team Smith
2007 Liz Lehmann PMA
2008 Jon Laski IUPUI Motorsports No. 1
2009 Travis Iles Sigma Chi
2010 Justin Penix IUPUI Motorsports No. 1
2011 Justin Penix IUPUI Motorsports No. 1
2012 Blake Deister IUPUI MKP Racing
2013 Jimmy Simpson Electric Vehicle Club
2014 Jimmy Simpson Delts Racing (Delta Tau Delta Fraternity)
2015 Jimmy Simpson Delts Racing
2016 Jimmy Simpson Delts Racing
2017 Kyle Tilley Cary Club Racing No. 1
2018 Jared Thomas IUPUI Motorsports No. 2
2019 Brenden Johnson Acacia Racing No. 2
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19
2021 Jacob Peddycord Harrison Hall Cavalier Club Racing
2022 Alexander Kardashian Jimmy Simpson Racing
2023 Michael Cruz Cruz Control Racing
2024 Aidan Fox Kappa Sigma

Trivia

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  • Ian Smith and Jimmy Simpson are the only drivers to win the Grand Prix in three consecutive years. Smith, Simpson, and Timothy O'Brien are the only drivers to win the race three times. Simpson is the only driver to win the race 4 times.
  • Five members of the Smith family (Tom Smith, Ian Smith, Dustin Smith, Kyle Smith, and Clayton Smith) have combined to win eight Grand Prix races.
  • Liz Lehmann, the 2007 champion, is the first and only female driver to win as of 2023. The 2007 race was her third try. She finished 4th in 2006 and 3rd in 2008.
  • Many IUPUI students have participated in the Purdue Grand Prix. The first entrant was John Steger in 1976.
  • Phi Sigma Rho was the first sorority to participate, starting in the 1990s.

This Year

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This year the race was held on April 20, 2024 at the Purdue Grand Prix Track on Cheery Lane. Tickets and information can be found on the Purdue Grand Prix Foundation website.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ In 2022 the boards of trustees of both IU and Purdue announced that IUPUI will be split between the institutions by the fall 2024 semester. The School of Engineering and Technology, as well as the Department of Computer Science within the School of Science, will form 'Purdue University in Indianapolis,' a fully integrated extension of the West Lafayette campus. The athletic program and all other academic programs will fall under the new Indiana University Indianapolis.

References

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  1. ^ "RACE Purdue Grand Prix Race 65, 2022 Purdue Grand Prix Race 65, Purdue Grand Prix Foundation, United States - Official Event Results, MYLAPS Speedhive".
  2. ^ "2023 Purdue Grand Prix Race 66 - Practice 5 - Results".
  3. ^ "Purdue Grand Prix: 'Greatest spectacle in college racing' returns with historical traditions". Our Community Now. 2022-04-23. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  4. ^ HustleFish (2019-04-12). "What is Breakfast Club?". granitestudentliving.com. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  5. ^ Writer, Jason GulleyStaff (2002-04-19). "First home of Breakfast Club ends morning tradition". Purdue Exponent. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  6. ^ "Purdue Football Game Checklist". www.homeofpurdue.com. 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  7. ^ The College Buzz Book. Vault Inc. March 23, 2006. p. 292. ISBN 9781581313994. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2006.
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