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.
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
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
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
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
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
This year the race was held on April 26, 2025 at the Purdue Grand Prix Track on Cherry Lane.
↑ 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.
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