ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The Rock Island Grand Prix, the world’s largest karting street race, has announced that approval has been granted to register the event’s name by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. The trademark became registered May 29.
“We have spent a lot of time and effort developing a recognizable and high-quality brand for our event,” said Roger Ruthhart, Rock Island Grand Prix president. “There are cities named Rock Island in at least five states and many parks, businesses and organizations with similar enough names that there was a concern that they might infringe upon our well-established brand name at some point in the future. Hopefully this will give us some additional level of control over events and products that might consider using the name.”
The Rock Island Grand Prix name has been in use since 1997. The race
had previously been called the Rock Island Argus Grand Prix after the
newspaper that sponsored and organized it. The race’s logo has carried
the protective “TM” for the past two years while trademark registration
was being sought.
“It won’t change how we do things, but it will give us protection for a
name that we’ve worked hard to make an icon in kart racing worldwide,”
Ruthhart said.
Presenting Sponsors of the Rock Island Grand Prix are AT&T, CJC
Investments and Mazda North America. The more than $35,000 purse is
sponsored by Jumer’s Casino Rock Island. Other major sponsors include
Kart Expo International presented by Sodi Kart, The Dispatch, Rock
Island Argus and Leader newspapers and Medicom .
The Rock Island Grand Prix, the world’s largest karting street race,
draws more than 400 entries from throughout the United States and
Canada competing for one of karting’s largest purses. It has also
hosted racers from Italy, France, Colombia, Costa Rica, England,
Argentina, Bermuda and Mexico. It includes 15 feature pro races in
4-cycle, 2-cycle and shifter classes. Rock Island Grand Prix races are
also broadcast live worldwide via the internet by monksmedia.com . It
is always held the Saturday and Sunday on Labor Day Weekend.
AT&T is the largest telecommunications company in the United States
and one of the largest in the world. AT&T is the recognized world
leader in providing IP-based communications services to business and
the U.S. leader in providing wireless, high speed Internet access,
local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising
services. As part of its "three screen" integration strategy, AT&T
is expanding video entertainment offerings to include such
next-generation television services as AT&T U-verse TV. With 55.8
million subscribers, AT&T provides international voice services to
virtually every country and territory in the world. It is a global
company that sets the industry standard for a new era of integrated
communications and entertainment services. The AT&T Foundation has
contributed more than $1.8 billion to nonprofit organizations around
the country, including $60 million in 2006, putting it among the five
largest corporate foundations in the United States. (www.att.com)
CJC Investments is a franchisee of HomeVesters of America Inc. which
trains and supports HomeVestors franchisees who specialize in buying
properties in need of repair, expanding and building upon the
HomeVestors’s of America, Inc. reputation for “We Buy Ugly Houses.” In
every market where HomeVestors franchises exist, the “We Buy Ugly
Houses” and “Ugly’s OK” campaigns are prominent. CJC Investments, the
HomeVestors office in St. Louis, Mo., can be reached by calling (618)
394-8940. (www.homevestors.com)
On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas on the road-race tracks of
America than any other brand of vehicle. At the track, you’ll see MX-5
Miata, RX-8, MAZDA3, MAZDA6, RX-7 and other vintage Mazda models
competing, because every Mazda has the Soul of a Sports Car. In fact,
the fastest growing road-racing class in the U.S. is the SCCA’s Spec
Miata class, with nearly 1,500 first- and second-generation Miatas
tearing up America’s racetracks, making it the most-raced production
car in the world. Mazda’s involvement in motorsports extends to its
relationship with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, one of the world’s premier
road-racing circuits, and the Skip Barber Schools for driving and
racing. Mazda North American Operations, headquartered in Irvine,
Calif., oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service
support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico
through nearly 900 dealers. Canadian operations are managed by Mazda
Canada, Inc., in Ontario, and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico,
Mexico City.
(www.MazdaUSAmedia.com,www. Mazdaspeedmotorsports.com)
The Rock Island Grand Prix is hosted by The Downtown Rock Island Arts
and Entertainment District which features Casino Rock Island, retail
shops, excellent restaurants, live entertainment, dinner theater, art
galleries and comedy clubs all within walking distance of the host
hotel. It is located on the Mississippi River three hours west of
Chicago in an area known as the Quad-Cities which straddles the river
and the Illinois/Iowa border. It is at the intersection of Interstate
highways 74, 88 and 80 and is served by Quad City International Airport
in Moline, Ill. (www.ridistrict.com)
For more information on King of the Streets race or the Rock Island
Grand Prix, visit www.superkartsusa.com or www.rockislandgrandprix.com.
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