The Northbrook Grand Prix is coming back to the village on July 27 after last year’s inaugural bike race left some business owners and motorists feeling deflated.
“The buzz is starting to get electric,” said Bill Davis, marketing coordinator for the race. “Last year, it was the first year and people missed it. We expect a lot more people this year to come out.”
The race begin at 11 a.m. and attracts amateur and elite cyclists from across the globe as part of the 10-day Intelligentsia Cup series, said Davis. He said the 1.1-kilometer race route includes part of Walter Avenue, past the village green, to Church Street, Shermer Road and Meadow Road.
He said the racers ride Criterium bikes, also known as “crits,” which can reach speeds of 40 mph in sprints.
“One of the things that’s really cool about the Northbrook course is that it’s a little smaller racecourse,” he said. “It has sharp corners. It’s pretty cool to see these bike riders flying by at high speeds.”
“Spectators are right on the street close to the action,” he added. “It’s the kind of event that lends itself to people putting a chair out or just standing around and watching no matter where they are.”
This is the second year that Northbrook has hosted an Intelligentsia Cup race and last year’s inaugural race was not without controversy. Some restaurants owners complained that closing streets for the race cost them business, and motorists complained of access problems along the Village Green Park and parking problems in the area.
“It was really more of the teething pains of organizing it in the first year,” Davis explained. “That’s all part of the learning curve.”
He said that this year racers and spectators are asked to park at the former Grainger property at 1657 Shermer Road, the West METRA lot at 1401 Shermer Road, at Northbrook Junior High at 1475 Maple Avenue, or at the Techny Prairie Park and Fields Turf Field at 1700 Techny Road.
The day also includes a “Family Fun Ride” where anyone can ride on the racecourse, food trucks, and the North Suburban YMCA is hosting a kids craft table from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Race Expo Area near the intersection of Shermer and Meadow Roads.
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“It’s an exciting thing and bike culture is something that is part of the village already,” said Nicholas Glenn, communications manager with the village.
“It puts the spotlight on our village externally and brings in a lot of people not familiar with Northbrook,” he added. “It’s also a delight for our residents for young and old to come done and see these bikes moving at a high rate of speed.”
“It’s action packed,” he said. “Right up close. It seems like the spectators could reach out and touch the bikers they come so close. It’s a unique spectator event. You’re not up in the stands like NASCAR, you’re practically right on the track.”
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter for the Pioneer Press.