The Northbrook Grand Prix cycling racing series, also known as the Chicago Grit, brought excitement to Northbrook July 24 when it sent cyclists racing through its course in the suburb’s downtown for the fourth year.
Rain held off and temperatures cooled from an extended heat wave for the two last professional races of the day.
Northbrook has held the Thursday slot in the 10-day competitive series that began this year on Friday, July 18 in West Dundee and concluded in Chicago’s Fulton Market on July 27. Host suburban towns included Glen Ellyn, Winfield, Mundelein, Lombard, Brookfield, Elgin and Lake Bluff.
A free community bike ride also attracted cyclists and riders of all ages to try the Northbrook course on closed streets around Village Green Park.
Professional level races Thursday included the Garner Cyclery Women Pro Cat 1/2 and Garner Cyclery Men Pro Cat 1/2.
Richard Holec of Durango, Colorado celebrated taking first place in the men’s pro race and Kendall Ryan of Ventura, California, repeated her first place 2024 win in Northbrook, capturing the top spot in the women’s pro race.
Holec said shortly after the men’s pro race that teammates were going “fast” at the sprint.
“I guess we probably hit 40 (miles per hour) at the end,” Holec said.
“We just took over the last half block.”
Kendall Ryan said after the women’s race, “Last year we won this race as well and I just kind of wanted to do something similar.“
Taking part in the community ride were Northbrook residents Ryan Fields and niece Hallie Levi, 7, a rising second-grader.
Fields said the course had some, “great turns and some good straightaways and a nice view of the downtown Northbrook area.”
Northbrook Police Officer Scott Plepel, also a bike officer, took part in the community ride and said the newer hometown ride tradition is wholesome.
“We look forward to this part every year,” he said.
In partnership with Northbrook governmental entities, the Northbrook Grand Prix is organized with volunteers and the LOC, the event’s local organizing committee.
Volunteers included Social Media Coordinator Terry Kasdan of Northbrook, a 22-year resident, who grew up in Glenview and is of the Glenbrook South High School Class of 1991. Son Jonah Kasdan, a 2025 Glenbrook North High School graduate, served as social media intern.
Racers included cyclists from the Philippines and New Zealand, Terry Kasdan said. Northbrook is home to a storied velodrome.
“It’s a really cool event that attracts people from all over the world,” Terry Kasdan said. “Northbrook is a great sports town.”
Jonah Kasdan said Instagram is the race’s popular social media platform.
“The things that are really good for social media, I would say, are the corners,” Jonah Kasdan said. “You can see all of them (cyclists) really lean into the turns, it makes for really good action shots for both photos and videos.
“And towards the end of the race, seeing them all speed up and really sprint towards the end, it’s always super exciting,” Jonah Kasdan added. “So we always try to get a video of them finishing up and it makes for a lot of really good posts.”
Matt Curin of Northbrook, sponsorship director and founder of the Northbrook Grand Prix, said fundraising dollars again fell short this year.
Curin said the 2025 fee to the race series was about $12,000. Extra are expenses for police protection and public works input, as examples.
A beer garden concept was also discussed this year but did not happen for 2025, with a goal for an event beer garden next year, pending village approval.
On May 28, 2024, a Northbrook resident on the 1300 block of Church Street (along the race route) had asked the Northbrook Village Board of Trustees to move the Northbrook Grand Prix to Wood Oaks Green Park in west Northbrook.
Curin said that specific relocation will never happen, “because nobody’s going to come and watch it.
“You want the race where people are going to be and this is where people are going to be,” Curin added on July 24.
“And also like, all these people are getting drinks and spending money at all the businesses. If you have it at Wood Oaks (Green) Park, it’s not going to benefit the community.”
The renowned “Save Ferris” water tower from the 1986 John Hughes movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is visible along the Northbrook Grand Prix flagship turn at Shermer Road and Meadow Road.
“It’s Ferris Bueller’s hometown,” Curin said. “What else could you ask for?”