Emmett's Brewing Co. hosts annual Adult Big Wheel Race on March 11

The sound of hollow plastic on pavement has become a rite of passage each spring in Dundee as more than 100 adults race for glory on children's plastic riding toys.

2023 marks the 14th year that Emmett's Brewing Co. has sponsored the race in conjunction with its St. Patrick's Day festivities.

This year the race is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 11.

The race begins at Washington and Fourth streets and screams downhill to the finish line at Washington and Second streets.

This annual community event draws crowds numbering over 2,000 people. Onlookers revel in the spectacle as grown adults trade their dignity for bragging rights and a shot at taking home a trophy or cash prize.

Racers compete in three categories: Featherweight (Stock), a traditional Big Wheel or similar plastic riding toy; Cruiserweight (Modified), a plastic or similar riding toy that has been modified for looks or self-loathing; and a Heavyweight (Outlaw) category, which includes heavily modified Big Wheels with pneumatic tires and metal frames. Trophies go to the winner of each category.

Check-in and Kegs 'N Eggs will be at 9 a.m. at Emmett's with the start at 1 p.m. in Grafelman Park.

The entry fee through March 8 is $40 which includes a shirt, two beer tickets, and a swag bag. It will be $50 on race day from 9 to 11 a.m.

Online registration closes at midnight Wednesday, March 8.

Andy Burns, founder of Emmett's Brewing Co., lives nearby and explains that the race began back in 2008 when a couple of neighborhood friends suggested the challenge as a cure for cabin fever.

Since then, the race has come a long way.

"The first year we began doing this we had to race around cars parked on the street and other hazards," Burns said.

Now, the village of West Dundee provides assistance with street closures and traffic control, and Emmett's also contracts with a racing company to provide crowd control barricades, bleachers and a finish line.

Emmett's is the brainchild of Andy Burns, who started the company in the late 1990s with members of his family. The company operates four Emmett's Brewing Co. locations in the Chicago suburbs. Burns describes the brewery-themed restaurants as "casual and community centered." The company favors historic downtown locations and the Burns family enjoys making connections and building relationships in a small downtown setting.

Additional information on the race can be found at www.emmettsbrewingco.com/bigwheelrace

Footage from previous year's races can be found at https://youtu.be/19NKKPWdjss.