SAMTEC RETURNS AS TITLE SPONSOR OF 2024 EVENT
April 29, 2024. Louisville, KY. – Bed racing fans filled the stands at Broadbent Arena tonight for the Kentucky Derby Festival’s 35th annual Great Bed Races. Samtec returned for the second year as the Title Sponsor of the 2024 event, which featured 50 teams pushing their decorated beds around a figure-eight course, competing for the fastest time. Texas Roadhouse won the Champion’s Division and Samtec (Fun Team) won the Fun Division.
The theme of this year’s event, “Celebrating Derby 150,” had teams decorating their beds and wearing costumes inspired by the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, as well as highlighting elements of the Derby season. Beds featured everything from horses, the Twin Spires, roses, jockeys, a bugler, the Belle of Louisville, balloons and more. Prizes went to the teams with the three fastest times, as well as for the “Best Decorated Bed,” “Most Entertaining,” “People’s Choice” and “Cone Eater” categories. This year’s event also featured Tailgating awards.
The results of the 35th annual competition:
2024 Results – Champion’s Division:
| Place | Team |
| 1 | Texas Roadhouse |
| 2 | Samtec (Champion Team) |
| 3 | Best-One Louisville Tire Service Center |
2024 Results – Fun Division:
| Place | Team |
| 1 | Samtec (Fun Team) |
| 2 | ZEON (ZEON Racing) |
| 3 | Louisville Paving and Construction (LP Cone Dozers) |
- Best Decorated Bed: ZEON – (Decked out with a spinning racetrack, bugler, roses, jockey silks and more Derby elements)
- Most Entertaining: Rubbies Southside Grill & Bar (Featuring a Star Wars theme with a Derby twist: “May the Horse Be With You”)
- People’s Choice Award: Samtec
- Cone Eater Award: Bluegrass Testing
A Tailgate Party took place before the Samtec Great Bed Races and winners of the Tailgate Awards include: UofL Health Peace Hospital won the Drink of Tailgate Award, and SERVPRO was given the Taste of Tailgate Award.
First held in 1990 on the cobblestone streets of downtown Louisville in Theatre Square as “Bedlam in the Streets,” the event exploded in popularity. Now in its 35th year, it continues to attract participants from small local businesses to five-man teams from large corporations.
The Great Bed Races are sponsored by Samtec. Contributing Sponsors: Kentucky Venues, Texas Roadhouse and UA Local 502. Official Broadcast Partner: WAVE. Media Sponsor: Classic Rock 107.7. The Samtec Great Bed Races are broadcast live on WAVE.
