BRAINERD,
Minn. - Brainerd International Raceway (BIR)
released its 2017 racing lineup, a six-month schedule that
features some of the most exciting and diverse motorsports
in the Midwest.
If
race fans want variety, they’ll find it at BIR.
The 2017 schedule includes drag racing, road racing, Superbike
racing, endurance racing, drifting and autocross competition,
an Aussie-style cruising event, two weekends for imports
and sport compacts, the BIR Performance Driving School
and even watercross, where snowmobiles race on open water.
It all starts in late April and continues into mid October.
The
event that gets the most attention each year is the Lucas
Oil NHRA Nationals, which is set for Aug. 17-20. Last
year, BIR extended the event by moving Thunder at the
Lakes, an NHRA divisional drag race, from early June to
the weekend prior to Nationals, and then opened the track
for 12 straight days. That allowed fans to watch Thunder
at the Lakes and stay on-track until after Nationals.
The move proved to be a huge hit for both fans and racers
alike, since many of the Sportsman drag racers competing
in Thunder also race during Nationals.
“We
got a great response last year for making that change,”
BIR owner Jed Copham said. “We added a MegaWeek
ticket package for those who wanted to stay for both events,
and sales were much better than we expected. That just
proves what we already know about our fans, that they
can’t get enough NHRA drag racing.”
The
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals will again feature the fastest
dragsters and best drivers in the world, as they compete
for national championships. Off the track, the pit area
is open to everyone, and BIR’s infamous campground,
called The Zoo, provides non-stop entertainment by fans
who celebrate the end of the race day with non-stop enthusiasm.
Another
improvement that BIR made to last year’s schedule
was moving the Trans Am Series race from Labor Day weekend
to the Fourth of July weekend during the PleasureLand
RV Show & Go. That move paid dividends as higher car
counts resulted in a second race being added for the TA2
class. So fans were treated to back-to-back 40-lap races,
both of which were televised on the CBS Sports Network.
The
PleasureLand RV Show & Go is a prime example of an
event where BIR tries to use every square inch of its
facility for related activities and racing. With the Trans
Am Series and the National Auto Sports Association on
the road course, the Show & Go also features the Muscle
Car Series on the drag strip, a classic car show, live
music, on-site camping and fireworks.
The
three-race Muscle Car Series is in its ninth season at
BIR, with a growing number of muscle cars battling on
the drag strip for series championships. BIR’s six-weekend
Bracket Drag Racing Series is also a growing series for
competitive and novice drag racers alike. Both series
provide some of the best amateur drag racing anywhere
in the Upper Midwest.
The
Modern Automotive Performance Proving Grounds is a non-traditional
event that continues to increase in popularity at BIR.
Scheduled for two weekends again this season (in June
and September), the Proving Grounds showcases import cars
and sport compacts, which compete in drag racing, autocross,
open lapping on the road course and the crowd favorite:
drifting.
“We’ve
always tried to load up our schedule with motorsports
that most people wouldn’t typically have a chance
to see,” Copham said. “I think we’ve
been pretty successful at that. And for fans, the best
part about our schedule is that most weekends have multiple
events taking place. One ticket gets you in to see both
events, and kids 12 and under are always free. So it’s
an affordable and fun alternative for fans and families
alike.”
For
those who would rather be on the track instead of in the
grandstands, BIR has many racing and driving opportunities,
starting with the BIR Performance Driving School. It’s
a daylong school that mixes classroom instruction with
on-track driving where students can acquaint themselves
with high performance driving.
The
Wednesday Night Drags – Street Legal Style program
gives people the chance to drag race on BIR’s drag
strip. Nearly every racing event at BIR has racing classes
for novices and those who are trying the sport. As long
as they have proper safety equipment, street cars can
be used in most cases by novice racers, to make the experience
more affordable.
This
summer will be BIR’s 49th season. BIR is one of
North America’s largest race tracks, featuring a
world-class quarter-mile drag strip, the 3.1-mile, 10-turn
Donnybrooke Road Course, the 2.5-mile, 13-turn Competition
Road Course, 300 acres for rustic camping, 164 full-service
RV sites and 12 on-site condos. BIR is about 120 miles
north of the Twin Cities.
For
more information, visit www.BrainerdRaceway.com.
