Brainerd Int’l Raceway christens new road course, salutes 40 years of world-class motorsports during anniversary celebration BRAINERD, Minn. Brainerd International Raceway is celebrating its 40th anniversary Sept. 12-14 with a racing spectacular that features road racing, drag racing, vendor displays and a special banquet, as BIR salutes its colorful history but looks ahead to an exciting future. The event is also a chance for BIR to unveil its new 2.5-mile, 13-turn championship road course, which will be one of the most challenging tracks in the country. It incorporates part of BIR’s existing 3-mile road course but separates the one-mile straightaway, allowing BIR to host drag racing and road racing simultaneously. The existing 3-mile, 10-turn road course is now called the Donnybrooke Course and will continue to be used. Throughout the weekend, the 40th Anniversary Celebration and Racing Spectacular will feature racing by the Vintage Car Club, Sports Car Club of America and other car clubs, non-competitive lapping by licensed racers, and low-speed “touring” for spectators who, for $10 per session, can drive the new road course in their street-legal vehicle behind a pace car. Nostalgic drag racers will have racing exhibitions on the drag strip, and performance vehicle shops and manufacturers will have off-track displays. On Sept. 13, the Honors Banquet will feature three-time Indy 500 winner Bobby Unser and legendary TV racing announcer Chris Economaki, who will share stories and racing insights as the event’s keynote speakers. BIR will also debut its new 40th anniversary historical DVD. The banquet will be at BIR and is open to the public, with admission into the event. Cost for the banquet is $30, which includes a meal. The Johnny Holm Band will play on the BIR Bandshell at 8 p.m. after the banquet. “Brainerd International Raceway has such an incredibly rich racing history that we thought it was important to acknowledge the past while, at the same time, celebrate an exciting future with tremendous racing opportunities that our new 2.5-mile road course presents,” said Scott Quick, BIR vice president of operations. “The new road course has been in the development stages for two years, so it’s a critical component to BIR’s future and will give fans many more options for continuing to watch championship-quality racing here.” Some of the biggest names in motorsports have competed on BIR’s road course and drag strip over the years. Included among them are NASCAR’s Ken Schrader and Jimmy Spencer, Indy 500’s Danny Ongais, Bobby Unser, Al Unser Jr., and Tom Sneva, and the NHRA’s Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney, Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, and Tom Hoover. Actor-turned-racer Paul Newman won his first professional race at BIR in 1982 during the Pepsi Trans-Am. “Over the years, we’ve seen many of the best racers in the world compete on our track,” Quick continued. “We’ve seen dozens of speed records fall, and many racing circuits have come and gone. But the one constant has always been high-quality racing for our fans year in and year out. And now we’re celebrating that.” Daily admission for racers and spectators is $10. The Honors Banquet cost $30 plus admission. Gates open at 6 p.m. Sept. 11, and 7 a.m. Sept. 12-14. Brainerd International Raceway is one of North America’s largest racetracks, featuring a world-class quarter-mile drag strip, a 3-mile, 10-turn road course, a 2.5-mile, 13-turn road course, 500 acres of rustic camping, 164 full service RV sites and 12 on-site condos. BIR is about 120 miles north of the Twin Cities. Visit www.BrainerdRaceway.com.