From a press release issued by Brainerd International Raceway:

Viking Coke, Grand Casino join BIR as track sponsors

BRAINERD, Minn. – Brainerd International Raceway officials announced that Viking Coke and Grand Casino have signed on as track sponsors.

Brainerd-based Viking Coke renewed its sponsorship, signing on for another three years. Grand Casino, based in Onamia, Minn., signed a one-year commitment. As part of their sponsorships, Viking Coke and Grand Casino will co-sponsor BIR’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event June 6-8. The Lucas Oil race features the top drivers from the National Hot Rod Association’s 11-state Midwest division who compete for valuable circuit points in Top Alcohol dragsters and Funny Cars, as well as a variety of Sportsman categories.

“We have relationships with Viking Coke and Grand Casino that date back many years, so we’re excited that they’ve agreed to continue supporting the world-class racing that takes place here,” BIR General Manager Scott Quick said. “We can’t say enough about the integrity and class that these two organizations bring to BIR.”

Viking Coke has had a presence at BIR over the last 10 years but chose to increase its sponsorship after Coca-Cola’s POWERade became the title sponsor of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, which features the top drag racers in the world.

“When POWERade became the title sponsor of the national series, we wanted to become more involved at the track and tie in to the national sponsorship locally,” said Mark Jeffers, sales center manager for the Brainerd office.

“The track has had a long-standing relationship with the community and we’d like to be part of that. Our goal is to help the track continue to move that relationship forward,” he added.

Grand Casino and BIR also has a relationship that dates back nearly a decade, but the casino hasn’t had a presence at the track for the last several years. That will change this summer as Grand Casino recognized that a sponsorship would re-establish a valuable partnership and increase its visibility in the Brainerd Lakes Area.

“The Brainerd Lakes Area has always been very supportive of Grand Casino, and now this is our turn to support this community,” said Brad Kalk, general manager of Grand Casino Mille Lacs. “We want to show our support of the Brainerd area and motorsports, which is an important component of life in central Minnesota.”

BIR is a subsidiary of Michigan-based Sports Resorts International Inc., a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ exchange (SPRI). Now in its 34th season, BIR is one of North America’s largest racetracks, featuring 800 acres of rustic camping, 159 full-service RV sites and on-site condos. BIR is about 120 miles north of the Twin Cities, and it now has a new concrete drag strip that is one of the flattest and fastest in the country. Visit www.brainerdraceway.com.