BIR Announces Schedule; Trans-Am Series Returns

A photo of the Trans-Am Series will send in the following e-mail.



NEWS RELEASE 
 
 
December 8, 2009   

 Brainerd International Raceway announces 2010 racing schedule
SCCA Trans-Am Series returns to BIR after 20-year hiatus
 
BRAINERD, Minn. ­ Brainerd International Raceway today announced its 2010
racing schedule, which includes the return of Sports Car Club of America
(SCCA) Pro Racingıs Trans-Am Series.

The Trans-Am Series race is scheduled for Sept. 4-5 on BIRıs 2.5-mile,
13-turn Competition Road Course. Details of the event will be announced
later, but fans can expect the same thrilling wheel-to-wheel road racing
that has made the series so popular over the last 42 years and attracted
some of the greatest names in motorsports.
 
The series features a wide variety of high-performance sports cars,
including exotic cars such as the Qvale Mangusta, Panoz Esperante and Jaguar
XKR, which won six of the last seven series championships. But fans will
also see muscle cars, such as Mustangs and Camaros, as well as imports like
Audi and Nissan.

BIR was an annual stop for the Trans-Am Series from the late 1960s to 1989
and helped establish the racetrack as a major motorsports facility by
featuring some of the top drivers at that time, including Bobby Unser, Al
Unser, Tom Sneva and even actor Paul Newman, who won his first professional
race at BIR during the Uncola Nationals. The series hasnıt been held at BIR
since 1989.
 
³We are really excited to have the Trans-Am Series back at BIR,² said Gary
Curtis, BIR Racing Series Director. ³The series has a very colorful and
storied history at BIR that dates back to the late 1960s during the seriesı
glory days. We still have a lot of race fans who remember those events and
have asked us over the years when weıre bringing back Trans-Am Series
racing. Well, that time is now.
 
³The Trans-Am Series has played a major role in making BIR what it is today,
a world-class racetrack,² he said. ³Itıs wide-open racing with high-powered
cars that are piloted by extremely talented drivers. And theyıll be
competing on a very challenging road course that promotes a lot of passing.
Thatıs a recipe for some outstanding racing.²
 
Currently, the Trans-Am Series race is the only major road race on the
schedule, but other events may be added in the near future. Meanwhile, the
drag racing schedule is full of perennial favorites, including the 29th
Annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 12-15, which features the best drag
racers in the world, like John Force, Tony Schumacher, Ron Capps, Brandon
Bernstein, Larry Dixon and Ashley Force Hood. Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny
Cars, Pro Stock cars and Pro Stock Motorcycles are showcased, as well as a
number of Sportsman classes.
 
For Nationals, BIR is transformed into a race fanıs paradise. In addition to
sensational racing on the track, every ticket includes a pit pass, so fans
can visit the pits and stand within feet of where the teams are working on
the cars. Drivers make themselves accessible in the pits for autographs and
to visit with the fans.
 
For many, the action is in BIRıs infamous campground, affectionately called
The Zoo. Itıs what differentiates BIR from all the other tracks on the NHRA
circuit. No other track has on-site camping, and none celebrates the NHRA
Nationals like BIR fans in The Zoo. Youıll find drivers and their crews
visiting with fans in The Zoo, human rickshaw races and the most interesting
collection of motorized ³partywagons² anywhere in the country.
 
NHRA Fans can get a taste of Nationals over Memorial Day weekend (May 28-30)
during the Thunder at the Lakes NHRA Divisional Race, which is an excellent
preview to Nationals. Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars provide most of
the entertainment by posting 5-second runs at 280 mph, just a hair slower
than the nitro-burning Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars featured at
Nationals. The event also includes Sportsman drag racing.
 
The 2010 season will include the 2nd Annual Outlaw Street Car Series, which
is a three-race drag racing series that highlights the ³fast five² classes:
Pro Outlaw, Outlaw, King Street, Real Street Unlimited and Real Street
Natural. Most of the cars competing in the Outlaw classes will cover the
quarter mile in 6-7 seconds at 200 mph. These cars crank out insane
horsepower that yanks their front wheels right off the ground at the
starting line.
 
The first series race is May 21-23 during the 2nd Annual Street Car
Showdown, which will also include eight Index Classes and a number of other
Sportsman classes. The second series race is July 2-4 during the 24th Annual
Show & Go, which will have a similar drag racing program in addition to a
classic car show, a spectacular fireworks display, live music and games for
kids of all ages. The third and final Outlaw Street Car Series race is Labor
Day weekend (Sept. 3-5) during the 22nd Annual Coca-Cola Muscle Car
Shootout, which is similar in format to the Show & Go, including the drag
racing program, classic car show, fireworks and live music.
 
The Bracket Drag Racing Series kicks off May 8-9. The seven-race series
features some of the top amateur drag racers in the Midwest. Each weekend
event attracts more than 400 dragsters, cars, trucks, motorcycles,
snowmobiles and Junior Dragsters. Racers are competing for series points,
prize money and, ultimately, a track championship. The remaining six
weekends will be scheduled in the near future.
 
For those who want to try drag racing, or to settle a score with a buddy,
BIRıs Wednesday Night Drags ­ Street Legal Style program is just the ticket.
BIR opens the track at 4 p.m. on select Wednesday nights and racers can run
the drag strip as many times as they want until dusk. They use the light
tree, the timing system (time and speed) and scoreboards. Thereıs even an
announcer calling the action. The first Wednesday is May 5. More will be
scheduled in the coming weeks.
 
The Central Roadracing Association brings club racing to BIRıs road courses
five weekends next season starting April 30-May 2. Amateur racers hone their
skills during these weekends, learning how to be better racers and competing
against others during the clubıs racing program. These events are open to
the public.
 
³We really like how the schedule is shaping up so far,² BIR Owner Jed Copham
said. ³Weıll continue to add events to the calendar and ensure that thereıs
a wide variety of racing available to our fans. Weıve been committed to
offering a mix of drag racing, road racing and other special events, and
weıve been able to do that. Our 2.5-mile Competition Road Course is going on
its second season and gives us a lot of flexibility in the types of events
we have and when we offer them. We canıt wait to start racing!²
 
Now in its 42nd season, Brainerd International Raceway is one of North
Americaıs largest race tracks, featuring a world-class quarter-mile drag
strip, the 3.1-mile 10-turn Donnybrooke Road Course, the new 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. Check out our new Web site for more information,
www.BrainerdRaceway.com, or call the BIR Ticket Office at 218-824-RACE
(7223).
 
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For more information or photos, contact Geoff Gorvin at 218-821-9513 or
gorvin@charter.net.