Lakes, Golf, Great Restaurants and Top Fuel Drag Racing??
The Brainerd area is home to many great things to see and do, but one of the better known ones is the Brainerd International Raceway (BIR).  Located  just over 35 miles from Staples and Stern Rubber Company, BIR has brought racing to the lakes area for over 40 years, from the open Wednesday night drags to street bike road races, BIR fits all race fan’s needs.
Yet, one of the most popular events hosted at the speedway is the Lucas Oil NHRA nationals. The world renowned BIR welcomes names like John Force, Tony Capps, Antron Brown, and even Minnesota’s own Greg Anderson and Jason Line.  For four days at the end of August, these men push their cars to the limits, on one of the fastest drag strips in the country, as they push towards the world championship of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and reach speeds of over 300 miles per hour in less than four seconds.
This year, BIR hosted these ground pounding, mind blowing, super fast racers, from the 20th to the 23rd of August.  This event is more than just racing for the fans, BIR offers the opportunity to go down into the pits and see the crews up close and even snag a few autographs from racers.  Yet, what makes BIR different from most of the tracks on the NHRA circuit is the opportunity to camp on site.
This year’s race at the speedway was a record breaking one.  Winning the Lucas Oil nationals is a huge accomplishment for any driver, but doing it in the Lucas Oil sponsored car is an even bigger deal.  Well, now Richie Crampton knows that feeling.  After a close win in the first round, Crampton cruised his way to victory winning over the daughter of John Force, Brittany.  Crampton hit a driving speed of 325.30 miles per hour in a recorded 3.695 seconds and became the only number one qualifier to win a Wally trophy during the final round of the Nationals, on Sunday at BIR.  His Competitor came in with a close second reaching a speed of 293.79 miles per hour in 3.77 seconds. Record breaking races like this occur every year at Brainerd International Raceway, and the fans can’t wait for nationals to roll into town.
BIR is still more than just a place for the pros to race.  Anyone with the need for speed, and the desire to drive, can make their way to the same track, in the heart of Minnesota that their idols drive on, and test their driving ability against one of the fastest tracks in the country.