# Brainerd International Raceway

Brainerd International Raceway is a road course, and dragstrip racing complex northwest of the city of Brainerd, Minnesota. The complex has a 0.25 mi (0.40 km) dragstrip, and overlapping 2.500 mi (4.023 km) and 3.100 mi (4.989 km) road courses. The complex also includes a kart track. The raceway hosts the National Hot Rod Association's Lucas Oil Nationals. It is a popular racetrack for the Trans Am Series. The spectator seating capacity of the circuit is 20,000.

## History

Opened in July 1968 as Donnybrooke Speedway, there were no safety barriers, run-out areas, grandstands or even restrooms. George Montgomery and Bud Stall cleared the racetrack through a wooded area on the south side of North Long Lake. It was SCCA's first venue in the region. It was also an NHRA-sanctioned track, with the first official event there an NHRA race, at the opening; Top Fuel Dragster was won by Doc Halladay. With the help of St Paul sports promoter Dennis Scanlan, it hosted a 2-heat USAC Indy Car race in 1969. The heats were won by Gordon Johncock and Dan Gurney.
Donnybrooke, played host to CanAm races in 1970, 1971, and 1972. These races were won by, respectively, Denny Hulme, Peter Revson, and François Cevert. In 1973 Jerry Hansen bought the track and renamed it Brainerd International Raceway.
In the 1970s, the Donnybrooke track began holding Funny Car events, in particular the Crown Auto Funny Car Championships, and in time, NHRA was convinced to stage a national event at Brainerd: in 1982, Shirley Muldowney (in Top Fuel Dragster), Frank Hawley (Top Fuel Funny Car), and Lee Shepherd (Pro Stock) were the headline winners at the first Quaker State North Star NHRA Nationals.
John Force has won at Brainerd 11 times in 15 final round appearances (1988, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2007)
In Pro Stock, Bob Glidden won at Brainerd in 1983, 1985, 1986, and 1992.
The Brainerd strip became known as "one of the quickest and fastest in the world". It was completely resurfaced in 2003. In 2005, Tony Schumacher turned in a speed of 337.58 mph (543.28 km/h), "the fastest quarter-mile time ever", and in 2016 and 2017, national NHRA records in Funny Car were set there.
Kenny Bernstein won at Brainerd five times, 1983 and 1987 (in Funny Car) and in 1991, 1996, and 2002 (in Top Fuel Dragster).
In the summer of 2006, Jed and Kristi Copham of Forest Lake, Minnesota,became the new owners of Brainerd International Raceway.
The track hosted two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West events between 2012 and 2013. The track also hosted one NASCAR Midwest Series race in 2004.
Brainerd International Raceway was damaged during a severe thunderstorm that struck portions of Minnesota on July 12, 2015.

## Track Information

Brainerd International Raceway consists of 2 road tracks and 1 drag strip.

### Donnybrooke Road Course

Brainerd International Raceway maintains the original name of the now 50-year-old course. The course is used for automotive and motorcycle racing.
The 3.100 mi (4.989 km) Donnybrooke Road Course has 10 turns and is considered wide – the main straight is 60 ft (18 m) wide. There is essentially no elevation change. BIR is a high-speed course; vehicles can reach speeds of nearly 180 mph (290 km/h) and take the slowest corners around 80 mph (130 km/h). There are wide runoff areas at most of the corners, which makes BIR's road course extremely safe. This configuration uses the dragstrip as part of the course.

### Competition Road Course

The 2009 racing season was the first for the 2.500 mi (4.023 km) course which was completed in the 2008 summer.
Turn 1 on the 2.500 mi (4.023 km) Competition Road Course is the same as Turn 1 on the three-mile road course. Turn 1 is a narrow but very high-speed banked right-hand 60-degree turn, which is intended be taken flat out by all vehicles. Turns 1 through 8 of the original 3.100 mi (4.989 km) road course are used for the new circuit. At Turn 8, a 240-degree right-hand Clover Leaf transitions drivers from the old course to the new stretch of asphalt that winds its way back across the infield, eventually tying back into the original circuit just before Turn 1, avoiding the dragstrip. In all, the Competition Road Course features 13 turns and very little elevation change.

### Dragstrip

The dragstrip dates back to 1969, when Donnybrooke converted the mile-long straightaway on its road course to a drag strip and hosted an NHRA Divisional Points Race. In 1977, BIR hosted the Crown Auto Funny Car Championships and the Crown Auto Winston Points Championship. It was reconstructed in 2005, adding a 700 ft (210 m) concrete launch pad and new asphalt for the remaining 600 ft (180 m) was installed. Tony Schumacher, set the world record for top fuel dragsters with a 337.58 mph (543.28 km/h) run in 2005. This speed and time are recorded at the end of a standing start quarter mile acceleration race, before the NHRA shortened top fuel and funny car races to the current 1,000 ft (300 m) since 2008.

## Lap records

As of June 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Brainerd International Raceway for different classes are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
| Brainerd International Raceway Competition Road Course: 4.023 km (2008–present) |||||
| Formula Regional | 1:23.109 | Joshua Car | Ligier JS F3 | 2021 Brainerd FR Americas round |
| TA1 | 1:27.348 | Ernie Francis Jr. | Ford Mustang Trans-Am | 2021 Brainerd Trans-Am round |
| Superbike | 1:29.922 | Jake Gagne | Yamaha YZF-R1 | 2021 Brainerd MotoAmerica round |
| TA2 | 1:31.494 | Raphael Matos | Ford Mustang Trans-Am | 2021 Brainerd Trans-Am round |
| Formula 4 | 1:31.585 | Jason Alder | Crawford F4-16 | 2021 Brainerd F4 United States round |
| Stock 1000 | 1:31.831 | Hayden Gillim | Honda CBR1000RR | 2024 Brainerd MotoAmerica round |
| Supersport | 1:32.787 | Sean Dylan Kelly | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 2021 Brainerd MotoAmerica round |
| Twins Cup | 1:35.505 | Alessandro Di Mario | Aprilia RS 660 | 2024 Brainerd MotoAmerica round |
| Supersport 300 | 1:42.236 | Gus Rodio | Kawasaki Ninja 400R | 2021 Brainerd MotoAmerica round |
| Brainerd International Raceway Donnybrooke Road Course: 4.989 km (1968–present) |||||
| Can-Am | 1:27.090 | Michael Roe | VDS-002 | 1984 Pepsi Grand Prix |
| Group 7 | 1:27.860 | Denny Hulme | McLaren M8F | 1971 Minneapolis Tribune |
| IMSA GTP | 1:31.560 | John Paul, Jr. | Porsche 935 JLP-3 | 1982 Pepsi Grand Prix |
| IMSA GTO | 1:33.130 | Gianpiero Moretti | Porsche 935/79 | 1979 Pepsi Grand Prix |
| IMSA GTX | 1:34.170 | John Paul, Jr. | Lola T600 | 1981 Pepsi Grand Prix |
| TO | 1:36.086 | Scott Pruett | Mercury Capri | 1986 Brainerd Trans-Am round |
| Superbike | 1:36.247 | Jake Zemke | Honda CBR1000RR | 2004 Brainerd AMA Superbike round |
| Supersport | 1:38.083 | Miguel Duhamel | Honda CBR600RR | 2004 Brainerd AMA Supersport round |
| World SBK | 1:40.870 | Doug Polen | Ducati 888 SBK | 1991 Brainerd World SBK round |
| IMSA GTU | 1:43.510 | Walt Bohren | Mazda RX-7 | 1980 Pepsi Grand Prix |
| TU | 1:52.000 | Horst Kwech | Alfa Romeo GTV | 1972 Brainerd Trans-Am round |