Fuehrer
12-03-2009, 11:51 AM
Here is the initial Press Release from BIR. More events will be added to the weekend's schedule:
NEWS RELEASE
December 3, 2009
SCCA Pro Racing returns to Brainerd International Raceway
BRAINERD, Minn. - Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Pro Racing is returning to Brainerd International Raceway when the 2010 Trans-Am Series headlines a race Sept. 4-5 on BIR's new 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 domestic cars, such as Mustangs, Corvettes and Camaros, as well as imports like Audi, Nissan, Mazda etc.
"We are very excited to have the Trans-Am Series back at BIR," said Gary Curtis, BIR Racing Series Director. "The series has a very colorful and storied history at BIR that dates back to the late 1960’s. We still have a lot of race fans who remember those events and have asked us over the years when we're bringing back Trans-Am Series racing. Well, that time is now."
The last year that BIR hosted a Trans-Am Series event was 1989, but it was an annual attraction for 20 years prior. BIR's 1974 series event, called the Uncola Nationals, attracted 17,000 people. Household names like NASCAR's Ken Schrader and Jimmy Spencer were among those who raced in the series at BIR, as did Indy 500 racers Tom Sneva, Bobby Unser and Al Unser. Actor Paul Newman set a lap record at BIR during the 1977 Uncola Nationals and then won races in 1978 and 1979. He won his first professional race during the 1982 Trans-Am Series race at BIR.
"The Trans-Am Series has played a major role in making BIR what it is today, a world-class racetrack," Curtis said. "It's wide-open racing with high-powered cars that are piloted by extremely talented drivers. And they'll be competing on a very challenging road course that promotes a lot of passing. That's a recipe for some outstanding racing."
BIR was able to attract the series after completing an SCCA track certification, which opens the door for future SCCA events. "We hope that now BIR will become the preferred destination for a wide variety of professional and amateur SCCA events," Curtis said. "We have worked very hard to not only certify the track but also to develop an SCCA training school to provide certification for all levels of drivers to compete in SCCA-certified events."
BIR also uses its road course for instructional purposes, having developed a Performance Driving School for drivers of all skill levels, StreetSmarts, an advanced defensive driving course for teenagers, and SafePursuit, an emergency vehicle operators course for law enforcement.
Now in its 42nd season, Brainerd International Raceway is one of North America's 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. The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals drag race in August is the largest annual motorsports event in the Upper Midwest. 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 on this article, BIR services or events, please contact: Gary Curtis at 1-866-511-7606 or gary@birperformance.com
NEWS RELEASE
December 3, 2009
SCCA Pro Racing returns to Brainerd International Raceway
BRAINERD, Minn. - Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Pro Racing is returning to Brainerd International Raceway when the 2010 Trans-Am Series headlines a race Sept. 4-5 on BIR's new 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 domestic cars, such as Mustangs, Corvettes and Camaros, as well as imports like Audi, Nissan, Mazda etc.
"We are very excited to have the Trans-Am Series back at BIR," said Gary Curtis, BIR Racing Series Director. "The series has a very colorful and storied history at BIR that dates back to the late 1960’s. We still have a lot of race fans who remember those events and have asked us over the years when we're bringing back Trans-Am Series racing. Well, that time is now."
The last year that BIR hosted a Trans-Am Series event was 1989, but it was an annual attraction for 20 years prior. BIR's 1974 series event, called the Uncola Nationals, attracted 17,000 people. Household names like NASCAR's Ken Schrader and Jimmy Spencer were among those who raced in the series at BIR, as did Indy 500 racers Tom Sneva, Bobby Unser and Al Unser. Actor Paul Newman set a lap record at BIR during the 1977 Uncola Nationals and then won races in 1978 and 1979. He won his first professional race during the 1982 Trans-Am Series race at BIR.
"The Trans-Am Series has played a major role in making BIR what it is today, a world-class racetrack," Curtis said. "It's wide-open racing with high-powered cars that are piloted by extremely talented drivers. And they'll be competing on a very challenging road course that promotes a lot of passing. That's a recipe for some outstanding racing."
BIR was able to attract the series after completing an SCCA track certification, which opens the door for future SCCA events. "We hope that now BIR will become the preferred destination for a wide variety of professional and amateur SCCA events," Curtis said. "We have worked very hard to not only certify the track but also to develop an SCCA training school to provide certification for all levels of drivers to compete in SCCA-certified events."
BIR also uses its road course for instructional purposes, having developed a Performance Driving School for drivers of all skill levels, StreetSmarts, an advanced defensive driving course for teenagers, and SafePursuit, an emergency vehicle operators course for law enforcement.
Now in its 42nd season, Brainerd International Raceway is one of North America's 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. The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals drag race in August is the largest annual motorsports event in the Upper Midwest. 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).
###
For more information on this article, BIR services or events, please contact: Gary Curtis at 1-866-511-7606 or gary@birperformance.com