The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series prides itself on having one of the most loyal and passionate fan bases in all of motorsports, and the recent efforts from the great fans at Brainerd International Raceway demonstrates that fact.
On Sunday, July 12, a supercell thunderstorm moved rapidly through northern Minnesota and hit the popular multi-purpose motorsports complex with straight-line winds at 60-70 mph, causing extensive damage.
The storm twisted and destroyed a set of metal grandstands along the dragstrip, ripped the roofs off of the media center and the main track shop, rolled multiple RVs over in the campground and took down dozens of signs around the facility. Track owner Jed Copham said about 1,500 trees were blown over in the storm as well.
With trash, debris, trees and timber covering the track the morning following the storm, the BIR staff and community immediately got to work. BIR called upon its fans for help, and more than 200 volunteers poured into the facility.
Thanks to their efforts, the 34th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Aug. 20-23, will continue to provide the intense side-by-side racing that it has become known for over the years. As the penultimate race in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season, drama is expected to be at an all-time high as racers are chasing valuable points in their quest to make the top 10 in their respective categories and qualify for the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoffs that begins in mid-September.
“The first week after the storm the volunteers were a tremendous help getting us up and running again,” Copham recently told the Brainerd Dispatch. “We got the critical trees cleared and critical driveways opened. That was amazing to see all those people come out on that first week. Since then we’ve had some really good people working really hard to get this place put back together.”
BIR only had to cancel one event – the Wednesday Night Street Drags on July 15. Most of the debris was removed while some remaining damaged trees are still being worked on. A new set of portable grandstands were ordered to replace the damaged section and the media center has been rebuilt.
“All of us at Brainerd International Raceway want to thank the 200-plus individuals who volunteered their time to help us clean up the track from the storm that hit us July 12,” the track staff said in a release posted on BrainerdRaceway.com. “We can’t thank you enough.”
Copham says the facility is ready to host the Lucas Oil Nationals, with very little damage from the storm still visible.
“I’d like to think (the fans) won’t notice anything, unless a tree that they happened to camp under for a number of years was a victim,” Copham told the Brainerd Dispatch. “Otherwise, the place should be in pretty good shape…Hopefully Mother Nature got that out of her system. Let’s hope we get beautiful weather for the event.”
Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the pivotal event that will once again be televised on ESPN2. Pro Stock Motorcycle will make its return to Brainerd in 2015 after a two-year absence.
In Top Fuel, Don Schumacher Racing teammates Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown have clinched their spots in the Countdown. Schumacher, an eight-time world champion and current points leader, has three career wins at BIR while Brown, who is second in points, has one in Top Fuel and four in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Others to watch include five-time season runner-up Larry Dixon, three-time season winner and driver of the Lucas Oil dragster Richie Crampton, two-time Brainerd winner Doug Kalitta and recent Western Swing winners Steve Torrence and J.R. Todd.
In Funny Car, Capps raced to the winner’s circle at Brainerd for his second victory of the 2014 season. Capps is a five-time event winner and is pursuing his fourth consecutive victory at BIR. Jack Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champ, failed to make the Countdown last year but has had quite the turnaround season in his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T, currently sitting second in points with five wins and a playoff berth in his back pocket. The rest of the star-studded class includes reigning world champion and points leader Matt Hagan, John Force, Cruz Pedregon, Tommy Johnson Jr., who won in Seattle, Tim Wilkerson, Del Worsham, and Robert Hight and Alexis DeJoria, who both hold a 73-point lead over 11th place Courtney Force for the No. 10 Countdown spot in Funny Car.
Jason Line raced his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro to the Pro Stock victory at Brainerd last year and went on to finish the season second in points behind world champ Erica Enders. His teammate Greg Anderson has won four of seven final round appearances and is the current points leader. A host of stars are looking to take home the Brainerd win, including Allen Johnson, Shane Gray, Jonathan Gray, Chris McGaha, who has won the last two races, Vincent Nobile, Drew Skillman and Larry Morgan.
Pro Stock Motorcycle hasn’t competed at Brainerd International Raceway since 2012 when Eddie Krawiec rode his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to victory. Krawiec is the current points leader and will face off against top challengers like reigning world champion Andrew Hines, Hector Arana Jr., Karen Stoffer, local favorite Jim Underdahl and alligator farmer Jerry Savoie.
The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals also will feature thrilling side-by-side competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
