NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Since 1982, Brainerd Int’l Raceway has hosted an NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event, but the track has a history that goes back more than a decade earlier.

The track was built in 1968 and originally known as Donnybrooke Speedway with a heavy emphasis on road racing events. It changed hands in 1973, when it was renamed Brainerd Int’l Raceway.

In1977, BIR made a significant investment in drag racing by hosting the Crown Auto Funny Car Championship and the Crown Auto Winston Points Championship. In the first Funny Car Championship, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme took home the championship but was beat the following year by Tom Hoover. By the third year, the event attracted 22,000 fans.

The inaugural NHRA national event event set the tone for decades of excitement with pro wins by Shirley Muldowney, Frank Hawley, and Lee Shepherd. Interestingly enough, all three went on to be crowned NHRA champions that season, providing a glimpse into the importance of the late-summer classic.

More recently, Brainerd has become famous (infamous?) for The Zoo, the expansive on-site campground that features some of drag racing’s most enthusiastic fans.

PRO STOCK Q1

We’re welcoming two new drivers to NHRA Pro Stock this weekend as Chris Vang and Joesph Wilczek are set to make their debuts behind the wheel of 500-cid factory hot rods. Vang has previously raced in a number of categories including the Mountian Motor Pro Stock class. He’s racing a Jerry Haas-built Camaro that is reportedly powered by an engine that came through the Patterson/Elite Performance shop.

Wilcezk is a rare breed, indeed. A former Comp racer who had a turbocharged entry, he built his Mustang-bodied entry practically from scratch. The engine is, shockingly, a 500-inch Dodge Hemi that came from the Kramer family.

Wilczek wasn’t able to get his car off the starting line but Vang ran a respectable 6.680 to kick off the session.

It took a couple of pairs for Vang’s run to be bettered and David Cuadra took care of that with a 6.666. Erica Enders then stole the top spot with a 6.651 in her JHG entry. Enders, and the rest of the Elite team, have tested extensively since their most recent appearance in Sonoma with reportedly positive results. Enders is once again racing a Rick Jones-built car this weekend.

Deric Kramer went to the top spot in the next pair with a 6.650, as the Pro Stock field began to fill with 6.6-seocnd runs.

“I don’t think it’s gonna hold for No. 1, but this is a good tune-up run for Q1,” said Kramer.

Aaron Stanfield was one of the drivers most likely to overtake Kramer, but he never left the starting line in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro.

Matt Hartford didn’t just take the top spot, he also dropped a few jaws when he lit up the Brainerd scoreboard with a 6.628, the quickest run of the session by two-hundredths of a second.

The final pair featured runaway points leaders Greg Anderson and Dallas Glenn and neither of them could touch Hartford’s run. Anderson ran 6.630 while Glenn ran a 6.652, but still had an enviable time slip with a .000 reaction time.

FUNNY CAR Q1

The first pair of nitro cars featured Bobby Bode, who’s father, Bob, won the Brainerd event in a stunning upset, and Hunter Green, in the Pronto Auto machine. The duo put on a great side-by-side performance with Green running a 3.946 to Bode’s 3.960 leading to speculation that Brainerd might finally produce the sport’s first three-second Funny Car field.

It took a while for the next three-second runs as several drivers smoked and/or shook the tires. J.R. Todd took over the top spot with a 3.944 in the DHL Toyota.

The top four drivers in the points, Jack Beckman, Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, and Austin Prock, also struggled to get a hold of the Brainerd track surface, allowing Todd to secure three qualifying bonus points with Green and Bode also collecting two and one point, respectively.

Todd mentioned that the Kalitta team had made significant changes to their Funny Car program as they prepare for the stretch run including the U.S. Nationals and the six-race Countdown to the Championship.
 

TOP FUEL Q1

Kyle Satenstein was set to make his NHRA debut in Top Fuel but he was pushed off the starting line before the car ever fired after a part of the car’s air bottle malfunctioned.

Ida Zetterström, celebrating her one year anniversary as an NHRA Top Fuel driver, kicked off the session with a 3.877 despite dropping cylinders.

Jordan Vandergriff, making his first appearance since the end of the 2019 season, is returning as a substitute driver for Shawn Reed, who continues to recover from injuries sustained in an accident in Seattle. Running on a single to finish renewing his license, Vandergriff ran the car to the finish line, but didn’t get the desired result when it smoked tire tires and boomed a supercharger on a 4.084-second run.

After a lengthy clean-up, Clay Millican put the right lane to the test with a 3.793 at 330.96 mph in his Part Plus dragster that is cloaked with an Evil Knevel-tribute wrap this weekend.

At the end of the round, Millican held on to the top spot while Tony Stewart grabbed two bonus points with a 3.827 in his American Rebel Light dragster while Zetterström also collected a single point for her earlier 3.877 effort.

PRO STOCK Q2

Low elapsed time of the second session changed hands 7 times during the second session of Pro Stock beginning with Joseph Wilczek’s 7.187 and ending with a much quicker 6.614 by reigning world champion and points leader Greg Anderson who not only took over the provisional pole, but also earned a $2,000 bonus from American Rebel Light Beer.

Anderson knocked his teammate, Dallas Glenn, from the top spot after Glenn ran a 6.616. Earlier Erica Enders made a very competitive run with a 6.623 and David Cuadra also gave the Elite team a reason to celebrate with a 6.634.

Other competitive runs came from Cody Coughlin with a 6.624 and Sonoma winner Greg Stanfield at 6.645. Q1 leader Matt Hartford slowed a bit to a 6.640. 
 

FUNNY CAR Q2

There were a host of three-second runs during the twilight Funny Car session, but none were quicker than Austin Prock’s 3.893 in the Cornwell Tools Camaro. Prock not only earned the provisional pole, but also grabbed a $4,000 bonus, a special guitar trophy, and 100 cases of American Rebel Light beer for his efforts.

Prock’s teammate, Jack Beckman, posted a 3.907 for the No. 2 spot while Ron Capps was third-quickest a 3.920.

Spencer Hyde missed out on the first run but quickly made up for lost time with a 3.942 while Bob Tasca III ran 3.930, just ahead of Daniel Wilkerson’s 3.934.

J.R. Todd, the Q1 leader, remained consistent with a 3.962.

TOP FUEL  Q2

The quickest run of the day in Top Fuel went to Antron Brown who wheeled the Matco Tools dragster to a 3.742 to collect the bonus from American Rebel Light beer. Brown managed to hold off a close 3.746 by Clay Millican and a 3.753 from Shawn Langdon to also grab three qualifying bonus points.

Doug Kalitta made a competitive run with a 3.758 and Brittany Force turned in a 3.766 in her Monster Energy dragster.

Jordan Vandergriff, subbing for injured Shawn Reed, overcame a tough start to record a 3.800 to place himself solidly in the field.