Brainerd International Raceway

If it has an engine and anything close to two wheels, Brainerd International Raceway has hosted a race for it. From sports cars, stock cars, drag racers, and Can-Am Racing Series drivers to motorcycles, snowmobiles, and jalopies, Brainerd International Raceway has been the northern outpost for raucous track action and infield get-togethers since 1968. It has been called one of the best-constructed tracks in the nation, and with several hairpin turns, a backfield with an undulating, curved spine, and a straightaway on which racers routinely hit speeds of as much as 200 miles per hour, it is indeed one of the finest in the country.

John Fitzgerald is a longtime journalist who has worked for newspapers in Iowa, Florida, Montana, and Minnesota. He has attended many races but considers Brainerd International Raceway to be among the best tracks he has seen.