Fun Racing at BIR

The ChumpCar World Series, featuring unique race cars affectionately known as $500 hunks of screaming junk, returns to Brainerd International Raceway this year, bringing its wacky brand of road racing for a Dual Event Weekend with the Bracket Drag Racing Series.

Try to imagine teams of four drivers, one $500 “crap can” and a pair of seven-hour endurance races. That’s what is in store for fans June 4-5 on BIR’s 2.5-mile Competition Road Course. The event includes endurance races on both Saturday and Sunday, as the drivers split their time between driving and wrenching on their cars to keep them running. The cars can’t be valued at more than $500 before the safety equipment is installed, so for most teams, the event involves more wrenching than driving. Regardless, the event is expected to provide entertaining racing for fans.

While the road course is busy with the ChumpCars, BIR’s drag strip will be buzzing with the Bracket Drag Racing Series. It’s the second race in the five-race series, featuring dragsters, cars, trucks, bikes, snowmobiles and junior dragsters. More than 300 racers will be competing for series points and prize money on their way to a series championship. An open Test & Tune is scheduled for Friday, with qualifying on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday.

The ChumpCar racing starts at 9 a.m. Saturday and ends at 4 p.m. On Sunday, racing runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an awards ceremony at 3:30 p.m. The ChumpCar organization has adopted the Boys and Girls Clubs of America as this weekend’s beneficiary.