BIR Harvey West Classic

[emackey]

The Land O' Lakes Region just hosted another great race weekend up at Brainerd International Raceway and this year the star of the show was the new track surface. Track owners, Jed and Christie Copham, have continued to make major investments in the facility and the result is a really sweet racetrack. Turn 1 to Turn 8 have been completely removed, resurfaced, widened by 10' and safety improvements can be seen everywhere. The new track has tons of grip and it's smooooooth.

Spring came late this year up in MN, so they didn't have a chance to put the curbs in yet, but they should have that completed in time for the next SCCA event which is the Jack Pine Sprints Double Regional w/ Trans Am (Labor Day weekend Aug.31-Sept 1.). Do yourself a favor, put that weekend on your calendar and go up to BIR.

Here's some footage of the new track from last Sunday's race:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo8PEjUDPSE

BTW - Jeff Bartz, you still have the track record in FF. Foster, Barkley and I came close last weekend, but we couldn't close the deal. Looks like you will have to come back up here and lower the track record yourself.

Ethan

[racerdad2]

[racerdad2]

I bookmarked your video for future reference... Your mirrors are fantastic ! Who makes 'em ?

[emackey]

They are the club series rectangular mirrors. You can get them through Pegasus.

Ethan

[racerdad2]

BTW... Great camera, too Contour ?

[emackey]

Replay XD 1080

[Trhoades]

Nice drive Ethan......next SCCA event there is on my schedule......see u at the Sprints
Todd

[Brad Ellingson]

Nice Run Ethan. Looks like Barkley is getting nice in his old age. He never gave me that much room.

[formulasuper]

Yes the track does look 100% better than when we ran that first (modern era) SCCA Jack Pine Sprints in 2010, guess this means another trip back up north to the land of my youth.

[racingflyboy]

Yes the track does look 100% better than when we ran that first (modern era) SCCA Jack Pine Sprints in 2010, guess this means another trip back up north to the land of my youth.

It IS 100% better, but they're not done yet. Besides the curbing, they have plans for other improvements. Already the track felt much safer too, (major improvements to runoff areas, etc) and, I believe they plan to put out more tire barriers as they get them built.

After the years of neglect by the previous owner, it sure is nice to have a road racing family own it, one that believes in investing in their "product". Thanks Jed & Christi. (and Gary & John and everyone at BIR that has been involved with all of it)

So definitely plan to come Up Nort' for Labor Day Weekend. BIR & LOL will be hosting the Trans Am Series again!

Oh, and Congrats Ethan on a really nice drive on Sunday. I could've run with ya, but with all that wind blowing my skirt up into my face, I just couldn't keep up.

Steve

[Brad Ellingson]

Oh, and Congrats Ethan on a really nice drive on Sunday. I could've run with ya, but with all that wind blowing my skirt up into my face, I just couldn't keep up.

Steve

Now that's funny right there....I don't care who ya are!!!

[mike g.]

Ethan,
Where are you shift lights set?

Seems you shift on first green set... RPM?

Nice video.

[emackey]

Hey Mike,

Shift lights were set at 6750 green, 6850 orange, 6950 red. I was trying to shift around 6700-6800 last weekend to be nice to my engine. Those engines are expensive you know.

Ethan