(Words and photos by Tommy Lee Byrd) – We’ve shown you some wild eighth-mile drag racing coverage from Brainerd Optimist Drag Strip, located in Ringgold, Georgia on many occasions. The track has been around since 1964 (in this location) and though it has gone through a lot of changes, the Brainerd Optimist Club has always owned the facility. From 2011 to 2016, members of the Optimist Club ran the track, but the historic drag strip will now be under new management, as a lease agreement has been made between the club, and several local racers.
Steven and Amy Farrow, along with Ron and Karen Newman took over operations on July 18, 2016, and have big plans for this track, starting by renaming it, Brainerd Motorsports Park. It was recently resurfaced, and the track surface is working well, but the new crew has plans to reach out to all genres of drag racers. Plans include drag radial racing, heads up index racing, bracket racing and special events, and these guys aren’t wasting any time getting started.
The first big race under the new ownership is Saturday, August 13th, as the crew plans to host a big race that will feature 5.70, 6.0 and 7.0 index classes, along with a $1,000-to-win Street Car Shootout, which will require a 40-mile cruise. Also on the roster for the August 13th event is a special appearance by Kye Kelley and “The Shocker” Camaro, which will be making passes throughout the day.
We’re sure that Steven, Ron and crew will be offering up a bunch of great races in the future, so stay tuned to the Brainerd Motorsports Park Facebook page for more info: https://www.facebook.com/brainerddrag/
Southeast Gassers will be there on Saturday August 27! Come out and see REAL gassers.