NHRA’s version of a weeklong campout, this event is a popular stop due to the area’s recreational opportunities. Avid anglers often spend the days before the event trolling the area’s many lakes for walleye, bass, and northern pike, and a huge on-site campground known as “the Zoo” provides nightly camaraderie for racegoers who sit around fires discussing the day’s action. A 700-foot concrete launchpad, one of the longest on the tour, helps boost performances at the second-to-last event at which teams can secure positions for the Countdown to the Championship.

How to Get There: The track is six miles north of Brainerd on Highway 371 North. From Minneapolis, take Highway 10 North to Highway 371 North; go north to the track.

Visitor Information: Brainerd Int’l Raceway, 218-824-7223 or 866-444-4455; Brainerd Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, 218-829-2838 or 800-450-2838; Nisswa Chamber of Commerce, 218-963-2620 or 800-950-9610