| Similar in layout
to Elkhart Lake, with it’s progressive 90 degree corners
winding right down to the front straight-away, the Colonel’s
Brainerd International Raceway is both high speed and technical.
The combination of tight turns in the in field and the fast
straight makes the Minneapolis track a favorite for many racers.
As riders come off the impressive ¾ mile long straight-away
they barely roll off the throttle as they tip into turn one
- possibly the fastest corner on the AMA calendar. The turns
become progressively slower as the riders wind their way through
to the infield. Turn two is another fast right-hander leading
into the hard braking third turn. Then the track becomes interesting.
Often the bikes recording the slowest top speed on the straight
will turn the fastest laps, which shows how critical this
back section is. The S bend that makes up turns seven and
eight, requires a swift directional change at high speed,
making it a challenge for both bike and rider. The drive out
of nine into ten is also important. Turn ten has some positive
banking which will help the riders get balanced for the full
throttle decent along the straight.
Getting the bike to change direction quickly and smoothly
will be the main focus of HMC Ducati technicians, without
upsetting the balance of the bike through the fast first turn,
where it’s crucial for the front to stay low.
The overall surface of the track is good; with very little
camber changes, so tire wear is only a concern on the fast
straight-away. The track doesn’t host a lot of car racing,
which is what’s usually responsible for wear and tear
on the track’s surface. It does have drag racing though
and the drag strip takes up a fair portion of the straight-away.
Riders have to cross over the top of the burn-out area but
most will try to stay off the drag strip line which has a
heavy build up of rubber. Brainerd is one of the AMA’s
wet tracks and racing will proceed if it rains, despite the
slippery surface.
Both Ducati and Doug Chandler have had successes at Brainerd
in the past. Doug won his first WSB race here in 1990 and
Ducati claimed both the pole and the race in ’99 with
Ben Bostrom.
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