Who is your favorite Babe? Blue Ox or Winkleman?

Brainerd, MN -- Paul Bunyan's blue-hued sidekick can be found here, and so can that TV Fishin' Legend Babe Winkleman. But most ChumpCar teams will be concentrating their attention on Brainerd International Raceway.

This track first saw racing action in 1968 as Donnybrooke, named after a pair of Minnesota race drivers who had lost theirs lives in the sport, Donny Skogmo and Brooke Kinnard. The first few seasons saw the likes of TransAm, CanAm, F5000, and USAC Indy cars, as well as SCCA regional and national races. Many time SCCA National Champion Jerry Hansen purchased the track in 1974 and renamed it Brainerd International Raceway. Today the track is better known for NHRA drag races on the 5000 foot long straightaway, but the road course is still used regularly.

A few years ago Jed and Kristi Copham bought the facility, and added a new section between turns 8 and 1, creating the 2.5 mile Club Course that the ChumpCars will be competing on. With its long straights, BIR is very much a horsepower track and cars may well hit Ludicrous Speed between turns 1 and 3. But the tighter arcs from turns 4 thru 12 favor the better handling machines.

BMWs dominated last year's ChumpCar race here, with victory on both days going to the Fokker themed Flying Circus 325. But the new AIV penalties may give extra laps to those cars, so other marques may have a chance to win one of the coveted ChumpCar trophies.

This weekend will feature a pair of 7-hour endurance races, one on Saturday, one on Sunday. Live updates will be posted here.