Brainerd becomes Trantina's third oval
Adding a third Minnesota dirt track to his portfolio, motorsports supporter James Trantina III on May 26 will take control of Brainerd’s North Central Speedway from 25-year-owner Cliff Sasker, the track announced this evening.
Trantina, the owner of Collins Brothers Towing with 18 towing and automotive businesses across three states, is purchasing the third-mile Brainerd oval to join his previous holdings of Granite City Motor Park in Sauk Rapids and I-94 EMR Speedway in Fergus Falls, a sale announced last week.
“I am very excited to have three tracks and to be able to bring some traveling series in to run all three tracks, along with having miniseries and bonuses in 2027 between all three tracks,” said Trantina, who also fields a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series team for Minnesota driver Dan Ebert. “We are excited to give the 65-year-old facility some much needed TLC and to be able to make it another race destination in Minnesota.”
Plans for 2026 at the Brainerd track remain unchanged with WISSOTA super stocks and mod fours along with IMCA modifieds, sportmods, hobby stocks, and sport compacts racing weekly on Saturday’s through Labor Day weekend. The 2027 will see a full slate of WISSOTA-sanctioned divisions, but apparently not Late Models at a track that hasn’t run a Late Model event since 2013.
With many improvements made during the Sasker era, the facility boasts 31 fully enclosed and air-conditioned suites, plus several booths and bleacher seating down frontstretch and backstretch with a capacity of 6,000.
Among Late Model events at the track since 2000 include two World of Outlaws Late Model Series events (2006 and ’12), six Structural Buildings WISSOTA Challenge Series events and two World Dirt Racing League races. The track was a single-year host of the WISSOTA 100 in 2007.
For more information on the track, visit racencs.net.— Chris Stepan
