Originally an Australian festival, Powercruise is a gathering of a wide variety of car enthusiasts. Everyone who attends this festival is here for one thing and one thing only: a good time. The format of Powercruise is simple; anywhere from 60-80 cars go on the 3.1 mile full circuit of Brainerd International Raceway (BIR) which includes the road course and drag strip. Most of the length of the track is spent at reasonable cruising speeds, much like you would in town with your friends, but when you arrive at the two straights of BIR…Send it!
The types of cars attending this festival of speed range from full blown 2000+ horsepower Lamborghinis to sleeper pickup trucks, to a plain slow Geo Metro.
However, there is more to Powercruise than just the cruising sessions. There are drift sessions, roll and drag racing, and a MASSIVE burnout competition. All of this is followed by more parties, concerts, and pallet fires you could wish for.
As a first timer to Powercruise, I was completely overwhelmed. Driving 3 hours on a Friday after a full day of work lead me to mixed feelings about the onslaught to my senses. The smell of race gas, the sounds of pit bikes, and the sheer number of people with adult beverages in hand made me feel claustrophobic. The only cure to this? Jumping in with both feet. Understanding and joining in the chaos is a must for Powercruise. There is no dipping your toes, it’s double-fisting Fosters (Australian for beer) the moment the track is cold for the day.
[…] Powercruise #10, the Christmas family, Coy and Alex, were giving rides for charity. They offered 5 minutes […]