How the Northern Michigan Dragway has provided entertainment, sense of pride for Kaleva for 50 years – Manistee News Advocate

Kaleva, Michigan.

A village with, as of the 2020 census, 507 people. The village, according to it’s website, was incorporated in 1900 by Finnish immigrants and named after the epic poem “The Kalevala.” Kaleva is perched around 10 miles east of Lake Michigan and possesses typical small-town features like Larry’s Grocery, a gas station, the Kaleva Tavern, auto parts stores, a few churches and a Dollar General.

But those who travel three miles north will find something quite possibly peculiar. What initially appears as a random forest deceives the eyes of the beholder. 

Beyond the tree line lies something more than nature. Inside is a community that, for over 50 years, has seen its fair share of sailor-like swearing, hearing damage, consumption of adult-only beverages and cigarettes, good times, bad times and everything in between.

Through everything, this tight-knit community is filled with people who share the same goal, to accomplish one seemingly simple task: beat the person next to them in a 660-foot race.

This community, a staple of northern Michigan and  Kaleva, is the Northern Michigan Dragway.

The location

Located off the dirt road section of Potter Road, this chunk of northern Michigan wilderness has housed the NMD since 1969, with races starting on Memorial Day weekend 1970, according to track manager Brian Ledford. The strip offers pit spots for competitors on the west side of the track and, as of 2018, on the east side. 

Summer nights at the dragway offer a picturesque view of northern Michigan, surrounded by forests and beautiful skies. As an added bonus, the dragway provides ways to gratify people’s senses.

The sound of an 800-horsepower Ford Mustang burning out its tires will engorge people’s ears with powerful revving of the engine and the squeal of the back tires. The smell of exhaust fumes, burning rubber tire flesh and the faintest hint of cigarette smoke smack the nostrils like an unforgiving slap to the face from ones arch enemy. 

Within the space of the venue, the track doubles as a campground during events. Both competitors and spectators traditionally bring RVs and campers to the dragway, turning what would normally be a five-hour event into a weekend oasis filled with fast cars and camping.

“It’s a good place to bring your family and watch the drags,” racer Al McChesney said. “You can bring your grill, have a couple of beers, whatever. It’s just, it’s a good good place to hang out.”

The competition

The dragway divides its competitors into a series of groups based on age, speed and parameters of a vehicle. 

For Bracket I, a driver can compete with any vehicle possessing doors, a dragster or motorcycle. The vehicle of choice may contain a delay box, a device used to help racers execute near-perfect launches at the starting line, and other approved electronic devices.

Buy-ins for this division are $50. Re-entry after a first-round loss costs $20 for a shot to continue racing.

Bracket II allows competitors the same list of vehicle options as Bracket I, but snowmobiles are an added option. Vehicles in this category are not allowed to include delay boxes, but can use a transbrake, a mechanism that selectively places the transmission in first and reverse gears simultaneously, allowing the vehicle to stay stationary similar to when the driver uses the foot brake.

Buy-ins for this bracket are $40. Re-entry fee is $20.

The Pro Trophy division mirrors the qualifications for Bracket II, but a competitor’s ride of choice must complete the distance in 9.99 seconds or less. The buy-in is $20 with a $10 re-entry fee.

The Street Trophy division features vehicles and motorcycles that cross the finish line at a time slower than 8 seconds. The buy-in is $15 and re-entry costs $10. 

Even kids can get in on the action.

Since Memorial Day 1970, the Northern Michigan Dragway has held racing events just north of Kaleva. 

Mitch Vosburg/News Advocate

The Mini Juniors division, designated for children between the ages of 8 and 11, allows kids to compete with either a mini bike, Junior Dragster or a go-kart with a cage. First place is awarded $25 and a trophy while the runner up takes home a trophy and $10. The buy-in and re-entry fee is $10.

The Advanced Juniors division, for kids 12 years old and upward of 17, allows the same vehicle option as Mini Juniors, but for bigger prizes. First place receives $75 and a trophy, second gets $25 and a trophy while a semifinalist receives $10. Buy-in is $20 and re-entry is $10. 

The competition isn’t only Kaleva residents, however.

Drivers from all across northern Michigan travel to the strip of asphalt in the woods for a chance at first-place prize money. Some travel a short distance to compete, like Brethren’s Gina Spence or Manistee’s Donnie Heinzer. Some venture hours at a time for a chance to compete, like Pickford’s Trevor Rye or Byron Center’s Toby Kroening.

They all come for an adrenaline rush which lasts under 10 seconds, a feeling that even former competitor turned dragway starter Clay Lowery struggles to find the right words to describe.

“It’s hard to say, you got to almost be there. See it, smell it,” he said. “A lot of it’s the race and feel the burning tires and the atmosphere. It’s the exhilaration of going down that track.”

The event

The action starts with exhibition time trials, giving everyone a first look at what the competition holds. It also allows drivers like Lonny Weiderhold a chance to test his 1995 Ford Mustang GT and see if any last-minute adjustments are necessary. 

After that, it’s down to the elimination rounds. The field in each division continually shrinks slower than the sun sets. But for those who can maintain their energy levels into the wee hours of the next day, glory, pride and a nifty financial reward is at stake. 

Bracket I and II awards anywhere from $500-$1,200 to the victor, depending on the number of entries per event. Second place nets participants between $150 and $300, a berth in semi-finals nets between $50 and $150. Even an eighth-place finish rewards drivers up to $40. 

The Pro Trophy series awards up to $400 and a trophy for first place and up to $150 with a trophy for the runner-up. The Street Trophy division gives a trophy and $75 to the winner, $25 and a trophy to the runner-up and $10 to a semi-finalist.

Special events will see winners earn up to $10,000. 

“(They) pay out the best money around for the winner, runner up and they pay back further than any other track,” McChesney said. “So, like a third round loser or fourth round loser gets money. That’s why it brings in a lot of people.”

The cars and other various vehicles

It’s a harmonious, yet rambunctious blend of human-made muscle. While some may attend for the spectacle of racing, the dragway provides car enthusiasts a potential holiday-like feel on a weekend summer afternoon.

While the vehicles must adhere to certain restrictions and builds, the possibilities both mechanically and appearance wise remain endless. The dragway has its fair share of creative contraptions. 

Some competitors use traditional dragsters. Some use stereotypical, American-made muscle cars like Chevy Camaros, Ford Mustangs and Dodge Challengers.

Donnie Benz patiently waits for the green light in his 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS, capable of generating up to 984 horsepower, during a race on July 16 at Northern Michigan Dragway. 

Mitch Vosburg/News Advocate

Other vintage cars like Plymouth Barracudas, Ford Falcons and Chevy El Caminos are all modified to scream down the 1/8 mile strip of pavement. 

Jeremy Loose has his front drivers side tire of his 1984 Chevrolet El Camino become airborne after the green light hits during a race on July 16 at Northern Michigan Dragway. 

Mitch Vosburg/News Advocate

The field also has its fair share of creative creations.

Terry Lee accelerates off the starting line in his 1973 Volkswagen Karmanghia during a race on July 16 at Northern Michigan Dragway.

Mitch Vosburg/News Advocate

Gary Wood competes in a 1983 AMC Spirit, dubbed “American Spirit,” decked out in patriotic red, white and blue paint. 

Gary Wood blazes past the green light during an elimination round race in his 1983 AMC Spirit dubbed “American Spirit’ on July 16 at Northern Michigan Dragway.

Mitch Vosburg/News Advocate

Gordy Bosack, of Marion, competed in July 16’s tournament on a modified Ski-Doo Mach Z snowmobile. 

Marion native Gordy Bosack shoots out of the starting line in his Ski-Doo Mach Z during a race on July 16 at Northern Michigan Dragway.

Mitch Vosburg/News Advocate

The Street division features a melting pot of vehicles. A 2019 Chevy Blazer, Harley Davidson motorcycles, a Ford Crown Victoria once used as a police vehicle, Chevy S-10s and Ford Rangers highlight the truly unique division.

Since Memorial Day 1970, the Northern Michigan Dragway has held racing events just north of Kaleva. 

Mitch Vosburg/News Advocate

Yet no matter what vehicle competitors drive in races, knowledge of cars is a prerequisite to contend for prize money. In a blink of an eye any vehicle can blow a tire, break a throttle or have a transmission spontaneously combust without warning.

“You got to have knowledge of what’s going on with with the vehicle that you’re driving,” Lowery said. “You have to have knowledge because you’re going down a track and then something goes wrong. You got to know about what it is, if you have to (fix) a fuel tank, have a change of gearing, or whatever, you got to know what you’re doing.”

A community

Despite the final standings and the intensity of the races, competitors at the dragway treat one another like one of their own. 

“We’re like one big family,” McChesney said. “Everybody knows everybody. After the race is done we all socialize, stand around the fire, drink a couple of beers. That’s a lot of fun.”

No matter what the situation, the community remains supportive of one another. Whenever a competitor has issues with their vehicle, the repair is not only the burden of the unfortunate competitor, but the people as a whole.

“If somebody breaks down, people are scrambling,” longtime employee Troy Gale said. “Let’s say you blow a transmission. People are scrambling to get parts to put your car back together for you, and nine out of 10 times they don’t even charge for the part. They just want you out there drag racing again. 

“It’s just that kind of atmosphere, and I’ve been to other drag strips where they’re not like that.”

Even new employees like Lowery and his wife, Lindy Lowery, are instantly treated better than just another person on NMD’s payroll.

“It was like I was brought right into the family and stuff, it’s fun,” he said. “I work the starting line. I see all the people with their helmets on. She sees the people without helmets on, winning or losing. It’s a fun time.”

The NMD community realizes that the track’s future is not within themselves, but in the junior divisions. The event on July 16 saw a record turnout for the youth classes discovering the thrill of the sport.

“Their faces right now. They’re having a great time,” Gale said. “The kids go around to the other racers, and the other racers will let them sit in their cars and talk with them. Everybody is in the same mind set that that’s our future. The younger crowd, the younger racers.”

As each summer passes in Kaleva, the one constant which remains is the NMD. After all, the town, employees, competitors and spectators all know how special taking summer nights 660-feet at a time is. 

“It is a hidden gem,” Lowery said.

“There are a lot of people that know about it and they’ve done a lot of improvements to that track up here since I heard about it years ago. My mom and her brothers used to race at the track,” Lowery said. “A lot of people I know that live up here race at the track and they’ve done a lot of improvements to that track. You can go camping and watch drag racing all in one day.”

Source: https://www.manisteenews.com/sports/article/Furious-races-lifelong-friendships-Dragway-17315191.php