Brainerd International Raceway Strengthens Leadership Team

More news from the owner at Brainerd International Raceway.

In July 2012, I began the interview process for a new Ticketing Manager. One of the applicants was a 22-year-old fresh out of college who was referred to us by our accounting firm. She arrived for the interview. Hair done, wearing a dress! After the interviews it took Jed and I approximately 2 seconds to decide to give the “baby” as Jed called her the position of Ticketing Manager. Our thought was that we could semi-mold her position into what we wanted it to be. For those of you who know Stephanie, we could not have been more wrong! We realized we knew absolutely nothing and never tried to tell Stephanie how to do anything associated with her job. Long story short, we took a gamble and hired Stephanie Petersen (Wieczorek) to help us transform the front gate and ended up winning the jackpot.

Her first event was Show and Go, and it went great under her leadership. Six weeks later, she managed the NHRA National event with over 100k wristbands, and when it was over, she was mad that she couldn’t account for 6 wristbands. This number was unfathomable to Jed and me. I remember Jed saying, “That girl needs a raise”.

Over the past 12 years Stephanie and I have gone through a lot together. There have been a lot of laughs, some tears, many shenanigans, some all-night work and non-working adventures, safety meetings, making mistakes, then fixing our mistakes! But through all of it she has become one of the most valuable team players in the BIR family. Her willingness and ability to help, even when it had nothing to do with ticketing, showed not only me but also the rest of the team her dedication to the facility and to all the guests who also call BIR home.

Leadership Promotions

Effective immediately, Stephanie has been promoted to Operations Director and will be taking on a significant new role. She will continue leading Gate Operations, but her focus will be more on Operations and readiness of the facility and event setup.

Stephanie’s promotion created an opportunity for Alexa Larson to be promoted to Ticketing Manager. Alexa was hired over 5 years ago after a friend told me she knew someone who might want the position. She then brought Alexa to my house! I interviewed her very informally from my home living room. I guess this is how you hire “family members,” or at least how I do.

Alexa was a great addition and has been Stephanie’s right hand ever since. She has shown significant growth and taken on a lot more responsibility over the last year. With mentoring from the “best,” we have no doubt this transition will be flawless.

Please help me congratulate both Stephanie and Alexa in their new roles at Brainerd International Raceway.

Big Plans for BIR

The leadership team I have been building is capable of amazing things. We truly have big plans for BIR. Expect many changes/improvements, new events/experiences, and facility upgrades in the very near future.

A Special Thank You

Lastly -- A Special Thank You to the Management Team.

Sara Walker (GM) for taking the leap of faith and moving this far north. Your experience, dedication, nerdy behavior, and organization are second to none.

Jim Gerlich (CFO) for attempting to keep all of us in line and spending under control even when we seem to make that as hard as we possibly can. Have you all heard Hockey Day Minnesota is coming to BIR in January of 2027? You can thank Jim for that!

Michael Morgan (Road Course and Drifting Manager) for taking on the mess that had been made of the road course and drifting programs. I have no doubt that we will have new/old fast-growing events running on track again with your leadership. The history of BIR shows what we can accomplish under the right manager.

Dan Antrim (Safety Director) for managing all the Safety Crews and equipment to ensure our future here at BIR. Your knowledge of the facility, being our resident dinosaur, is priceless.

Phil Abramson (Drag Manager) for your countless hours and dedication to the drag racing program and BIR. Your willingness to try new events and flexibility to allow them to happen even though your tech brain says no.

Jason Roue (Advisor) for always listening to me and giving me advice when I seem to be running into roadblocks at every turn. Your advice has saved and helped me on so many occasions I couldn’t even begin a list.

To the rest of the BIR family, for everything you do to ensure we are prepared and ready for the next event. Clearly, we could continue to have meetings, brainstorm all our crazy ideas, and create new events, but we would never be able to execute any of them without all of you. I appreciate each one of you more than you probably realize.

Our future looks VERY bright at Brainerd International Raceway because of all of you!

THANK YOU!

Kristi Copham

Owner of Brainerd International Raceway

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About Brainerd International Raceway

Brainerd International Raceway (BIR), located in Brainerd, Minnesota, is one of the Midwest’s premier multi-discipline motorsports facilities. For more than 50 years, BIR has hosted national and regional competition across drag racing, road racing, drifting, autocross, and performance driving programs. Home to the NHRA Nationals and a full season of grassroots and professional events, the facility features a 3.1-mile road course, a championship drag strip, and dedicated drift and performance training infrastructure.

As a family-owned destination venue, BIR continues to evolve its programming and facilities while honoring its racing heritage—investing in new disciplines, expanding participation opportunities, and creating motorsports experiences that connect generations of fans, racers, and automotive enthusiasts across the Midwest.