Octane Autofest Welcomes Nearly 15,000 Guests to Brainerd International Raceway’s New Motorsports Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Guests from 41 States and Five Countries Experience New Motorsports Festival as Planning Begins for September Return

BRAINERD, Minn. — Nearly 15,000 attendees from 41 states and five countries traveled to Brainerd International Raceway June 4-7 for the inaugural Octane Autofest Motorsports Festival, a new motorsports and automotive lifestyle festival that blended drifting, performance driving, automotive culture, camping, live entertainment, and hands-on participation opportunities into a single weekend experience.

The event was developed through a collaboration between Brainerd International Raceway and three-time Formula Drift champion Chris Forsberg and Forsberg Racing, who shared a vision of creating a festival environment where fans could experience multiple forms of motorsports, automotive culture, and participation opportunities in one destination. As planning progressed, Minnesota-based creators CboysTV approached BIR about hosting an event at the facility. With limited dates available on the raceway’s busy schedule, organizers quickly recognized that Octane Autofest was the ideal fit for the group’s audience and energy, creating an opportunity to introduce thousands of new guests to both Brainerd International Raceway and the motorsports community.

“In talking with Chris myself about wanting to build a new drift track at BIR, we decided to team up and build a festival in the Upper Midwest that would bring Pro Drifting north. That is how we formed Octane AutoFest,” said Kristi Copham, owner of Brainerd International Raceway.

Visitors supported local restaurants, retailers, fuel stations, grocery stores, and tourism-related businesses throughout the region while discovering the Brainerd Lakes Area, one of Minnesota’s premier destinations for lakes, camping, outdoor recreation, and family vacations. Many guests spent the weekend exploring the region while enjoying a unique blend of motorsports, camping, outdoor recreation, and automotive culture, reinforcing the connection between Brainerd International Raceway and the broader tourism economy that surrounds it.

The event also demonstrated the growing appeal of destination-style motorsports experiences that combine competition, recreation, entertainment, and participation opportunities into a single weekend. For Brainerd International Raceway, Octane Autofest represented an opportunity to showcase not only the facility itself, but also the broader region to an audience traveling from across North America and beyond.

The success of Octane Autofest reflects both the history and the future of Brainerd International Raceway.

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When Jed and Kristi Copham purchased Brainerd International Raceway in 2006, they committed to preserving one of America’s most iconic motorsports destinations, a facility that has welcomed racers and fans since 1968 and carries nearly six decades of motorsports history. That commitment has allowed BIR to continue evolving while preserving the traditions and experiences that have made the facility a destination for generations of racers and fans.

Today, the influence of the next generation is helping shape that evolution. Ayden Copham’s passion for drifting and modern automotive culture played a significant role in developing the event concept, while BIR’s continued investment in new programming and infrastructure reflects the facility’s commitment to growing alongside emerging forms of motorsports. The event also marked the official debut of BIR’s new Main Stage Drift Course, representing a significant investment in the future of drifting and automotive culture at the facility.

Throughout the weekend, Octane Autofest Motorsports Festival combined professional motorsports competition, exhibitions, participation opportunities, automotive culture, camping, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities across Brainerd International Raceway’s 600-acre facility. The event’s unique format allowed guests to experience multiple forms of motorsports simultaneously while also providing opportunities to participate, learn, and engage with the sport firsthand.

Drift ride-alongs proved to be one of the most popular attractions of the weekend, providing guests with a rare opportunity to experience the sport from inside the car while learning firsthand about the skill, precision, and vehicle control required to compete in drifting. For many participants, the experience served as their first introduction to the discipline and offered an opportunity to engage with the sport beyond simply watching from the sidelines.

Festival-style attractions also drew strong participation throughout the weekend, including live music, camping, midway activities, the CboysTV Burnout Competition, the CboysTV Car Show, and CboysTV Money Mike’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, helping create an atmosphere that extended well beyond a traditional motorsports event. Organizers say one of the most rewarding outcomes was seeing guests discover new opportunities to participate in motorsports rather than simply attend as spectators.

“I loved seeing the smiles on faces and the level of excitement everyone had getting to see the cars entering the new drift course around the banked corner of turn 10. The number of kids 12 and under that were in attendance was incredible. You may have come to meet the CBoys and check out their builds, but I would have to say we gained some fans over the weekend just watching them drag their parents around.”

Octane Autofest represents a different approach to motorsports events. By combining professional competition, exhibitions, participation opportunities, automotive culture, camping, music, and family entertainment, organizers sought to create an experience that welcomed both lifelong enthusiasts and those discovering motorsports for the first time. The facility’s ability to host multiple disciplines simultaneously allowed guests to watch, learn, participate, and engage with motorsports in ways that are rarely possible at traditional events.

The vision behind Octane Autofest Motorsports Festival was strengthened through the partnership between BIR, Forsberg Racing, and CboysTV, each bringing a unique perspective to the event. Chris Forsberg played a major role in helping shape the event’s drifting elements and broader festival concept while helping establish a long-term vision for the future of Octane Autofest.

“Octane Autofest is the kind of event I’ve always envisioned, and bringing it to life was only possible at a facility like Brainerd International Raceway,” Forsberg said. “We had three drift courses supporting every skill level, HPDE, autocross, a massive car show, ride-alongs, live music, a burnout competition, camping, watercross, mud trucks and so much more happening simultaneously. There simply aren’t many places in the country capable of delivering that kind of experience.”

That same vision aligned naturally with the audience and energy brought by CboysTV. Known for their passion for building, modifying, and enjoying vehicles, the Minnesota-based creators helped introduce Brainerd International Raceway to thousands of new guests while showcasing the facility to millions of followers.

During the weekend, CboysTV member Ben Roth offered a description that quickly resonated with both staff and guests.

“I can’t believe this place exists right here in Minnesota,” Roth said. “It’s literally the Disneyland of motorsports.”

For many attendees, the comparison felt fitting. From drifting and performance driving to watercross, mud trucks, camping, car culture, live entertainment, and family activities, Octane Autofest reinforced BIR’s commitment to creating opportunities for people to not only watch motorsports, but experience and participate in them firsthand.

Organizers credited the success of the inaugural event to the collaborative efforts of event partners, sponsors, vendors, volunteers, participants, and numerous organizations that helped bring the vision to life. Special recognition was extended to Chris Forsberg and Forsberg Racing, CboysTV, IWA Watercross, the Central Wisconsin Sports Car Club, Jacob’s Voice, and the many local businesses that stepped forward to provide equipment, services, support, and volunteer efforts throughout the planning and execution of the event.

Jacob’s Voice played an important role throughout the weekend by providing concierge golf cart transportation services that helped guests navigate the expansive facility. Brainerd International Raceway also recognized the tremendous effort of its full-time staff, seasonal employees, contractors, safety personnel, event workers, and volunteers whose dedication helped bring the event to life and position it for future growth.

Expressing her appreciation to everyone who helped launch the inaugural event, Copham said, “This event simply would not have happened without all of you.” In addition to her comments, Copham has shared a personal post-event letter reflecting on the inaugural Octane Autofest, thanking the guests, staff, volunteers, partners, sponsors, and supporters who helped bring the event to life. The full letter can be read here.

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Planning is already underway for the next Octane Autofest, scheduled for Sept. 11-13, 2026. Organizers are reviewing feedback from guests, participants, vendors, sponsors, and staff while preparing additional announcements regarding attractions, programming, tickets, and participation opportunities.

Vendor, exhibitor, and sponsorship opportunities remain available for organizations interested in reaching an engaged automotive and motorsports audience while helping shape the future growth of Octane Autofest. Additional announcements regarding programming, attractions, tickets, and participation opportunities will be released in the coming weeks.

While the event moved from concept to reality in only a matter of months, organizers believe the inaugural weekend established a strong foundation for long-term growth and future expansion. As planning continues for September, the focus remains on enhancing the guest experience, expanding participation opportunities, and building an event that continues to introduce new audiences to motorsports while creating value for partners, sponsors, exhibitors, and the broader Brainerd community.

“This was only the beginning.”

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About Octane Autofest Motorsports Festival

Octane Autofest is Brainerd International Raceway’s annual motorsports festival, bringing together drifting, high-performance driving (HPDE), autocross, ride-alongs, car shows, camping, live entertainment, and hands-on automotive experiences for enthusiasts of every skill level. Held at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota, Octane Autofest transforms one of America’s most iconic racing facilities into a weekend-long celebration of motorsports and automotive culture, where guests can watch, drive, ride, camp, learn, and experience multiple disciplines in one destination. From grassroots enthusiasts to professional drivers, Octane Autofest was created to inspire the next generation of motorsports fans while showcasing everything that makes Brainerd International Raceway unlike anywhere else. For event information, schedules, tickets and updates, visit www.birmn.com/octane-autofest.

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.

About Forsberg Racing

Forsberg Racing is the professional motorsports team founded and led by three-time Formula DRIFT Champion Chris Forsberg. Competing at the highest levels of professional drifting, production class off-road and road racing, the team blends elite competition performance with technical development, brand partnerships, and experiential motorsports activations.

Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, Forsberg Racing works alongside Nissan North America, leading automotive manufacturers, performance brands, and technical partners to develop cutting-edge competition vehicles while creating content and live experiences that engage fans both on and off the track.

The program’s mission is to grow drifting by balancing professional excellence with grassroots accessibility—supporting driver development, hosting track programs, and collaborating with facilities nationwide to expand opportunities within the sport.

About CboysTV

CboysTV is a Minnesota-based automotive and lifestyle YouTube channel with more than five million subscribers, known for high-energy builds, off-the-wall challenges, and a style of content that prioritizes participation over perfection. What started as a group of friends creating videos has grown into one of the most engaged audiences in the automotive space.

Their content centers around real-world experimentation—pushing limits, trying new ideas, and bringing viewers along for the ride. That approach has built a loyal following that doesn’t just watch cars, but wants to be part of the experience.

At Octane Autofest, that energy moves off-screen and into the real world—connecting their audience with a facility built for doing, not just watching, and introducing a new generation to motorsports in a way that feels accessible, authentic, and fun.

Media Credits

Photography and video featured in this release were provided by Brainerd International Raceway, Aspire Creative Co., Blaze Air Productions, Max Koch, Forsberg Racing, Trevor Lyden, and additional event contributors.