Northern Michigan Dragway - Bear Lake MI

Address: 13991 Potter Rd
City: Bear Lake
State: MI
Zip: 49614
County: Manistee
Number of visits to this page: 31559
Disclaimer:

Please note that location entries may feature older photos or post card views that may not represent the current appearance, features, addresses, phone numbers, or contact names of the attraction. This site is intended to be a historical as well as current record of various attractions but it is not always possible to have up-to-date information due to the vast number of locations featured here. We ask you consult the propietor for current information.

General Information:

AKA Manistee County Dragway

Eighth-mile dragstrip in Manistee County. Owned & operated by Tom & Sharon Ledford. Track managers Wayne & Brian Ledford. Track first opened Memorial Day 1970. TSI timing system. Fully lighted for night racing. 30 acre paved expansion spring 2017. 120' new concrete launch pad for 2016 season. New concrete burn boxes, expanded staging lanes and tower expansion in 2018. Complete resurfacing of race track from 60' to finish line in 2021 in addition to more paved pit roads, return roads and staging lanes.


Update - 5/25/2023 - With two Authentic 231 Racing Series events completed at Northern Michigan Dragway, the 2023 season is ready to hit high gear this weekend. NMD has added a Test 'n Tune event Friday evening from 5-9 pm. All classes will be in competition Saturday and Sunday for the annual Bonfire Salute. In addition, a pair of classes are going to provide extra entertainment.

The Top Doorslammers will make their first appearance of the season for qualifying runs on Saturday, and eliminations on Sunday. With temperatures in the low to mid-70's, track conditions should be at a peak potential for possible record numbers. The current ET and mile-per-hour record is held by Sean Nagy of Houghton Lake, with a 4.15 second pass at last year's Blue Oval Battle in August. His top speed record is at 176.31 mph. The field has been expanded to include up to 16 cars qualified for this season's races, which will also take place at Bowtie Challenge in June, Mopars Against the World in July, and Blue Oval Battle.

Nostalgia Outlaws will also be on-hand for their first-ever full show at NMD, with about 20 racers in the group. This group, mainly based in Michigan, is a collection of Nostalgia front-engine dragsters, altereds, roadsters, gassers and nostalgia motorcycles. Davin Reckow of Kingsley, one of the group's founding members, was excited last Saturday at NMD, as he topped the 1/8 mile 150-mph range for the first time with his nostalgia dragster. He said "I've been telling the guys in the group to get ready to race in front of a bigger crowd than they are used to at the other tracks they attend. There is something special about the Northern crowd. They show up in droves, filling the bleachers and lining the fence."

NMD's event last Saturday had 220 entries on-hand, which was nearly 40 more than last season's second race. Bud Roof of East Jordan had the quickest race machine in the bracket classes, topping 140 mph. That doesn't always equate to winning, however, Roof made it to the final round for the second time this season in two attempts. He took the win against fellow E.J. racer Scott Eriksen, grabbing the points lead in his quest for a second championship in the class.

Bracket II saw a first-time winner as Benzonia's Breah Kidder won with her Camaro. She defeated Nolan Blanchard's Monte Carlo in an all-Benzonia final round. Jason Hilliard of Bear Lake earned a semi-final finish for the 2nd-straight event and is the points leader, also looking for his second championship. Dave Bell of Kalkaska leads the Pro Trophy field, while the junior fields are topped by Ava Cebula of Bear Lake and Wyatt Martin of Manistee. Racing will begin on Saturday and Sunday at Noon each day, with eliminations slated to begin at 3 pm. For further info, visit NorthernMichiganDragway.com or the social media pages. NMD is located 3 miles north of Kaleva on Potter Road.

Click the following links for locations of interest nearby:
Info Updates:
8/25/2022 - Brian Ledford

This time, it's Ford's turn to take on all other contenders. A great forecast has racers eager to get on track with this weekend's Blue Oval Battle 10.0 at Northern Michigan Dragway.

This Ford vs. World scorecard has been a nail-biter the past few seasons. Last year's event ended in a tie score, as an 8th-round Pro Trophy final decided the outcome.

Sponsored by C. Petersen and Sons Trucking and Excavating, along with Manistee Ford, this event will determine the championship for NMD's Top Doorslammer 2022 season.

Sean Nagy of Houghton Lake took a convincing championship at Mopars Against the World last month, setting another new track record for doorslammers. With his Ford Mustang's victory and bonus points for being #1 qualifier, Nagy moved into 3rd place in the season standings with 51 points. Ron Brow of Belmont is holding onto the lead in the class with his "Blue Mamba" '66 Chevy II, while Bill Heiges of Beulah is currently 2nd with his classic '37 Chevy. With up to 41 points up-for-grabs in the $2,500 to win race, any of the top 6 racers in the standings have a legitimate shot at taking the championship. Two qualifying rounds will take place Friday evening, and the 3 round main event goes down throughout Saturday evening.

A whopping $10,000 will go to the winner of Bracket II on Saturday evening, and $3,000 to the Bracket I winner. Friday evening will have great competition in both classes, as each competes for $2,000 to win. Over $40,000 in total payouts is set to be disbursed.

Action begins on Thursday evening with time trials starting at 4 pm for all classes, and will feature eliminations for Street Trophy and Junior divisions. Friday and Saturday both feature an 11am start time, with eliminations set to be underway at approximately 2 pm each day.

More info can be found on the NMD website at NorthernMichiganDragway.com. NMD is located three miles north of Kaleva on Potter Road.

7/23/2008 - LAPEER DRAGWAY
Brian, I just checked out your aerial photo of your track ,it looks like you have a real nice track for the racers to run, you should be proud of your place. Also I like the way you run the 1/8 mi I wish every track would go to 1/8 mi. it is the safest all the way around .Nice track you have. Ed Vakula Lapeer Dragway
7/10/2007 - Steve Fraley
This is a great track to race at. Brian is doing a great job! Seems every year something new is added. I began racing at NMD(then Manistee County Dragway) in 1975! Right after my 16th birthday. This was the last dragstrip built in Michigan in, I think, 1973. We used to race 1/4 mile until someone felt the need to cut the shut down area in half. Then it went to 1/8 mile. The track shut down for awhile, until it was reopened in the late 80's by a group of racers and was run by them and eventually turned back over to the Ledfords. The track has seen many improvements over the last decade or so. After a resurfacing it was like racing on a pool table! And REAL flush toilets! Yes we have real indoor plumbing up north. The people are always friendly and the purse return for entry is the best in Michigan in my opinion. Although I've been laid up for several years I still have my race car and I do plan on returning to NMD!
12/5/2003 - Web
Located in the little finger of Mich used to pay out big purses in the seventies, racers from Detroit and Canada would make the loong trip. It was owned by Jim Ledford who later bought Central Michigan Dragway and turned it into Mid Michigan Motorplex.
 Photos:31
Northern Michigan Dragway - Adams Mccormick
Adams Mccormick
Northern Michigan Dragway - Mike Bouwsma Wheelie
Mike Bouwsma Wheelie
Northern Michigan Dragway - Eric Johnson 2022 Photo From Brian Ledford
Eric Johnson 2022 Photo From Brian Ledford
Northern Michigan Dragway - Bob Vandewater
Bob Vandewater
Northern Michigan Dragway - Bob Vandewater
Bob Vandewater
Northern Michigan Dragway - Bob Vandewater
Bob Vandewater
Northern Michigan Dragway - Bob Vandewater
Bob Vandewater
Northern Michigan Dragway - Bob Vandewater
Bob Vandewater
Northern Michigan Dragway - Bob Vandewater
Bob Vandewater
Northern Michigan Dragway - Bob Vandewater
Bob Vandewater
Northern Michigan Dragway - From Steve Fraley
From Steve Fraley
Northern Michigan Dragway - From Steve Fraley
From Steve Fraley
Northern Michigan Dragway - From Steve Fraley
From Steve Fraley
Northern Michigan Dragway - From Steve Fraley
From Steve Fraley
Northern Michigan Dragway - From Steve Fraley
From Steve Fraley
Northern Michigan Dragway - From Steve Fraley
From Steve Fraley
Northern Michigan Dragway - From Steve Fraley
From Steve Fraley
Northern Michigan Dragway - From Steve Fraley
From Steve Fraley
Northern Michigan Dragway - 2012 Points Opener 1
2012 Points Opener 1
Northern Michigan Dragway - 2012 Points Opener 2
2012 Points Opener 2
Northern Michigan Dragway - 2012 Points Opener 3
2012 Points Opener 3
Northern Michigan Dragway - Chuck Kurzawa From Ralph Pitlock
Chuck Kurzawa From Ralph Pitlock
Northern Michigan Dragway - Cory Mikus And Gang From Sharon Ledford
Cory Mikus And Gang From Sharon Ledford
Northern Michigan Dragway - From Steve Fraley
From Steve Fraley
Northern Michigan Dragway -  From Sharon Ledford
From Sharon Ledford
Northern Michigan Dragway - From John Tatreau
From John Tatreau
Northern Michigan Dragway - From John Tatreau
From John Tatreau
Northern Michigan Dragway - From John Tatreau
From John Tatreau
Northern Michigan Dragway - From John Tatreau
From John Tatreau
Northern Michigan Dragway - From John Tatreau
From John Tatreau
Northern Michigan Dragway - Aerial Photo
Aerial Photo
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