Northern Michigan Dragway

Northern Michigan Dragway is an eighth-mile drag strip located at 13991 Potter Rd. in Bear Lake, Michigan, in Manistee County. The facility opened in 1970 under founders Tom and Sharon Ledford, originally operating as Manistee County Dragway through 1984. The Ledford family continues to operate the track; Brian Ledford has served as promoter and announcer since 1995, and Wayne Ledford has managed equipment and track preparation since 2008.

The track runs a season that typically opens in mid-April and closes in late September, with a mix of test-and-tune sessions, regular points events, Street Nights, and several annual specialty weekends. Recurring multi-day events on the calendar include the Bonfire Salute Weekend, the Bowtie Challenge Weekend (in its 16th running in 2026), Mopars Against the World Weekend (29th annual in 2026), and Blue Oval Battle. The track is affiliated with the IHRA, and points champions in select classes earn eligibility to compete at the IHRA World Finals in Memphis, Tennessee. An IHRA membership is not required to participate in the local points program.

Competition classes include Bracket I (with box), Bracket II (no box), Pro Trophy, Street Trophy, Sportsman, Advanced Juniors, Mini Juniors, and a Rider Class for sleds and motorcycles. Street Night events also feature classes such as Chicks on Slicks, a High School Class, and Nostalgia Outlaws on select dates. The track uses a state-of-the-art Accutime timing system with time slip booths on both sides of the strip and is fully lighted for night racing. Daktronics scoreboards were installed in 2025, and a complete resurface of the racing surface from the 60-foot mark to the finish line was completed in 2021, along with additional paved pit roads, return roads, and staging lanes.

Spectator admission at regular events is $15 for adults, with Street Night and test-and-tune sessions priced at $10; children 12 and under are admitted free at all events. Major specialty weekends carry higher spectator pricing. Driver entry fees for open test-and-tune sessions are $25. The track can be reached by phone at (231) 362-3439 or by email at nmdragway@gmail.com.