From a press release issued by Pine Run Motorsports Park:

New race track planned for Pine County

Investment group introduces new club membership concept to the Upper Midwest

FOREST LAKE, Minn. ­ A motorsports facility with multiple race tracks is in the development stage in Pine County.

The project, named Pine Run Motorsports Park, will offer a variety of racing, featuring a 3.9-mile road course, a quarter-mile championship dragstrip, a go-cart track, a clubhouse with lounge, locker room and observation deck, and a “vehicle dynamics area.”

Pine Run will also offer a number of spectator events involving sanctioned professional motorsports racing as well as other events such as snowmobile grass drags and snowcross races.

For day-to-day use, Pine Run will feature club racing where sports car owners can buy an annual membership and then race their car on designated days. It¹s a concept that’s growing rapidly in other parts of the country because owners of high-performance sports cars want a safe facility in which to drive their cars fast.

The proposed track configuration is four tracks in one, with a tri-oval track (three turns and three straightaways) wrapped around two short road courses that can be connected to make one four-mile road course. A road course involves both right and left turns, unlike an oval track that features all left turns.

The vehicle dynamics area will be used for driving instruction, and to test vehicles in varying road conditions. It’s basically a large, open paved area used to train drivers in skid recovery, slalom, evasive and defensive driving, braking, etc.

Pine Run is being developed by Forest Lake-based JD Investments on a 500-acre parcel about 10 miles west of Pine City, Minn., near the town of Henriette. JD Investments is currently working with Pokegama Township and Pine County to acquire approval for the project.

“We’ve very excited to start working with local governments and neighbors to move our project forward,” said Jed Copham, JD Investments CEO. “As a recreation destination, we believe Pine Run will be a fantastic asset for Pine County as it brings business to this area, creates jobs and generates significant taxes for the county.

Those who use Pine Run are expected to come from the Twin Cities, Duluth and central Minnesota, Copham said. But the facility could host drivers and car clubs from throughout the country. And its spectator events could bring competitive and professional racers from around the globe.


Editorial Note: Pine City, Minnesota is located approximately halfway between the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and Duluth, one hour from each, just off Interstate 35.