Old-school drag racers will remember days gone by where expending the effort to become a champion in drag racing was more for bragging rights than how much cash one stood to win if they were lucky enough to be the last man standing.

Perhaps no track manager in the country understands the thought process of the old-school racers like Chris Baxter of Milan Dragway, in Milan, Michigan.  

As the closest dragstrip to the Detroit area and the Big Three’s engineering- and racer-heavy landscape, ‘Milan’, as the locals call it, has, over the last few years, put together a nationally-recognized, once a month Friday night Heads-Up program with major sponsorship and national-level exposure for their racers.

Successful Milan Dragway Heads-Up Program No Fluke

Old-school drag racers will remember days gone by where expending the effort to become a champion in drag racing was more for bragging rights than how much cash one stood to win if they were lucky enough to be the last man standing.

Perhaps no track manager in the country understands the thought process of the old-school racers like Chris Baxter of Milan Dragway, in Milan, Michigan.  

As the closest dragstrip to the Detroit area and the Big Three’s engineering- and racer-heavy landscape, ‘Milan’, as the locals call it, has, over the last few years, put together a nationally-recognized, once a month Friday night Heads-Up program with major sponsorship and national-level exposure for their racers.

On a recent night of competition, their All-Motor class (one of five heads-up classes which compete at each event) drew sixteen racers, including Roush Competition Engines’ Ben Mens.  

“I like racing in Milan’s program – I can race on Friday night and be home mowing the grass on Saturday morning.  They provide a nice place to race and the track prep is always good.  And they really get a great crowd in the stands,” Mens said.  

“I think it’s all about doing this as a partnership with the drivers, finding out their wants and needs and giving our drivers a safe place to race in front of their family and friends,” says track manager Baxter, who freely admits that he couldn’t do what he does so successfully without the full support of track owners Bill and Pam Kapolka, Track VP Deneen Baxter and the rest of the track staff.  

Of critical importance to the entire program is the work of Milan’s Official Starter Jerry Lozon and his band of brothers, who prep, scrape, and spray the track into what is recognized as the King of Hook in the Midwest.  

“Jerry and his guys are invaluable; with him taking care of the track for me it allows me to focus on the race itself – the drivers, the sponsors, the fans,” Baxter explained.

Perhaps most impressively, Baxter has built a strong monthly Heads-Up series that rivals that of any track in the country and has done so in the depressed economy Michigan has suffered through over the last decade.  There are a few new-school techniques he uses to gain more exposure for his racers - live broadcast video and real-time internet results for every event the track holds.

“It’s been huge for us,” he explained, “We are broadcasting to thousands of people all over the country who are interested in what we and our racers are doing - that’s great for our racers and sponsors.

“We try to make it fun for everyone. We even host a track rental on the Thursday just prior to the Heads-Up events in order to give our drivers an opportunity to come in and test at the facility and get teched-in before Friday.  We offer some different entertainment options in the pit area to help keep things going during any track downtime. We want to keep everyone happy – the dads, the moms, and the kids.” he said.

“We want to reach out to the community. We love a packed house here, because we want our racers to be local stars,” Baxter explained.  

Judging by the packed stands and pit area on August 6th, it’s clear that he and the entire Milan Dragway staff are doing something right.