Grassroots drag racing is alive and well, and few embody that spirit more than Minnesota’s David Hamilton. A self-described “nobody grassroots racer,” Hamilton has become a fixture in the Midwest Drag Racers Association (MDRA) scene, and he makes sure to share his journey with the Drag Illustrated team every step of the way.
This past weekend, Hamilton headed to Brainerd International Raceway to wrap up the track’s 2025 bracket season. Knowing the Saturday morning rush at BIR can be a nightmare, he wisely rolled in on Friday, got teched in, and even found time to enjoy a prime rib dinner across from the track with friends.
Rain fell overnight, delaying Saturday’s start. Once racing did begin, Hamilton wheeled his machine in both Pro ET and Super Pro, with the car to himself as his daughter Sam had a prior commitment. With track conditions tricky and 60-foot times moving around, Hamilton dug deep, scoring a first-round Pro ET win that added valuable points toward the MDRA championship chase. He came into the weekend sitting fifth in points.
While he bowed out early in Super Pro, Hamilton advanced four rounds in Pro before being paired with a young up-and-comer in the fifth. The ladder was set to give Hamilton a bye into the final if he advanced, but persistent mist and darkness forced officials to split the pot among the six racers still standing.
Sunday brought better track conditions, and Hamilton responded by bumping his launch RPM to 3,400. It paid off with an .008 reaction time in time trials. While he see-sawed on the tree throughout eliminations, he still managed to add seven total round wins across both days, padding his MDRA championship totals.
“I had a good weekend of racing and it was successful,” Hamilton reflected. “I have a special place in my heart for this track since it’s the first one I ever went down back in 1987.”
With BIR now closed for the season, Hamilton’s focus shifts to Cordova Dragway Park in Illinois for the Triple 7 Wild Card Bracket Jackpot, Sept. 26-28. It’s the final hurrah for 2025 – three days of racing, with $7,000 to win on Friday and Sunday and a massive $14,000 to win on Saturday. Hamilton will be joined this time by his daughter Sam, who will also be competing.
Hamilton also gave special thanks to his older daughter Alyssa for stepping in as crew chief duties last weekend. “She did awesome and really helped me stay focused,” he said.
It’s racers like Hamilton who keep bracket racing alive and thriving. In one of his first messages to Drag Illustrated back in 2023, Hamilton summed it up perfectly: “Us nobody grassroots racers all have an interesting story to tell. I am so proud to be part of the bracket racing community, but we’ve got to do what we can to keep bracket racing alive and well.”
As the season heads into its final stretch, Hamilton is doing exactly that – keeping grassroots bracket racing alive, one round at a time.
This story was originally published on September 22, 2025. 
