Southport Airport, Mankato Airport, Breezy Point and Metropolitan Stadium, were some of the temporary tracks used before Donnybrooke raceway (now Brainerd International Raceway) became Minnesota's premier race track, when it opened in 1968. The name Donnybrooke was formed from the names of Donny Skogmo and Brooke Kinnard, who both died at Road America in 1966.
Racing at Southport Airport, Apple Valley, MN.
Below is an excerpt about SCCA racing at Southport in the 1960s, from EAA Chapter 25, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN newsletter (June 2006) called, "Southport Airport, A Time Forgotten" by Noel Allard.The Sports Car Club of America, Land-O-Lakes Chapter, staged annual sports car races at the field from 1963 through 1968 using the runway and taxiways. In 1969 the races at Southport were discontinued and moved to the newly completed Donnybrooke racetrack at Brainerd. I attended the Southport races and one year watched them while orbiting overhead in a Cessna 150 belonging to the Cloud 7 Flying Club out of Flying Cloud Airport. Forrest Lovley flew overhead one year and when he wanted to land, chose a break in the races and landed, catching hell from the organizers. Scotty Beckett, the winner of the 1963 race, told me that the racing arrangements were handled between the club and Chuck Doyle.Below are two aerial photos that I edited and annotated for clarity.
