Day Three of Sick Michigan Miles Lands at Northern Michigan Dragway Next Week – The Info on Our Third Sick The Mag Track Shirt That Ties the Track, and a Michigan Business, Together
As Sick Michigan Miles Presented By Driven Racing Oil rolls into the third day of competition, we hit the northernmost track on our route, Northern Michigan Dragway.
With four tracks and five days of racing, we’re also introducing our third track shirt, and providing the details on the track, as well as a Michigan-based business, that made the shirt.
Grab the limited edition Michigan Miles track shirts and stickers, without the wait! We only get a limited number of each design, so don’t miss your chance! CLICK HERE to view our Sick Michigan Miles merchandise, and make to join us next week on Michigan Miles - August 10-17th - CLICK HERE for more info on Sick Michigan Miles!
This is the third of four stories about Michigan, the track we’re visiting on that day, and showcasing the official shirt for each track that incorporates the track, as well as a Michigan business.
To read our first story on Darana Dragway (formerly Milan Dragway), CLICK HERE!
To read our second story on Mid-Michigan Dragway, CLICK HERE!
The track in Kaleva, Michigan got its start in 1970 as Manistee County Dragway thanks to Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame members Tom and Jim Ledford. Sometime around 1995, the eighth-mile track changed names to Northern Michigan Dragway.
In recent years, the facility has gone through some improvements, including the track itself getting a resurface, and the pit area, staging lanes and return road got some fresh pacing work as well.
The track also joined the World Drag Racing Alliance sanctioning body in 2025, and hosts a mix of test and tune, bracket races and specialty events, including a Chevrolet-themed Bowtie Challenge weekend, a Mopars Against the World 4-day event, and a 3-day Blue Oval Battle event for the Ford enthusiasts.
Our talented Sick The Magazine staff artist Garrett Olsen chose the Stroh’s Brewery Company to pair up with Northern Michigan Dragway for our limited edition third track shirt, the third Michigan-based business we have featured on our track shirts.
Established in 1850 by Bernhard Stroh in Detroit, the brewery started with a Bohemian-style pilsner beer. By 1865, Bernhard had purchased additional land to accept the business expansion, and named the business Lion’s Head Brewery. The lion emblem from Kirn, Germany's landmark, the Kyrburg Castle, was adopted, and is still used on product labels and advertising.
Through the next century included surviving Prohibition, where Julius Stroh, now operating the business under the name ‘The Stroh Products Company’, expanded the company’s offerings to include ‘near beer’ (beer with the alcohol extracted), birch beer, malt products, getting into the soft drink market, and even ice cream.
Although most of the expansion items during Prohibition were dropped when the period ended in 1933, a special unit of the brewery continued to make Stroh’s Ice Cream! The ice cream operation was eventually moved to Illinois.
After 135 years in operation, the original brewery was closed down on Detroit’s east side, as the chairman Pete Stroh had said the facility was outdated and they had no room left to expand it further. Fourteen years later, Pabst Brewing Company and Miller Brewing Company acquired the Stroh arsenal of brands, and some were discontinued by the following year.
Come join us for a week of fun and racing action, plus the Woodward Dream Cruise, as we invade Michigan for the Sick Michigan Miles Presented by Driven Racing Oil event, NEXT WEEK - August 10-17th! CLICK HERE for more details!
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, Northern Michigan Dragway .
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com