37 drag racers to represent BIR this weekend at NHRA ET Finals in Kansas

(Sept. 15, 2009) — Brainerd International Raceway named the 37 drag racers who will represent the track this weekend at the NHRA West Central Division Summit Racing ET Finals at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan.

BIR’s team will compete on the drag strip against teams from 20 other tracks in the NHRA’s West Central Division, which includes the five-state area, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado and Canada. At stake are individual and team honors, a $100,000 in purse and contingency awards as well as a chance to compete against the top racers from the NHRA’s other six divisions for a national championship during the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Finals in Pomona, Calif., Nov. 12-15. The winner of the High School Class wins $1,000 scholarship.




The members of BIR’s team are some of the top drag racers in the track’s Bracket Drag Racing Series, which is a seven-race series where drivers are competing for series points, prize money and, ultimately, a track championship at the end of the season. BIR’s team has always fielded one of the strongest teams at the ET Finals.

BIR’s roster includes four racers who will compete in the Race of Champions, which features the top racer from each track in each class (excluding High School). They compete head to head to decide who advances to the race in California this November. Last year, BIR’s Andy Schmall and Tim Lewandowski won their respective classes in the Race of Champions.

BIR’s roster features two pair of fathers and daughters, two pair of fathers and sons, and one father with two sons.

Below are the team members:

SUPER PRO
Mike Campbell, Brooklyn Park (Race of Champions representative - photo on left)
Ryan Scheleck, St. Cloud
John Bastyr*, Savage
Myron Streit, St. Cloud
Larry Wiebusch Jr., Zimmerman
Larry Wiebusch Sr., Coon Rapids
Greg Collins, Wyoming
Kayla Lundberg, Isanti
Rick Beaulieu, Forest Lake
Greg Grundman, St. Cloud
Ronnie Luberda, Foley
Andy Schmall*, Lino Lakes
Amy Jo Luberda, Sauk Rapids
Mark Ryberg, Foley

PRO
Dennis Remer, Wyoming (Race of Champions representative - car photo)
John Bastyr*, Savage
Scott Dugdale, Circle Pines
Charlie Giddings, Ramsey
Aaron Milton, Maple Grove
Travis Hjelle, Strandquist
Dave Engler, Ramsey
Nick Engler, Isanti
Joe Schmall, Lino Lakes
Andy Schmall*, Lino Lakes
Stacey Nelson, Wyoming
Bob Ingman, Andover
Jeff Anderson, Elk River

SPORTSMAN
Jaime Turcotte, Coon Rapids (Race of Champions representative - photo center)
|John Helmin, Rice
Kevin Rolph, Minneapolis
Rory Emmans, Dayton
Brad Mickle, Lino Lakes

MOTORCYCLE
Toby Giese, Kandiyohi (Race of Champions representative - photo on right)
Brian Johnson, Nowthen
Mark Gode, Bloomington
Jeff Lanoue, Zimmerman

HIGH SCHOOL
Brandon Schmall, Lino Lakes
Andy Knebel, Pillager
Katlyn Milton, Maple Grove

*Competing in two different classes