Friday's snowfall doesn't slow down superbikes at Brainerd Int'l Raceway; Bracket Drag Racing Series kicks off on the drag strip

(May 11, 2010) - Brainerd International Raceway's 2010 season couldn't have started in a more non-traditional fashion last weekend, with rain turning to snow Friday afternoon. The weather shut down the open Test & Tune on the drag strip but it didn't slow down the superbikes competing on BIR's Competition Road Course. They race rain (snow) or shine.

On Saturday, the sun came out and warmed up the drag strip, allowing drag racing and superbike racing to take place simultaneously for the rest of the weekend during BIR's first Dual Event Weekend of the 2010 season. For fans, they got two races for the price of a single ticket.

On the drag strip, 320 vehicles showed up to test themselves against other drivers on BIR's quarter-mile drag strip during the first of five Bracket Drag Racing Series events this season. Series points are on the line for drivers in 16 classes, and at the end of the season, track champions are crowned based on point totals.

On the 2.5-mile, 13-turn Competition Road Course, more than 100 motorcycles competed during the first of five Central Roadracing Association races at BIR this year. The CRA ran 20 different classes last weekend, including two 18-lap Trophy Dash races.

Even at 161.54 mph, Keith Lundberg wasn't the fastest racer at BIR but he was fast enough to win the Super Pro Class on the drag strip, beating Jim Higgins in the finals with an 8.844-second pass in his Worthy Dragster. Eighty-two racers competed in the Super Pro Class last weekend.

In the Pro Class, 80 racers competed but Andy Schmall and his 1971 Vega outlasted them all. Gary Schueneman met Schmall in the finals but handed him the championship when he fouled at the starting line. Schmall finished with an 11.136-second run and 93.12 mph.

Last year, Jamie Turcott finished the season in second place in the Sportsman Class, getting edged out by KC Slyford. But Slyford lost in the first round Sunday and Turcotte blew through all five rounds, finishing with a close win over Paul Baillif in the finals. Driving a 1966 GTO, Turcotte's final run was 12.458 seconds and 99.52 mph.

Ken Doble had his 1993 Kawasaki ZX7 dialed in during the Pro Bike elimination rounds. Doble finished a distant seventh in the final points standings last year in the BIke 2 Class, but he took the early points lead this year in the new Pro Bike Class, which combines the Bike 1 and Bike 2 classes from last year. In the final round, Doble met Jason Clampitt, who made it easy for Doble by fouling at the starting line. Doble still ran 10.650 seconds and 125 mph.

On the Competition Road Course, Tony Kasper and Robert Pretts dominated nine of the 19 eight-lap races. Kasper won six events and finished runner-up to Pretts in a seventh race. Pretts finished second behin Kasper in all six events that Kasper won, but completed the weekend with two wins and seven runner-up finishes.

On Saturday, the CRA had two 18-lap Trophy Dash races, the first of which was won by Derek Gallion with Brad Zajic finishing second. Azjic ended the weekend with four first-place finishes plus his second place in the Dash.

In the second Trophy Dash, Shane Keaveny won by 1 minute 15 seconds over Zach Hughes. Keaveny also won two other classes last weekend.

The next CRA Superbike Race is June 11-13. The Bracket Drag Racing Series returns June 5-6 for the second event of the season. The next major event at BIR is May 21-23, a Dual Event Weekend featuring the 2nd Annual Street Car Showdown on the drag strip and the National Auto Sport Association's Midwest Regional Race on the Competition Road Course. (CRA photos by MomentumPhoto.net)

Below are Sunday’s final results for the Bracket Drag Racing Series:

SUPER PRO
Finals: Keith Lundberg def. Jim Higgins
Semifinals: Lundberg def. Alex Barmettler; Higgins had a bye

 PRO
Finals: Andy Schmall of Lino Lakes def. Gary Schueneman of Esko
Semifinals: Schmall def. Joe Moriarty of Ham Lake; Schueneman had a bye

SPORTSMAN
Finals: Jaime Turcotte of Coon Rapids def. Paul Baillif of Brainerd
Semifinals: Turcotte had a bye; Baillif def. Vern Gjelhaug of Dresser, Wis.

 PRO BIKE
Finals: Ken Doble of Clearwater def. Jason Clampitt of Lino Lakes
Semifinals: Doble def. Richard Tadych of Fertile; Clampitt def. Ken Niesen of Brooklyn Park

TOP DRAGSTER
Finals: Les Feist of Clearwater def. John Bastyr of Savage
Semifinals: None

 SUPER COMP
Finals: Jimmy Paulson of Stacy def. Don Westra of St. Cloud
Semifinals: Paulson def. Mike Campbell of Brooklyn Park; Westra def. Kate Sims of Brainerd

SUPER GAS
Finals: Dale Evens of St. Cloud def. Trevor Larson of Starbuck
Semifinals: Evens def. Scott Schleicher of Albany; Larson def. John Hopkins of Lakeville

SUPER STREET
Finals: Donnie Durenberger of Dayton def. Michael Anderson of St. Joseph
Semifinals: Durenberger def. Myron Streit of St. Cloud; Anderson def. Ryan Scheleck of St. Cloud

STOCK/SUPER STOCK
Finals: Scott Dugdale of Circle Pines def. Don Wachholz of Mayer
Semifinals: Dugdale def. Maxine Line of Wright; Wachholz def. Terry Johnson of Maple Grove

TOP SPORTSMAN
Finals: Bill Krech of Inver Grove Heights def. Vern Laurin Jr. of Duluth
Semifinals: None

COMP TROPHY
Finals: Darren Arnold of Hopkins def. DeeAnna Patnaude of Sawyer
Semifinals: Arnold had a bye; Patnaude def. Keith Larson of Brainerd

STREET TROPHY
Finals: Nick Arnold of Hopkins def. Kayla Noyes of Andover
Semifinals: Arnold had a bye; Noyes def. Veronica Monti of Long Prairie

STREET BIKE
Finals: Ken Doble of Clearwater def. Devin Flynn of Princeton
Semifinals: Doble def. David Sampson of Forest Lake; Flynn def. Mike Voss of Maplewood

JUNIOR DRAGSTER ADVANCED
Finals: Emily Durenberger of Dayton def. Tevin Zavadil of Clearwater
Semifinals: Durenberger def. Christopher Takacs of Thunder Bay, Ontario; Zavadil def. Gina Kastner of Clearwater

JUNIOR DRAGSTER INTERMEDIATE
Finals: Erik Johnson of Nowthen def. Cassidy Takacs of Thunder Bay
Semifinals: Johnson def. Abby Haben of Hibbing; Takacs had a bye

JUNIOR DRAGSTER NOVICE
Finals: Sydney Thompson of Nowthen def. Sydney Haben of Hibbing
Semifinals: Thompson def. Wyatt Niesen of Brooklyn Park; Haben def. Alyssa Copham of Brainerd

FORMULA 40 – 8 laps
Winner: Shane Keaveny, 13:17.993, 1:41.100, 89.021 mph
Runner Up: Bryant Soberg, 14:20.621, 1:45.032, 85.688 mph

GRAND PRO SPRINTS – MIDDLEWEIGHT – 8 laps
Winner: Tony Kasper, 12:56.637, 1:39.002, 90.907 mph
Runner Up: Robert Pretts, 13:07.984, 1:40. 529, 89.526 mph

GRAND PRO SPRINTS – ULTRALIGHT – 8 laps
Winner: Christian Schmidt, 14:49.468, 1:49.006, 82.564 mph
Runner Up: Gary Carter, 14:50.456, 1:50.135, 81.718 mph

GRAND PRO SPRINTS – HEAVYWEIGHT – 8 laps
Winner: Tony Kasper, 12:56.149, 1:39.793, 90.187 mph
Runner Up: Robert Pretts, 13:20.311, 1:41.018, 89.093 mph

GRAND PRO SPRINTS – LIGHTWEIGHT – 8 laps
Winner: Brad Zajic, 14:06.494, 1:47.372, 83.821 mph
Runner Up: Bryant Soberg, 14:06.629, 1:46.425, 84.567 mph

GRAND PRO SPRINTS – UNLIMITED – 8 laps
Winner: Shane Keaveny, 12:31.964, 1:39.956, 90.040 mph
Runner Up: Christian Schmidt, 12:42.734, 1:40.761, 89.320 mph

NEW RIDER RACE – 5 laps
Winner: Drew See, 9:26.459, 1:56.422, 77.305 mph
Runner Up: Robert Barton, 9:58.313, 2:03.673, 72.773 mph

SUPERBIKE SPRINTS – SPORTSMAN/SUPERTWINS – 8 laps
Winner: Brad Zajic, 14:09.062, 1:45.916, 84.973 mph
Runner Up: Bryant Soberg, 14:10.505, 1:45.999, 84.906 mph

SUPERBIKE SPRINTS – MIDDLEWEIGHT EXPERT – 8 laps
Winner: Robert Pretts, 13:15.272, 1:40.376, 89.663 mph
Runner Up: Scott Stall, 13:38.390, 1:40.499, 89.553 mph

SUPERBIKE SPRINTS – MIDDLEWEIGHT NOVICE – 8 laps
Winner: Chase Sellers, 14:04.190, 1:45.961, 84.937 mph
Runner Up: Jonathan Shore, 14:10.566, 1:46.810, 84.262 mph

SUPERBIKE SPRINTS – ULTRALIGHT – 8 laps
Winner: Christian Schmidt, 14:56.154, 1:51.029, 81.060 mph
Runner Up: Gary Carter, 14:56.393, 1:51.479, 80.733 mph

SUPERBIKE SPRINTS – HEAVYWEIGHTS – 8 laps
Winner: Tony Kasper, 13:08.510, 1:39.693, 90.277 mph
Runner Up: Robert Pretts, 13:14.557, 1:40.725, 89.352 mph

SUPERBIKE SPRINTS – LIGHTWEIGHTS – 8 laps
Winner: Brad Zajic, 14:29.208, 1:48.539, 82.920 mph
Runner Up: Bryant Soberg, 14:29.208, 1:47.980, 83.349 mph

SUPERBIKE SPRINTS – UNLIMITED – 8 laps
Winner: Tony Kasper, 13:03.137, 1:38.649, 91.233 mph
Runner Up: Robert Pretts, 13:11.131, 1:40.132, 89.881 mph

SUPERSPORT SPRINTS – MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 8 laps
Winner: Tony Kasper, 13:10.421, 1:40.331, 89.703 mph
Runner Up: Robert Pretts, 13:22.149, 1:42.350, 87.934 mph

SUPERSPORT SPRINTS – MIDDLEWEIGHT EXPERT – 8 laps
Winner: Tony Kasper, 13:10.421, 1:40.331, 89.703 mph
Runner Up: Robert Pretts, 13:22.149, 1:42.350, 87.934 mph

SUPERSPORT SPRINTS – MIDDLEWEIGHT NOVICE – 8 laps
Winner: Jamie Boyle, 14:28.675 – no other information available
Runner Up: Chase Sellers, 14:28.677, 1:48.071, 83.279 mph

SUPERSPORT SPRINTS – ULTRALIGHT – 8 laps
Winner: Aaron Collins, 15:17.475, 1:55.404, 77.987 mph
Runner Up: Mitchell Weege, 15:20.831, 1:57.423, 76.646 mph

SUPERSPORT SPRINTS – HEAVYWEIGHT – 8 laps
Winner: Robert Pretts, 13:16.613, 1:40.675, 89.397 mph
Runner Up: Tony Kasper, 13:17.690, 1:41.034, 89.079 mph

SUPERSPORT SPRINTS – LIGHTWEIGHT/VINTAGE – 8 laps
Winner: Brad Zajjic, 14:05.560, 1:45.773, 85.088 mph
Runner Up: Bryant Soberg, 14:05.640, 1:45.610, 85.219 mph

SUPERSPORT SPRINTS – UNLIMITED – 8 laps
Winner: Tony Kasper, 12:57.571, 1:38.505, 91.366 mph
Runner Up: Robert Pretts, 13:13.332, 1:40.565, 89.494 mph

TROPHY DASHES – GP1/GP2 – 18 laps
Winner: Derek Gallion, 32:24.965, 1:47.209, 83.948 mph
Runner Up: Brad Zajic, 32:25.126, 1:47.531, 83.697 mph

TROPHY DASHES – GP3/GP4 – 18 laps
Winner: Shane Keaveny, 30:26.612, 1:41.750, 88.452 mph
Runner Up: Zach Hughes, 31:41.271, 1:45.222, 85.533 mph