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Import & Diesel Results

Imports, Diesels bring variety of racing, driving competition to BIR

(June 27, 2010) - Import cars, sport compacts and diesels invaded Brainerd International Raceway this weekend, treating fans to a wide variety of drag racing, road racing, drifting and autocross competitions, and even a car show.

More than 170 cars and trucks from as far away as California, Tennessee and Illinois competed in the second annual event featuring the Modern Automotive Performance Proving Grounds for the imports and the Jags Midwest Diesel Challenge. 

On the drag strip, Chris Carey turned in the fastest time during qualifying for the Quick 16 Class. Driving a 1994 Mazda RX7, Carey ripped off an 8.478-second pass at 160.02 mph to make him the No. 1 qualifier going into the elimination rounds. Carey advanced to the finals where he met Matthew Faul and his 1990 Ford Probe GT2. Faul had the top speed of the weekend at 161.25 mph and proved too much for Carey, who had car problems and fouled at the starting line, never getting down the track.

In the Outlaw Street Class, Armando Nanalig and his 1998 Honda Civic eeked out a finals win against Nate Complin by posting a run of 10.987 seconds and 122.92 mph. Complin's run was 10.981 seconds and 143.52 mph. Nanalig beat him on the starting line, where he was .125-seconds quicker, which was the difference at the finish line.

In the finals of the True Street class, No. 1 qualifier Keng Lee beat Al Nobello Jr. and his '90 Mitsubishi Eclipse off the starting line but couldn't hold him off at the finish line. Nobello won with a time of 11.282 seconds and 125.68 mph to Lee's 12.384 seconds and 121.72 mph.

In the Motor Street Class, Cory Grimsrud was the No. 1 qualifier but Pat Lehmann was right on his heels throughout qualifying. The two met in the finals and didn't disappoint the crowd. Grimsrud and his 1992 Nissan Sentra was much quicker off the starting line (.161 seconds to .400 seconds) but Lehmann, driving a 1986 Honda CRX, caught him at the finish line and won with a time of 11.606 seconds at 119.14 mph, which were the quickest time and fastest speed of the weekend in that class. Grimsrud finished with 11.857 seconds and 114.97 mph. 

On Saturday, the Jags Midwest Diesel Challenge took over the drag strip. The high-pitched scream of the imports was replaced with the growl of smoke-belching diesel pick-up trucks, primarily Dodge Ram 2500s and 3500s.

The Sportsman Class featured 19 trucks that competed in the handicapped-style dial-in elimination rounds. Matthew Zych and his 2006 Dodge Ram faced off with Travis Whiteford and his '06 Chevy Silverado. Whiteford made it easy for Zych by fouling at the starting line. Zych completed the pass with a 15.467-second run at 66.44 mph.

The Super Street Class was heads-up racing. Josh Gruis was the No. 1 qualifier and posted the lowest time (11.600 seconds) and fastest speed (111.24 mph) of qualifying, but he lost in the semifinals of the elimination rounds by Drew Miller, who lined up against Robert Steinmetz in the finals. It took Miller 1.073 seconds to get his '06 Dodge one ton truck off the starting line but he caught Steinmetz's 2000 Chevy 2500 at the finish line, winning with a time of 12.707 seconds and a speed of 110.34 mph. Steinmetz's time was 13.029 seconds and 107.93 mph.   

MAP Quick 16 Class
Finals: Matthew Faul of Fargo def. Chris Carey of Cottage Grove
Semifinals: Faul def. Ricardo Torres of Inver Grove Heights; Carey had a bye

Primo Performance Outlaw Street Class
Finals: Armando Nanalig of Villa Park, Ill., def. Nate Complin of Plymouth
Semifinals: Nanalig def. Mike Blaged of Shoreview; Complin def. Jeremy Tulenchik of Pequot Lakes

Fuel Injector Clinic True Street Class
Finals: Al Nobello Jr of Woodbury def. Keng Lee of Maplewood
Semifinals: Nobello def. Brandon Halonen of Blaine; Lee def. Brandon Vanyo of Moorhead

UHaul Motor Street Class
Finals: Pat Lehmann of Plainview def. Cory Grimsrud of Apple Valley
Semifinals: Lehmann def. Peter Thepthongsene of Carver; Grimsrud def. Neng Yang of St. Paul Park

FiD Street Stock Class
Finals: Sam Williams of Saginaw def. Ryan Truehart of Cold Spring
Semifinals: Williams def. Charlie Zenzmeier of St. Cloud; Truehart def. Matt Ballard of N. St. Paul

Fidanza Bracket Class
Finals: Mathew Grunwald of New Brighton def. Jose A. Colon of Eagan
Semifinals: Grunwald had a bye; Colon def. Brandon Peterson of Champlin

Top End Performance Import Bike ET Class
Finals: Michael Pangerl of Princeton def. Sam McQuillan of Andover
Semifinals: Pangerl def. Noah Metzger of Jordan; McQuillan def. Nick Hughes of Crookston

HIGH SPEED AUTOCROSS WINNERS
Fidanza Enthusiasts Street Tire Class Winner: Justin Zicareli - 1:59.46
Fidanza Enthusiasts Race Tire Class Winner: Erik Anderson - 1:59.91
Fuel Injector Clinic Street Tire Class Winner: Dale Bonebrake - 1:58.70
Fuel Injector Clinic Race Tire Class Winner: Fuji Khong - 1:57.06

DRIFT COMPETITION WINNER
NOS Energy Drink Comp/Caged Class Winner: Adam Montante

CAR SHOW WINNERS
Best Japanese Winner: Andy Kusske
Best European Winner: Eric Anderson
Best Paint Winner: Todd Huidekoper
Best Interior Winner: Andy Kusske
Best Engine Bay Winner: Adreanalin Rush
Best Sound Winner: Arden Johnson
Most Unique Winner: Nhia Lee
Best of Show Winner: Anthony Swartz

JAGS MIDWEST DIESEL CHALLENGE RESULTS

Sportsman
Finals: Matthew Zych of Princeton def. Travis Whiteford of Andover
Semifinals: Zych had a bye; Whiteford def. Eric Pfeifer of Minnetonka

Super Street
Finals: Drew Miller of Duluth def. Robert Steinmetz of Woodbury
Semifinals: Miller def. Josh Guis of Zimmerman; Steinmetz def. Andy Thomas of Rockford

 

 

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