Mahnke breaks 8-second mark, Volk wins Pro Outlaw Class Brian Mahnke became the second driver in Show & Go history to break the 8-second mark in the King Street Class last weekend, when he laid down a 7.991-second qualifying pass that made him the No. 1 qualifier going into Sunday's elimination rounds.
Mahnke, driving a '72 Camaro, earned his way to the finals for a repeat of last year's King Street finals, where he was pair up with Michael Sterling and his 1966 Chevelle. Mahnke and Sterling have raced against each other in the King Street finals in the last four Outlaw series races, with Mahnke holding a 2-1 edge over Sterling coming into this weekend. But Sterling couldn't hold off Mahnke, and basically handed him the championship when he fouled at the starting line with car problems. Mahnke's final pass of the day was 8.094 seconds and 174.96 mph. Mahnke's performance typified the weekend's drag racing program during the 24th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Show & Go. It drag racing portion of the event was the second leg of the three-race Outlaw Street Car Series, which features the "fast five" classes: Pro Outlaw, Outlaw, King Street, Real Street Unlimited and Real Street Natural. The Show & Go is a perennial favorite among race fans, because it features insane drag racing, a classic car show, fireworks and live music. But this year's event offered even more. BIR added the Sports Car Club of America's Jack Pine Sprints on the 2.5-mile Competition Road Course. More than 100 of the country's top amateur road racers competed in wheel-to-wheel road racing throughout the weekend, providing fans with even more exciting motorsports action.
Back on the drag strip, Luke Volk broke 200 mph during the Street Car Showdown earlier this season (the first race of the Outlaw Series) in his 1967 Nova. He had the top speed of the weekend with a 197.59 mph qualifying pass in the Pro Outlaw Class and then knocked off Rob Meservier and his '68 Chevelle in the finals. Meservier was quicker off the starting line with a .056-second reaction time to Volk's .099, but Volk caught him at the finish line, with a time of 7.088 seconds and 194.83 mph. Meservier finished with 7.140 seconds and 197.08 mph. The Outlaw Class final was shaping up to be a repeat of the Street Car Showdown finals, with No. 1 qualifier Mike Bauerly and Eric Wourms slugging it out. Bauerly snuck by Wourms in the Showdown finals and entered today's finals with the top speed of the weekend (188.99 mph) and the low time of the weekend (7.245 seconds). But Bauerly and his 2005 Corvette made it easy for Wourms and his '71 Chevelle by fouling at the starting line in the finals.
In the Real Street Unlimited Class, Aaron Van Heel and his '91 Mustang Turbo earned No. 1 qualifier position, with the weekend's top speed (163.39 mph) and the low time (8.673 seconds), but he never made it past the second round of qualifying, which opened the door for Dave Hodgman, driving a '68 Chevelle, and Jesse Nelson, driving a '70 Chevelle, who faced off in the finals. Nelson, who won the Real Street Unlimited class during last year's Show & Go, was looking to repeat, but Hodgman was quicker off the starting line and never looked back, winning with a time of 9.194 seconds and 150.35 mph to Nelson's 9.999 seconds and 135.32 mph. Charlie Todd was crowned Index Class Champion Sunday. The winners of the eight Index Classes race against each other for the title of "best of the best." Todd won the 11.50 Index Class and then earned a shot at Bryan Hansen in the finals. Hansen had knocked out David Imgrund, who won the Index Class Championship in three of the last four Outlaw series races and was runner up. Below are the final standings in each class:
PRO OUTLAW Finals: Luke Volk of Champlin def. Rob Meservier of Thunder Bay, Ontario Semifinals: Volk had a bye; Messervier def. Joseph Wilczek of Little Falls OUTLAW Finals: Eric Wourms of Cohasset def. Mike Bauerly of Rice Semifinals: Wourms def. Gary Caspers of Crystal; Bauerly had a bye
KING STREET Finals: Brian Mahnke of Saginaw def, Mike Sterling of Oak Grove Semifinals: Mahnke def. Evan Boettcher of Andover; Sterling def. Rob Seaton of Inver Grove Heights REAL STREET UNLIMITED Finals: Dave Hodgman of Ramsey def. Jesse Nelson of Mount Iron Semifinals: Hodgman def. Nick Strohbeen of Little Canada; Nelson def. Ian McNiver of W. St. Paul
REAL STREET NATURAL Finals: Todd Malik of Andover def. Travis Knowlton of Bethel Semifinals: Malik def. Jeff Johnson of Cloquet; Knowlton had a bye STRIP ELIMINATOR 1 Finals: Mary Olson of Cokato def. Keith Sand of Cambridge Semifinals: Olson def. Charlie Odden of Coon Rapids; Sand def. James McComas of St. Louis Park STRIP ELIMINATOR 2 Finals: Matthew Waich of Brooklyn Park def. Jim Tursso of Inver Grove Heights Semifinals: Waich def. Randy Burggraff of Brooklyn Park; Tursso def. Terry Dircks of Carver STRIP ELIMINATOR 3 Finals: Jim Lane of Brainerd def. Chad Conner of Isle Semifinals: Lane def. Gordon Hanson of Iron; Conner had a bye TRUCK ELIMINATOR Finals: Tim Krueger of Watkins def. Brian Eiden of Bovey Semifinals: Krueger had a bye; Eiden def. Bruce Eiden Sr. of Grand Rapids 10.50 INDEX Finals: Darwyn Hansen of Brooklyn Park def. Jerry Weston of Elk River Semifinals: Hansen had a bye; Weston def. Dan Marouschek of Woodbury 11.00 INDEX Finals: Bryan Hansen of Minneapolis def. John Hockett of Sebeka Semifinals: Hansen def. Christine Abramson of Champlin; Hockett def. Paul Fredrichs of Green Isle 11.50 INDEX Finals: Charlie Todd of Cottage Grove def. Joe Marudas of Milaca Semifinals: Todd def. Dan Davis of Burnsville; Marudas had a bye
12.00 INDEX Finals: Dave Imgrund of Brainerd def. Roger Peterson of Park Rapids Semifinals: Imgrund def. Joe Stack of Oakdale; Peterson def. Greg Dancer of Foley 12.50 INDEX Finals: Daniel Richter of Eden Valley def. Dan Bergstrom of Ramsey Semifinals: Richter def. Ken Moore of Rogers; Bergstrom def. Jason Anderson of Zimmerman 13.00 INDEX Finals: Keith Larson of Brainerd def. D.J. Spiczka of Rice Semifinals: Larson def. Jesse Backstrom of Grand Marais; Spiczka had a bye 13.50 INDEX Finals: Troy Lowry of Princeton def. Nathan Markow of Ham Lake Semifinals: Lowry def. Jenna Bergstrom of Duluth; Markow had a bye 14.00 INDEX Finals: Lonnie Ellenson of Park Rapids def. Sam Weyker of Coon Rapids Semifinals: Ellenson def. Dan Nacusiewicz of Newport; Weyker had a bye
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