Records fall, Imgrund repeats as Index Class Champion during 23rd Annual Show & Go at Brainerd Int’l Raceway

When the Show & Go concluded Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, fans had been treated to one of the most exciting races in the event’s 23-year history, where Brainerd’s Dave Imgrund repeated as Index Class Champion and class records fell in the King Street and Pro Outlaw classes.

In Pro Outlaw, Jason Stock of Lino Lakes set a speed record in the finals against Brent Rau of St. Francis by clocking a 230.45 mph pass, which put him in the record books and earned him first place honors in that class.

Steve Clark of Columbia Heights will join Stock as a new addition to the record books after breaking the 8-second mark in the King Street class with a qualifying time of 7.920 seconds in his street-legal ’68 Chevelle.

For Imgrund, the weekend was pretty special, as he now has a chance to sweep BIR’s three Index Class Champion titles this season. HeI earned the title last weekend and again in May during the Index Class Eliminator. The final Championship will be Labor Day weekend during the Coca-Cola Muscle Car Shootout.

"It was great,” Imgrund said. “I was just hoping to win my class, and when I did, I was surprised. The racing was really competitive this weekend. The guys were a lot tougher.”

The Index Class Champion goes to the racer who first wins his or her Index Class. And then the eight Index Class winners compete against each other for the title of “best of the best.” Imgrund won the 11.50 Index class Sunday and then knocked off Tim Carle of Elk River and Greg Bednar of Mankato before facing off against the 11.00 Index class winner Chris Pirkola of Duluth in the finals. Like he had done all weekend, Imgrund was first off the starting line and held on for the win.

Imgrund was among 399 cars that competed this weekend in the Show & Go, which featured the second leg of the three-race Outlaw Drag Racing Series. Racers competing in the “fast five” Outlaw classes (Pro Outlaw, Outlaw, King Street, Real Street Natural and Real Street Unlimited) earn series points toward a track champion when the series culminates during the Muscle Car Shootout.

Rau was leading the Pro Outlaw class in points going into the weekend but ran up against Stock in the finals. Stock was the No. 1 qualifier and had the lowest qualifying time of 6.440 seconds and the top speed of any car at BIR this weekend, at 230.45 mph. Driving a ’99 Mitsubishi, Rau ran a strong race but was no match for Stock and his ’63 Corvette.

After the Outlaw qualifying session, Mike Bauerly of Rice was the No. 1 qualifier with the fastest time (7.264 seconds) and the top speed (189.82 mph). But in the first round of eliminations, Bauerly and his opponent fouled at the starting line and were disqualified, opening the door for Eric Wourms of Grand Rapids and his ’71 Chevelle to battle through the elimination rounds and beat Brian Barthel of Big Lake in the finals.

After his record-setting qualifying run in King Street, Clark advanced to the semifinals, where he lost to Mike Sterling of Oak Grove. Sterling beat Brian Mahnke of Saginaw in the finals. It was a repeat win for Sterling, who won the class in May during the Index Class Eliminator.

In last year’s Show & Go, Matt Sathre of Brooklyn Park won the Real Street Natural class and proved this weekend that it was no fluke. Driving a ’70 Chevelle, Sathre beat Jeff Johnson of Cloquet in his ’71 Camaro in the finals for another championship.

The Real Street Unlimited title went to Jesse Nelson of Mountain Iron in his ’70 Chevelle. He defeated Aaron Van Heel of Otesgo, who entered the elimination rounds as the No. 1 qualifier and had the fastest time (8.516 seconds).

Now in its 41st season, Brainerd International Raceway is one of North America’s largest race tracks, featuring a world-class quarter-mile drag strip, the 3.1-mile, 10-turn Donnybrooke Road Course, the new 2.5-mile, 13-turn Competition Road Course, 300 acres for rustic camping, 164 full-service RV sites and 12 on-site condos. BIR is about 120 miles north of the Twin Cities. Check out our new Web site for more information, www.BrainerdRaceway.com, or call the BIR Ticket Office at 218-824-RACE (7223).

Below are the final standings in each class:

PRO OUTLAW
Finals: Jason Stock of Lino Lakes def. Brent Rau of St. Francis
Semifinals: Stock def. Dean Bauerly of Otsego; Rau def. Rob Messervier of Thunder Bay, Ontario

OUTLAW
Finals: Eric Wourms of Grand Rapids def. Brian Barthel of Big Lake
Semifinals: Wourms def. Hank Muratagic of Thunder Bay; Barthel had a bye

KING STREET
Finals: Mike Sterling of Oak Grove def. Brian Mahnke of Saginaw
Semifinals: Sterling def. Steve Clark of Columbia Heights; Mahnke def. Dave Neumann of Osakis

REAL STREET NATURAL
Finals: Matt Sathre of Brooklyn Park def. Jeff Johnson of Cloquet
Semifinals: Sathre def. Chuck Lofgren of Cedar; Johnson def. David Senderhauf of Zimmerman

REAL STREET UNLIMITED
Finals: Jesse Nelson of Mountain Iron def. Aaron Van Heel of Otsego
Semifinals: Nelson def. Brian Oberg of Spring Lake Park; Van Heel def. Josh Brunz of Kasota

STRIP ELIMINATOR 1
Finals: William Novak of Foley def. Mike Wakefield of Grand Rapids
Semifinals: Novak def. Kathy Johnson of Maple Grove; Wakefield had a bye

STRIP ELIMINATOR 2
Finals: John Sommers of Aitkin def. Wayne O’Connor of Maplewood
Semifinals: Sommers def. Charles Siegle of Carver; O’Connor def. Jeff Lodermeier of Holdingford

STRIP ELIMINATOR 3
Finals: Robert Eiden of Coleraine def. Matt Lovitz of St. Cloud
Semifinals: Eiden had a bye; Lovitz def. Thomas Madsen of Lino Lakes

TRUCK ELIMINATOR
Finals: Peter Trombley of Montrose def. Robert Eiden of Coleraine
Semifinals: Trombley def. Scott McGee of Big Lake; Eiden def. Tim Krueger of Watkins

10.50 INDEX
Finals: Greg Bednar of Mankato def. Dirk Lueders of Ramsey
Semifinals: Bednar def. Daniel Maroushek of Woodbury; Lueders def. Mike Hammerstrom of Bemidji

11.00 INDEX
Finals: Chris Pirkola of Duluth def. Brad Olson of Wyoming
Semifinals: Pirkola def. Roger Welter of East Bethel; Olson def. Scott Verge of Thunder Bay

11.50 INDEX
Finals: David Imgrund of Brainerd def. Doug Belanaer of Thunder Bay
Semifinals: Imgrund def. Tony Hager of Red Wing; Belanaer def. Darrall Godbout of Carlton

12.00 INDEX
Finals: Travis Iverson of Campbell def. Rand Hummel of Jackson
Semifinals: Iverson had a bye; Hummel def. Bob Hager of Red Wing

12.50 INDEX
Finals: Brad Baklund of Blaine def. Rob Johnson of New Prague

13.00 INDEX
Finals: Troy Conry of Princeton def. Shawn Halverson of Orr
Semifinals: Conry def. Rick Gulbranson of Hermantown; Halverson had a bye

13.50 INDEX
Finals: Tim Carle of Elk River def. Jesse Backstrom of Grand Marais
Semifinals: Carle def. Mike Larson of Brainerd; Backstrom had a bye

14.00 INDEX
Finals: Lee Kaczmarczyk of Kansas City def. Tanner Hummel of Jackson
Semifinals: Kaczmarczyk def. Brianna Braun of Coon Rapids; Hummel had a bye

POWDER PUFF
Finals: Karen Moore def. Valerie Haugesag
Semifinals: Moore def. Girlie Lincoln; Haugesag def. Andi Pesola