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

(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.   

For more results, click here.