Street Car Showdown kicks off Outlaw series;
Road Racing features NASA Midwest Regional

Brainerd International Raceway's Outlaw Street Car Series kicks off May 21-23 with the 2nd Annual Street Car Showdown, which was called the Index Class Eliminator last year. The event has a different name but promises to offer the same great drag racing. And for those fans who might want to check out some competitive road racing, they can stop by BIR's Competitive Road Course, which will be hosting the NASA Midwest Regional Road Race. It's a dual event weekend, where one ticket gets you in to see two great forms of racing.

The Street Car Showdown also is the first leg of the three-race Outlaw Street Car Series, which also made its debut last season. Outlaw drag racing has been a perennial favorite for BIR's race fans for many years during the annual Show & Go and Coca-Cola Muscle Car Shootout. But a third race was added to the schedule and the series was born.

There will be a few changes to the Street Car Showdown this year, making it more consistent with the Show & Go and Coca-Cola Muscle Car Shootout. Last year's event only featured the "fast five" classes - Pro Outlaw, Outlaw, King Street, Real Street Unlimited and Real Street Natural - plus eight index classes, from 10.50-14.00. This year, the event will include the same classes featured during the other two events, including Truck Eliminator and Strip Eliminator 1, 2 and 3.

This year's event will again include an Index Class Champion, which is the top driver among the winners of the eight index classes. Those eight winners are paired up for a three-round run-off, with the last racer standing being crowned Index Class Champion. Last year, that was Brainerd's David Imgrund, who was driving his '67 Chevelle in the 11.50 Index Class. He walked away with $750 cash and a new toolbox full of Snap-On Tools.

In the index classes, racers must get as close to their index time as possible without going faster. So racers in the 11.00 Index try to finish with a time of 11.00 seconds, but not faster.

But the main draw will again be the "fast five" classes. Last year, Brent Rau was the No. 1 qualifier in the Pro Outlaw Class with a sizzling 6.831-second run. He finished by sneaking past Matt Braun in the finals with a 6.966-second run and 190.97 mph.

Mike Bauerly, in his '05 Corvette, was the No. 1 qualifier in the Outlaw Class, following up with a finals win over Brad Ziemkowski with a 7.349-second run and 186.67 mph.

In the King Street Class, Mike Sterling followed suit by earning the No. 1 qualifier position and then driving to a finals win in his ’66 Chevelle. Dan Picht fouled at the starting line in the finals.

The Real Street Unlimited Class featured a slug fest in the finals between Wayne Fritchie and Aaron VanHeel. Fritchie caught VanHeel at the finish line, posting a time of 8.826 seconds and 163.91 mph.

David Senderhaug was the No. 1 qualifier in the Real Street Natural Class but he couldn't hold off Bill Meyer in the finals, which featured a pair of Mustangs. Meyer finished with a 9.633-second time and 142.12 mph.

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Below are the final standings in each class:

INDEX CLASS CHAMPION
Finals: David Imgrund of Brainerd def. Aaron Warner of Champlin
Semifinals: Imgrund def. Kerry Hemenway of Park Rapids; Warner def. Roger Peterson of Park Rapids

PRO OUTLAW
Finals: Brent Rau of St. Francis def. Matt Braun of Dennison
Semifinals: Rau def. Luke Volk of Andover; Braun had a bye

OUTLAW
Finals: Mike Bauerly of Rice def. Brad Ziemkowski of Bloomington
Semifinals: Bauerly def. Jason Rolow of Anoka; Ziemkowski had a bye

KING STREET
Finals: Mike Sterling of Oak Grove def. Dan Picht of Stillwater
Semifinals: Sterling had a bye; Picht def. Paul Rockstad of Cloquet

REAL STREET UNLIMITED
Finals: Wayne Fritchie of St. Anthony def. Aaron VanHeel of Otsego
Semifinals: Fritchie def. Jim Ripley of Duluth; VanHeel had a bye

REAL STREET NATURAL
Finals: Bill Meyer of Andover def. David Senderhauf of Zimmerman
Semifinals: Meyer had a bye; Senderhauf def. Dave Helser of Big Lake

10.50 INDEX
Finals: Bryan Hansen of Minneapolis def. Jake Waste of Ramsey
Semifinals: Hansen def. Keith Sterling of Fort Myers, Fla.; Waste had a bye

11.00 INDEX
Finals: Kerry Hemenway of Park Rapids def. Steve Roehrs of Grantsburg, Wis.
Semifinals: Hemenway def. Jason Rolow of Anoka; Roehrs def. Valery Lisell of St. Francis

11.50 INDEX
Finals: David Imgrund of Brainerd def. Nate Hubert of Ramsey
Semifinals: Imgrund had a bye; Hubert def. Justin Iverson of Saginaw

12.00 INDEX
Finals: Aaron Warner of Champlin def. Travis Iverson of Campbell
Semifinals: Warner def. Rich Magnuson of Ramsey; Iverson def. Cindy Lyman of Grand Rapids

12.50 INDEX
Finals: Roger Peterson of Park Rapids def. Bradley Munter of Fosston
Semifinals: None

13.00 INDEX
Finals: Troy Cowry of Princeton def. Jamie Stover of Elk River
Semifinals: None

13.50 INDEX
Finals: Jason Anderson of Zimmerman def. Mike Koslucher of Hibbing
Semifinals: Anderson def. Brian Mahnke of Minnesota

14.00 INDEX
Finals: KC Brager of Pillager def. Shannon Odegaard of Eden Prairie
Semifinals: Brager had a bye; Odegaard def. John Joseph of Corcoran