When the 24th annual Muscle Car Shootout kicked off last weekend at Brainerd International Raceway, one thing was certain: The father-son combo of Mike and Dean Bauerly would not repeat as champions of the Outlaw and Pro Outlaw classes.
The Bauerlys were no-shows for last weekend’s race, the third and final race of the Muscle Car Series. Mike Bauerly was comfortably in first place in the Outlaw Class, while Dean was three points behind leader Craig Braun, who dinged up his car a week earlier and showed up at BIR with his street car to earn as many points as he could.
That opened the door for several other drivers in the series’ fastest two classes.
In Pro Outlaw, Rick Schmidt hadn’t competed in either of the first two series races but made up for it Sunday. Driving his 1971 Mach 1 Mustang, Schmidt posted the class’ fastest time, 6.079 seconds, and the top speed: 212.26 mph.
Joseph Wilczek had the best chance of beating Schmidt when they met in the finals. Wilczek’s 2000 Mustang ran 6.821 seconds at 199.58 mph in the semifinals but he fouled at the starting line in the finals and handed Schmidt the win. Schmidt still ran 6.606 seconds and 212.26 mph in the final run.
In the Outlaw Class, Eric Wourms was in second place going into the weekend. Driving his 1971 Chevelle, Wourms won his way to the finals and faced Brian Carpenter, who is not in the points race. Carpenter was running consistent 7.5 seconds and 185 mph, which was enough to beat Wourms even though Wourms entered Sunday as the No. 1 qualifier with the fastest time (7.373 seconds) and the top speed (185.28 mph). Carpenter was about .05 seconds quicker off the starting line, the difference in the race. Carpenter ran 7.515 seconds and 182.97 mph to Wourms’ 7.560 seconds and 176.47 mph.
PRO OUTLAW
Finals: Rick Schmidt of Dickinson, N.D. def. Joseph Wilczek of Little Falls
Semifinals: Schmidt bye; Wilczek def. Ray Fuchs of Bowman, N.D.
OUTLAW
Finals: Brian Carpenter def. Eric Wourms of Grand Rapids
Semifinals: Carpenter def. Jake Delmonico of St. Paul Park; Wourms def. Vern Laurin Jr. of Duluth
KING STREET
Finals: Nick Strohbeen of Roseville def. Dale Peterson of Big Lake
Semifinals: Strohbeen def. Brian Mahnke of Proctor; Peterson bye
REAL STREET UNLIMITED
Finals: Jim Ripley of Duluth def. Tom Jones of Coon Rapids
Semifinals: Ripley def. Stephen Kukowski of Farmington; Jones bye
REAL STREET NATURAL
Finals: Matt Sathre of Brooklyn Park def. Todd Malik of Andover
Semifinals: Sathre def. Jason Nelson of Champlin; Malik def. Jerry Stellrecht of Goodhue
TRUE STREET
Finals: Josh Brunz of Kasota def. Nick Hively of Cologne
Semifinals: Brunz def. Dan Gefre of Coon Rapids; Hively def. Jason King of Duluth
STRIP ELIMINATOR 1
Finals: Jesse Hausesag of Prior Lake def. Kerry Hemenway of Park Rapids
Semifinals: Hausesag def. James Smith of Shoniah, Ontario; Hemenway bye
STRIP ELIMINATOR 2
Finals: Bob Hager of Red Wing def. Jeremy Brostrom of Brook Park
Semifinals: Hager def. Gary Olson of Sartell; Brostrom bye
STRIP ELIMINATOR 3
Finals: Cameron Novak of Rice def. Sue Twaddle of Virginia
Semifinals: Novak def. Tom Palo of Embarrass; Twaddle def. Travis Brekken of Crookston
TRUCK ELIMINATOR
Finals: Jerry Jablonski of Duluth def. Troy Anderson of Little Canada
Semifinals: Jablonski def. Greg Hartling of St. Paul; Anderson bye
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
Finals: Karen Lang of Springfield def. Keith Kuss of Zimmerman
Semifinals: Lang def. Joe Yechout of St. Louis Park; Kuss def. Ken Sanford of Thompson Falls, Mont.
INDEX CLASS CHAMPION
Finals: Gary Olson of Sartell def. Charlie Odden of Coon Rapids
Semifinals: Olson def. Eric Dethleff of St. Cloud; Odden bye
9.50 INDEX CLASS
Finals: Eric Dethleff of St. Cloud def. Rob Weyker of Coon Rapids
Semifinals: Dethleff def. Pat Huebner of Bloomington; Weyker def. Michael Anderson of St. Joseph
10.00 INDEX CLASS
Finals: Greg Maaninga of Menahga def. Chad Hoffmann of Lafayette
Semifinals: Maaninga def. Norm Gensmer of Zimmerman; Hoffmann def. Thomas Durand of Little Canada
10.50 INDEX CLASS
Finals: Mike Hammerstrom of Bemidji def. Todd Johnson of Cloquet
Semifinals: Hammerstrom def. Mike Yocum of Perham; Johnson bye
11.00 INDEX CLASS
Finals: Charlie Odden of Coon Rapids def. Roger Peterson of Park Rapids
Semifinals: Odden def. Ryan Nohner of Watkins; Peterson def. Jesse Hausesag of Prior Lake
11.50 INDEX CLASS
Finals: Keith Larson of Brainerd def. Ryan Stellmach of Foley
Semifinals: Larson def. Bill Rolow of Crosslake; Stellmach def. Shawn Baird of Champlin
12.00 INDEX CLASS
Finals: Gary Olson of Sartell def. Rob Clay of Princeton
Semifinals: Olson bye; Clay def. Karl Echardt of Pequot Lakes
12.50 INDEX CLASS
Finals: Greg Christenson of Willmar def. Reid Watson of Laporte
Semifinals: Christenson def. Brian Nelson of Red Wing; Watson def. Trevor Lang of Pequot Lakes
13.00 INDEX CLASS
Finals: Dean Markuson of Pequot Lakes def. Pete Brandel of New Ulm
Semifinals: Markuson bye; Brandel def. Jerry Nikstad of Foxhero, Wis.
13.50 INDEX CLASS
Finals: Jason Neshiem of Mazeppa def. Gary Nelson of North Branch
Semifinals: Neshiem def. Ethan Manter of Fosston; Nelson def. Girlie Lincoln of Maple Grove
14.00 INDEX CLASS
Finals: Chris Henry of Sauk Rapids def. Tom Klein of Stillwater
Semifinals: Henry def. Gary Tesar of Medina; Klein def. Ben Brooks of New Richmond
Classic Car Show winners
American Motors Early Model: Gabriel Dorge of Grande Pointe, Manitoba
American Motors Late Model: Rod Delaroque of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Buick Early Model: Abe Schoberg of Richfield
Buick Late Model: Randy Johnson of Duluth
Chev Early Model: Lew Benzkofer of Sauk Rapids
Chev Late Model: Dennis Lang of Madison Lake
Dodge Late Model: Bob Hanson of Garrison
Ford/Mercury Early Model: Travis Brekken of Crookston
Ford/Mercury Late Model: Ken Long of Balsam Lake, Wis.
Plymouth Early Model: Bill Pudney of Minneapolis
Plymouth Late Model: Chad Bednar of Knapp, Wis.
Truck/Van Late Model: Troy Anderson of St. Paul
Classic: Tim Johnson of Brainerd
Street Rod: Matt Peterson of Bloomington
Coupe: Duane Stevenson of Milaca
Sedan: Tyler Johnson of Duluth
Special Interest: Paul Kiel of Brainerd
Paint Job: Merv Johnson of Big Fork
Interior: Jim Hannan of Proctor
Street/Pro Street: Paul Kiel of Brainerd
