Hjelle crowned King of the Track at BIR
Travis Hjelle has been making the four-hour trek from Strandquist to Brainerd International Raceway for two years to race his 1964 Chevy Nova in the Bracket Drag Racing Series.
Until Saturday, he hadn't earned a trip to the winner's circle, although he was a runner-up earlier this season.
Hjelle's winless streak came to a screeching halt Saturday. He didn't win his class but he beat the top racers in the other nine classes to earn the title of King of the Track. For his efforts, he took home a Wally trophy and a $200 gift certificate from King of the Track sponsor Aerospace Components.
"I just got on a roll," Hjelle said. "My lights were good and the car was deadly, which is really what you need. It wasn't easy by any means, though."
As King of the Track, Travis Hjelle took home a Wally trophy and a $200 gift certificate from King of the Track sponsor Aerospace Components.
The annual King of the Track competition is a race within a race. After Saturday's qualifying session, the two drivers in each class with the most series points race against each other to represent that class. Then those 10 racers were put into a bracket format, with the winner crowned King of the Track.
Hjelle was among 320 racers who competed last weekend in the fifth race of the seven-race Bracket Drag Racing Series at BIR. Racers compete for series points with a track championship at the end of the season as the ultimate prize.
During Sunday's elimination rounds, Hjelle wasn't as fortunate. He lost in the first round of the Super Pro class and was eliminated in the second round of the Pro class.
In other classes, KC Brager of Pillager fouled at the starting line in the final elimination round of the Street Trophy class. His foul gave John Beckenbach of Maple Lake the win.
In the finals of the Junior Dragster Advanced class, Lindsey Ivers of Wadena beat Max Gust of Isanti.
The sixth race of the seven-race Bracket Drag Racing Series will be Sept. 12-13, with qualifying on Saturday followed by eliminations on Sunday. An open Test & Tune will be Friday of that week.
Final standings in each class
SUPER PRO
Finals: Chris Bishop, Grand Rapids, def. Joe Schmall, Lino Lakes
Semifinals: Bishop bye; Schmall def. Mron Streit, St. Cloud
PRO
Finals: Steve Roehrs, Grantsburg, Wis., def. Scott Kelley, Ramsey
Semifinals: Roehrs def. Dave Hamilton, Hanover; Kelley bye
SPORTSMAN
Finals: Brad Mickle, Lino Lakes, def. K.C. Slyford, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Semifinals: Mickle bye; Slyford def. Randy Merrill, Zimmerman
BIKE 1
Finals: Toby Giese, Kandiyohi, def. Mark Gode, Bloomington
Semifinals: Giese def. Danielle Schrupp, Mound; Gode def. Ken Niesen, Brooklyn Park
BIKE 2
Finals: Zack Schrupp, Mound, def. Glenn Van Zee, St. Cloud
Semifinals: Schrupp def. Ron Matich, Baxter; Van Zee def. Mike Voss
SUPER GROUP
Finals: Mike Campbell, Brooklyn Park, def. Amy Jo Luberda, Sauk Rapids
Semifinals: Campbell def. Trevor Larson, Starbuck; Luberda bye
STOCK/SUPER STOCK
Finals: Ben Line, Cromwell, def. Paul Schadt, Lindstrom
Semifinals: Line def. Terry Johnson; Schadt bye
COMP TROPHY
Finals: Dave Johnson, Princeton, def. DeeAnna Patnaude, Sawyer
Semifinals: Johnson def. Brian Leonard, River Falls, Wis.; Patnaude def. Chevvy Borglund, Cromwell
STREET TROPHY
Finals: John Beckenbach, Maple Lake, def. KC Brager, Pillager
Semifinals: Beckenbach bye; Brager def. Angie Anderson, Sartell
STREET BIKE TROPHY
Finals: Mike Voss, Maplewood, bye
JUNIOR DRAGSTER NOVICE
Finals: Sydney Thompson, Nowthen, def. Sydney Haben, Hibbing
Semifinals: Thompson bye; Haben def. Sarah Johnson, Nowthen
JUNIOR DRAGSTER INTERMEDIATE
Finals: Madeline Tharp, Corcoran, def. Abby Haben, Hibbing
Semifinals: Tharp def. Nick Gust, Isanti; Haben def. Jordan Pratt, Otsego
JUNIOR DRAGSTER ADVANCED
Finals: Lindsey Ivers, Wadena, def. Max Gust, Isanti
Semifinals: Ivers bye; Gust def. Kyle Lundberg, Isanti