Bauerlys sweep Outlaw series titles; Muscle Car Series champs named

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BRAINERD, Minn. – For the second time this season, Mike and Dean Bauerly had a family reunion of sorts in BIR's Winner's Circle, only this time it was to celebrate series championships.

Mike and his son, Dean, were crowned Muscle Car Series champions in the Outlaw and Pro Outlaw classes, respectively, when they won their classes Labor Day Weekend during the 23rd Annual Muscle Car Shootout, giving them enough points in the three-race series to take home the titles.

In a sense, their Muscle Car Shootout wins were deja vu for the father-son combo. They also won their classes at the NAPA Auto Parts Show & Go, the second race in the series.

"It was a tremendously good year," Dean said. "We had a new car in the mix, plus we came off a crash (last year) and then we won the championship. We did it with a great car and great teamwork."

Dean drove a new 2011 Pontiac GXP this year after crashing his 2002 Cavalier last year going 191 mph. He admitted that it took some time for his team to get the new car dialed in. In fact, he was sitting in sixth place in the points standings after the Street Car Showdown, the first race in the series. Unfortunately, for the rest of the Pro Outlaw field, Dean started getting comfortable behind the wheel of the 1,530-horsepower car and the team got it configured for maximum performance. The result was two trips to the Winner's Circle and a series title.

"We were on Cloud Nine," Dean said of him and his dad winning the championships. "It was the best father-son bonding moment, when we were in the Winner's Circle."

Mike agreed. Driving a 2005 Corvette, Mike had three goals this season: break 200 mph and 7 seconds, and compete at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. He accomplished all three and was rewarded with two series wins and the series championship. He won the series championship in 2009 as well.

Like Dean, Mike got off to a slow start during the Street Car Showdown, which left him in fifth place going into the Show & Go. His problem involved fuel pressure, which he figured out, corrected and then was unstoppable.

In the King Street Class, Brian Mahnke proved to be unbeatable this year as he swept all three series races on his way to repeating as King Street Champ. But his championship was far from uncontested. Second-place finisher Mike Sterling took Mahnke to the finals of the Muscle Car Shootout and the Show & Go, but couldn't find a knock-out punch for Mahnke and his 1972 Camaro, who won five of the last six series races over the last two seasons.

There was no repeat winner in the Real Street Unlimited Class. Nick Strohbeen lost in the first round of eliminations during the Muscle Car Shootout but earned enough points to claim the series title. Driving a 1972 Chevelle, Strohbeen won the Street Car Showdown and was runner up during the Show & Go. Jim Fendt, racing in his first series event this year, won the the Real Street Unlimited Class during the Muscle Car Shootout. His semifinal solo pass was clocked at 6.657 seconds, which was the fastest pass of the series in any class. Fendt's 1982 Camaro is street legal, making the run even more impressive.

Last year, Todd Malik was edged out of the series championship in the Real Street Natural Class by Travis Knowlton, but he returned this season determined to drive his 1968 Camaro to a series title. And he did. He won the first two events and lost in the finals of the Muscle Car Shootout to Matt Sathre.

The True Street Class was one of the additions to the series this year. Nick Hively lost in the semifinals of the Muscle Car Shootout but still had enough points to edge out Jason King for the inaugural series title in that class. Hively was runner up in the Street Car Showdown and won the Show & Go. Jamie Stover, driving a 1997 Cobra, won the Muscle Car Shootout by beating Dan Gefre.

Another first for the Muscle Car Series was the addition of a points competition for the winners of the 10 Index Classes (9.50 seconds, 10.00, 10.50, 11.00...14.00). At each series race, the 10 winners were paired up and had an elimination to determine the Index Class Champion. The drivers accumulated points based on how they finished during those eliminations rounds. Gary Olson, who was the Index Class Champion for the Show & Go, was crowned series champion after squeeking by Keith Sand in the points standings. Sand was crowned Index Class Champion during the Muscle Car Shootout.

BIR also added the Truck Eliminator and Strip Eliminator 1, 2 and 3 classes to the Muscle Car Series and named champions in each of those classes.

In Strip Eliminator 1, which featured 59 racers, Mike Wiegel won the class during the Muscle Car Shootout and took home the series title, despite not earning any points in either of the first two series events.

Competition was even more fierce in Strip Eliminator 2, where 135 drivers battled for the series championship. Luke Arendts, who won the Show & Go but lost in the third round of the Muscle Car Shootout won the title by two points over Tim Meirick, who won the class during the Muscle Car Shootout.

Gordy Hanson was runner up in the Show & Go and Muscle Car Shootout, but that was enough to win the series championship in the Strip Elimination 3 Class. He lost to Kirk Leith in the Muscle Car Shootout finals.

In Truck Eliminator, Troy Novak took home the series championship after a runner-up finish at the Show & Go and a third-round finish during the Muscle Car Shootout. Jerry Jablonski won the class during the Muscle Car Shootout, beating Bob Hagfer in the finals.

Below are the Muscle Car Series champions in each class, as well as the drivers in the finals and semifinals of the Muscle Car Shootout:

PRO OUTLAW

Champion: Dean Bauerly of Otsego

Finals: Dean Bauerly of Otsego def. Craig Braun of Hampton

Semifinals: Bauerly def. Dick Malik of Blaine; Braun def. Luke Volk of Champlin

OUTLAW

Champion: Mike Bauerly of Rice

Finals: Mike Bauerly of Rice def. Eric Wourms of Grand Rapids

Semifinals: Bauerly def. Paul Gibbs of Eagan; Wourms def. Sheldon Root of Winnipeg, Manitoba

KING STREET

Champion: Brian Mahnke of Saginaw

Finals: Brian Mahnke of Saginaw def. Mike Sterling of Oak Grove

Semifinals: Mahnke had a bye; Sterling def. Darren Wampler of Duluth

REAL STREET UNLIMITED

Champion: Nick Strohbeen of Little Canada

Finals: Jim Frendt of Wichita, Kan. def. John Kaczmarczyk of Wayzata

Semifinals: Frendt had a bye; Kaczmarczyk def. Jesse Nelson of Mountain Iron

REAL STREET NATURAL

Champion: Todd Malik of Andover

Finals: Matt Sathre of Brooklyn Park def. Todd Malik of Andover

Semifinals: Sathre had a bye; Malik def. Scott Seaton of Eagan

TRUE STREET

Champion: Nick Hively of Cologne

Finals: Jamie Stover of Elk River def. Dan Gefre of Anoka

Semifinals: Stover had a bye; Gefre def. Nick Hively of Cologne

STRIP ELIMINATOR 1

Champion: Mike Wiegel of Coon Rapids

Finals: Mike Wiegel of Coon Rapids def. Mark Angier of Waconia

Semifinals: Wiegel def. Nic Gaines of Hayward; Angier def. Charlie Odden of Andover

STRIP ELIMINATOR 2

Champion: Luke Arendts of Dalbo

Finals: Tim Meirick of Kasson def. Kent Schneider of Plato

Semifinals: Meirick def. Jeff Gobernatz of New London; Schneider had a bye

STRIP ELIMINATOR 3

Champion: Gordy Hanson of Iron

Finals: Kirk Leith of Prior Lake def. Gordy Hanson of Iron

Semifinals: Leith def. Justin Nelson of Young America; Hanson def. Matt Gerwing of New Brighton

TRUCK ELIMINATOR

Champion: Troy Novak of Rice

Finals: Jerry Jablonski of Duluth def. Bob Hagfer of Red Wing

Semifinals: Jablonski def. Joshua Nelson of Panama City, Fla.; Hagfer def. Kirk Leith of Prior Lake

INDEX CLASS CHAMPION

Champion: Gary Olson of Sartell

Finals: Kevin Sand of Cambridge def. Nate Hubert of Ramsey

Semifinals: Sand had a bye; Hubert def. David Imgrund of Brainerd

9.50 INDEX CLASS

Finals: Eric Defhlefs of St. Cloud def. Tim Lindeman of Victoria

Semifinals: Defhlefs def. Tom Durand of Little Canada; Lindeman had a bye

10.00 INDEX CLASS

Finals: Kevin Sand of Cambridge def. Derek Hurd of Farmington

Semifinals: Sand def. Jake Stoecke of Bloomington; Hurd had a bye

10.50 INDEX CLASS

Finals: Mike Hammerstrom of Bemidji def. Rick Polo of Esko

Semifinals: Hammerstrom had a bye; Polo def. Brett Caswell of Mora

11.00 INDEX CLASS

Finals: David Imgrund of Brainerd def. Bob Peterson of Janesville

Semifinals: Imgrund def. Bob Peterson of Roseville; Peterson had a bye

11.50 INDEX CLASS

Finals: Nate Hubert of Ramsey def. Donnell Godbout of Carlton

Semifinals: Hubert def. Joe Marudas of Milaca; Godbout had a bye

12.00 INDEX CLASS

Finals: Gary Olson of Sartell def. Trevor Lang of Pequot Lakes

Semifinals: Olson had a bye

12.50 INDEX CLASS

Finals: Kevin Hemenway of Park Rapids def. Rick Gulbranson of Hermantown

Semifinals: Hemenway def. Joe Talbot of Anoka; Gulbranson had a bye

13.00 INDEX CLASS

Finals: Jesse backstrom of Grand Marais def. Keith Allen Larson of Brainerd

Semifinals: Backstrom def. Stuart Pearthree of Cambridge; Larson def. Greg Christenson of Willmar

13.50 INDEX CLASS

Finals: Troy Lowry of Princeton def. Brad Nybo of Coon Rapids

Semifinals: Lowry had a bye

14.00 INDEX CLASS

Finals: Kerry Hemenway of Park Rapids def. Shane Halvorson

Semifinals: Hemenway had a bye; Halvorson def. Brandon Hemenway of Park Rapids

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