Gary Loeffelholz didn't waste any time making his presence known last weekend during Brainerd International Raceway's Bracket Drag Racing Series.
Loeffelholz is the defending champion in the Super Pro Class and joined 400 other drivers for the series' second race of the season. By Sunday night, he had a runner-up finish and pocketed $1,200 for winning the new Quick 16 Shoot.
Loeffelholz had his 2004 Mustang dialed in, posting times of 7.3 seconds and speeds of 180 mph, which made him one of the fastest cars at the track.
"I was extremely happy (with the car)," he said in a news release. "It was deadly."
Saturday, Loeffelholz won his way to the fifth round of eliminations where he lost to Tom Carlson, who went on beat Ronnie Luberda in the Super Pro finals. Loeffelholz chalked up his loss to a driving error at the starting line.
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There were no mistakes Saturday during the Quick 16 Shoot. The Quick 16 features the eight fastest door cars against the eight fastest dragsters. Loeffelholz won the first three rounds and then lined up across from Jordan Pratt and his Spitzer dragster in the finals. Loeffelholz was 7/1,000ths of a second quicker off the starting line and held off Pratt to win by 5/1,000ths of a second. His winning time was 7.298 seconds and 185.54 mph.
Loeffelholz carried that momentum through Sunday's race where he outlasted 102 other drivers in the Super Pro class for a runner-up finish, losing to Mike Anderson and his 1965 Nova in the finals. Anderson ran 9.334 seconds and 140.49 mph.
Anderson went on to win Sunday's Super Pro/Pro Shootout to pocket $2,000 in prize money. The Shootout pits the Super Pro Class winner against the Pro ET Class winner, with a $3,000 cash purse on the line. Chuck Roycraft beat out 81 other drivers to win the Pro ET Class, but he couldn't keep up to Anderson in the Shootout.
The next Bracket Drag Racing Series June 12-14 will feature the NHRA Summit Racing Junior Drag Racing League Challenge, which will be Saturday. It's a chance for kids who compete in the three Junior Dragster classes to win a Wally trophy.
In addition to bracket drag racing, that weekend will include International Watercross Association (IWA) racing on Lake BIR. IWA racing features snowmobiles racing on open water in drag racing and around an oval course marked by floating markers.
BIR's 2.5-mile Competition Road Course will be busy as well, with a dual event featuring Superbike racing courtesy of the Central Roadracing Association (CRA) and the Championship Cup Series (CCS) from Texas.
MAY 30 Results
Super Pro
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Finals: Tom Carlson of Two Harbors def. Ronnie Luberda of Foley
Semifinals: Carlson had a bye; Luberda def. Bruce Kaul of Racine
Pro ET
Finals: Dave Engler of Ramsey def. Aaron Milton of Maple Grove
Semifinals: Engler def. Jenna Jahnke of Stillwater; Milton had a bye
Sportsman
Finals: Russ Elzy of Becker def. Ryan Hutar of Cromwell
Semifinals: Elzy had a bye; Hutar def. Andy Kuklok of St. Cloud
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Stock/Super Stock
Finals: Bill Feist of Maple Grove def. Scott Dugdale of Stacy
Semifinals: Feist def. Tim Bosbek of Andover; Dugdale def. Brett Speer of Little Falls
Pro Bike/Sled
Finals: Kyle Olson of Moorland, Iowa def. Jimmy Paulson of Stacy
Semifinals: Olson def. Jeremy Berg of Newport; Paulson def. Mike Voss of Maplewood
Comp Trophy
Finals: Sid Osterman of Pequot Lakes def. Jared Hutar of Cromwell
Semifinals: Osterman def. DJ Spiczka of Rice; Hutar had a bye
Street Trophy
Finals: Joe Moriarty of Ham Lake def. Tyler Gadacz of Little Falls
Semifinals: Moriarty def. Holly Johnson of Mound; Gadacz def. Josh Luberda of Foley
Junior Dragster Advanced
Finals: Cassidy Takacs of Thunder Bay, Ontario def. Zachary Zavadil of Clearwater
Semifinals: Takacs def. Carter Lindquist of Minnetonka; Zavadil def. Derrick Howell of Big Lake
Junior Dragster Intermediate
Finals: Trevor Jelinski of Little Falls def. Samantha Cielinski of Gilman
Semifinals: Jelinski def. Aaron Clampitt of Lino Lakes; Cielinski def. Zach McFarland of Sabin
Junior Dragster Novice
Finals: Alex Clampitt of Lino Lakes def. Megan Cielinski of Gilman
Semifinals: Clampitt def. Riley Luberda of Foley; Cielinski def. Dylan Dancer of Foley
Junior Dragster Youth
Finals: Daniel Dancer of Foley def. Carter Luberda of Foley
Semifinals: Dancer def. Brody Thompson; Luberda had a bye
Quick 16 Shootout
Gary Loeffelholz of Shafer def. Jordan Pratt of Otsego
MAY 31 Results
Super Pro
Finals: Mike Anderson of St. Joseph def. Gary Loeffelholz of Shafer
Semifinals: Anderson def. Chuck Roycraft of Minnetonka; Loeffelholz def. Myron Streit of St. Cloud
Pro ET
Finals: Chuck Roycraft of Minnetonka def. Steve Brings of Howard Lake
Semifinals: Roycraft had a bye; Brings def. Travis Reutzel of Annandale
Sportsman
Finals: Brandon Schmall of Lino Lakes def. Jesse Luberda of Foley
Semifinals: Schmall had a bye; Luberda def. Jerry Heib of Maple Grove
Stock/Super Stock
Finals: Clayton Mattson of Cloquet def. Brett Speer of Little Falls
Semifinals: Mattson def. Glen DeMenge of McGregor; Speer def. Dean Mesenbring of Rochester
Pro Bike/Sled
Finals: Jimmy Paulson of Stacy def. Jason Clampitt of Lino Lakes
Semifinals: Paulson def. Kyle Olson of Moorland, Iowa; Clampitt had a bye
Comp Trophy
Finals: Lawrence Schreiner of St. Cloud def. Jared Hutar of Cromwell
Semifinals: Schreiner def. Sid Osterman; Hutar def. Sheryl Takacs of Thunder Bay, Ontario
Street Trophy
Finals: Tyler Gadacz of Little Falls; def. Ryan Eisen of South St. Paul
Semifinals: Gadacz def. Joe Moriarty of Ham Lake; Eisen def. Chuck Holien of Maple Grove
Junior Dragster Advanced
Finals: Derrick Howell of Big Lake def. Paige Findell of Zimmerman
Semifinals: Howell def. Cassidy Takacs of Thunder Bay, Ontario; Findell def. Sydney Haben of Hibbing
Junior Dragster Intermediate
Finals: Zach McFarland of Sabin def. Trevor Jelinski of Little Falls
Semifinals: McFarland def. Samantha Cielinski of Gilman; Jelinski def. Jazper Wiebusch of Ham Lake
Junior Dragster Novice
Finals: Riley Luberda of Foley def. Megan Cielinski of Gilman
Semifinals: Luberda def. Travis Kurkosky of Annandale; Cielinski def. Allyson Giese of Kandiyohi
Junior Dragster Youth
Finals: Carter Luberda of Foley def. Daniel Dancer of Foley
Semifinals: Luberda def. Brody Thompson; Dancer had a bye
