Racing: Sand scores trifecta win at BIR Showdown

Kevin Sand is officially the hottest drag racer in Brainerd International Raceway's Muscle Car Series.

At last weekend's Street Car Showdown, the first race in the three-race Muscle Car Series, Sand drove his 1983 Olds Cierra to wins in the Strip Eliminator 1 and 10.00 Index classes and then won the Index Class Champion by beating the nine other Index class winners. He won 12 straight races during Sunday's elimination rounds, collecting an armload of trophies and plaques in the winner's circle.

"I was super stoked," Sand said of his final win. "My dad was smiling and I had a smile from ear to ear."

Sand and the other drivers almost didn't get a chance to finish the race. Rain continually interrupted racing Sunday, but the BIR track crew scrambled late afternoon to dry the track for the remaining pairings. Sand was in the last pair of cars to race-at 9:06 p.m. It was for the Strip Eliminator 1 title and the finish to a great day of racing for the Cambridge driver.

Sand did the same thing last year during the GSTA Muscle Car Shootout on Labor Day weekend, which is the series finale. He won 14 straight races to earn the same three titles. In fact, the last time he lost a series race was July 3 during the 2016 PleasureLand RV Show & Go, when he lost in the finals of all three classes.

On the drag strip, Rick Schmidt ended Ray Fuchs' three-race win streak in the Outlaw Pro Mod class. Schmidt's 2011 Mustang was by far the fastest car on the track last weekend in any class. He qualified first with a time of 6.261 seconds at 234.90 mph. He beat Fuchs in the finals when Fuchs fouled at the starting line.

Bubba Romanyshyn has his 1967 Camaro flying down the drag strip in the Outlaw class. He qualified first with a time of 6.780 seconds at 220.69 mph and then beat Todd Mueller in the finals when Mueller fouled at the starting line.

Brian Mahnke has his own streak going as he won the King Street class. He also won the class during the GSTA Muscle Car Shootout last year. He beat Jake Waste in the finals with a run of 8.056 seconds and 180.52 mph. Waste ran 8.182 seconds and 166.50 mph.

In Real Street Natural, Robert Wilczek of Little Falls kept his winning streak alive with a win over Bob Wallin in the finals. Wilczek hasn't lost since the 2015 GSTA Muscle Car Shootout, having swept the class last year. He ran 9.283 seconds and 142.87 mph in his 1969 Mustang to beat Wallin, who posted a run of 9.569 seconds and 141.15 mph.

Other area winners included Karl Eckardt, Pequot Lakes, 11.50 Index; Kurt Loftis, Merrifield, Strip Eliminator 3; and Kelly Rutz, Randall, Manual Transmission.

Street Car Showdown Results:

Outlaw Pro Mod
Finals: Rick Schmidt of Dickinson, N.D. def. Ray Fuchs of Bowman, N.D.

Outlaw
Finals: Bubba Romanyshyn of Belfield, N.D. def. Todd Mueller of Ham Lake

King Street
Finals: Brian Mahnke of Proctor def. Jake Waste of Loretto

Real Street Unlimited
Finals: Jason Nelson of Champlin def. Duane Godbout of Cloquet

Real Street Natural
Finals: Robert Wilczek of Little Falls def. Bob Wallin of Superior, Wis.

True Street
Finals: Zach Novak of Sauk Rapids def. Todd Malik of Coon Rapids

660 Outlaw Street
Finals: Chris Gullickson of North Branch def. Brian Carpenter of Forest Lake

Strip Eliminator 1
Finals: Kevin Sand of Cambridge def. Brian Peterson of Park Rapids

Strip Eliminator 2
Finals: Tony Scheunemann of Champlin def. Dean Markuson of Pequot Lakes

Strip Eliminator 3
Finals: Kurt Loftis of Merrifield def. Andrew Novak of Foley

Truck Eliminator
Finals Taylor Tesar of Medina def. Dan Huttsten of Becker

Manual Transmission

Finals: Kelly Rutz of Randall def. Mike Newman of Little Falls

Index Class Champion
Finals: Kevin Sand of Cambridge def. Karl Eckardt of Pequot Lakes

9.50 Index
Finals: Austin Siemers of Milaca def. Greg Bednar of Mapleton

10.00 Index
Finals: Kevin Sand of Cambridge def. Joe Marudas of Milaca

10.50 Index
Finals: Mike Hammerstrom of Bemidji def. Mark Angier of Waconia

11.00 Index

Finals: David Brostrom of Mora def. Dan Boyce of Minnetonka

11.50 Index
Finals: Karl Eckardt of Pequot Lakes def. Zach Stengel of Blaine

12.00 Index
Finals: Jeff Purdham of St. Michael def. Jerry Eischeus of Park Rapids

12.50 Index
Finals: Gary Olson of Sartell def. Bobbi Halverson of Cook

13.00 Index
Finals: Jesse Backstrom of Grand Marais def. Cole Scofield of Little Falls

13.50 Index
Finals: Ryan Hansen of Esko def. Shannon Halverson of Cook

14.00 Index
Finals: Steve Enberg of Winstead def. John Peterson of St. Michael