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In drag racing in the Real Street Unlimited class, Olson and the rest of the field followed Jesse Nelson in the points standings after Nelson won the first two races of the three-race Muscle Car Series. The best everyone could hope for during the series finals was a whopping meltdown from Nelson, who finished second in class in 2019. Olson said he just hoped to get good laps and take Nelson’s lead away.
Instead of melting together, Nelson fought his way to the semi-finals on Sunday as the No. 1 qualifier. His top qualifying time was almost half a second faster than Olson, who qualified as No. 2. The two faced each other in the semifinals, with the winner advancing to the final to face Jason Bergeson.
Olson drove a 1978 Chevy Malibu and picking a good time to get his best reaction time of the day, Nelson smoked off the starting line and held on for every inch of the quarter mile.
“I didn’t think it was real,” said Olson of the win. “He had definitely come to me. I watched him in the rearview mirror. “
However, Olson’s response time of 0.024 seconds versus Nelson’s 0.121 seconds wasn’t the whole story. Olson’s winning time was 8,220 seconds at 168.47 mph. Nelson ran 8.561 seconds at 182.92 mph.
In the finals, Olson was a hair slower than Bergeson from the start line, but the Malibu had enough horsepower to get him to the finish line with a winning time of 8.136 seconds and 169.47 mph to Bergeson’s 8.278 seconds and 165.56 mph overtake.
Nelson will still win the Series Championship in the Real Street Unlimited class, but Olson finished just 2 points behind second place for a very respectable result and something to build on in his sophomore year in Real Street Unlimited racing next year .
Olson was one of 519 drag racers who competed in the muscle car shootout last weekend. The race has attracted more than 500 racing drivers in recent years and is still one of the biggest drag races of the year in the BIR. In addition to drag racing, the shootout also presents the Central Roadracing Association on the road for three days of superbike races. The event includes a classic car show, camping, and live music. The other two races in the Muscle Car Series are the Street Car Showdown on Memorial Day weekend and the PleasureLand RV Show & Go on the 4th of July weekend.
The Outlaw Pro Mod class, which is usually the fastest class in the series, featured the two racers who have done it all throughout the season: defending champions Lee Loew and Chris Willemssen. Löw and Willemssen qualified with a gap of less than a tenth of a second between their qualifying times in 1st and 2nd place respectively.
Loew’s 1936 Ford truck is as fast as it looks bad. His best time in qualifying was 6.577 seconds at a lightning speed of 220.37 mph. He defeated Vern Laurin Jr. in the semifinals, then watched Willemssen and his 2002 Firebird let go of Tim Davey to set up the showdown.
“I knew that I needed one more lap than (Willemssen)” to repeat as series champion, said Löw. Willemssen won the series title when it made it to the finals.
But it was still about winning the shootout, and Löw had the Ford turned on and ready. Willemssen could not give Löw a race because he had gas problems on the starting line and Löw won the race.
The Outlaw class, traditionally the second-fastest class, was an exchange of blows throughout the season, not only among seasoned veterans but also among newcomers. A dozen cars filled the field last weekend, with Michael Hoey breaking the 200-mile mark to qualify as No. 1 in his 1969 Dodge Dart. His times were 6.7 seconds.
However, he saved his fastest run for the final on Sunday. He competed against third qualifier Chris Orr and his 1967 Pontiac Firebird. Orr had an advantage over the start line, but Hoey came back with a winning time of 6.739 seconds and 209.59 mph. Orr finished the race in 7.616 seconds, 133.30 mph and switched off early.
Joe Cardin won the Index Class Championship after winning the 9.50 index. The winners of the 10 index classes will be determined in a runoff to see who is the best racing driver in the index class. Cardin and his 1982 Firebird beat Patrick Huebner in Sunday’s 9.50 index final and then won the four-round runoff by defeating Kaytlin Turner in the final after winning the 10.00 index. Cardin’s winning time was 9.707 seconds at 129.38 mph.
Below are the final results of all classes.
