Burbage Wins ‘Nite of Fire’ as Williamson and Nickelson set new track records

Words and photos by Steven Bunker

The West Coast Outlaw Pro Mod Association’s second stop on their 2011 season schedule was in Medford, Oregon, at Champion Raceway on July 1-2. A low car count looked to be a setback before the event started, but once the cars hit the track it was on and the six racers who did show up put on a great show.

Rod Burbage

Eventual event winner Rod Burbage was the track ET record holder going into the event at 6.30 which was set back in 2009 when the WCOPMA last raced at Champion Raceway. Long time WCOPMA racer Randy Kay held the track MPH record at 229 which was also set back in 2009. After just the first qualifying session on July 1 both of those track records would be broken.

Rod Burbage was the first to reset both records during the first qualifying session when he went 6.221/232.59. Then Dan Nickelson came up right behind him and ran 6.243/235.39 to take the #2 qualifying spot and the new MPH record, which stood throughout the whole event. Bret Williamson was the last car down the track and wowed everyone with a 6.188/229.94, good enough to take the ET record away from Burbage and to bump up into the #1 qualifying spot.

The qualifying order held through two more sessions and when eliminations rolled around the number 1 and 2 qualifiers had byes since there were only six cars at the event. Williamson was the first one down the track and improved on his qualifying time and reset his ET record with a 6.154/231.56.