Atlanta Nice to Nickelson

Words and photos by Ian Tocher
6/3/03

hings couldn't have gone much better for defending Nitro Coupe champion Dan Nickelson at the Super Chevy event held May 30-June 1, at Atlanta Dragway. With 28 percent nitro in the tank, Nickelson qualified number one for the eight-car field on Saturday, then ran a string of 6.20s on raceday to capture his second straight win of the season.

Nitro Coupe winner Dan Nickelson actually started this season with a new 2003 Corvette, but handling troubles in the first three races forced him back to the trusty 1994 Beretta he's been campaigning in various configurations for more than a decade. He hasn't lost since, but says the 'Vette will be back on track by mid-July.

The LaVerne, CA-based racer defeated Jim "The Colorado Kid" Nordhaugen with a 6.22 in round one, then beat Gary Irving's 6.31 in the semis with a 6.25 at 226 mph. In the final round against Bruce Boland, Nickelson gave away .068 in reaction time, but powered through for the win in 6.296 secs at 223.06 mph, while Boland shut down early with a 7.593/126.27 combination.

"This was an awesome weekend, almost perfect. We hammered two bearings and broke a blower belt, but there was no serious damage at all," Nickelson said. "One of the best weekends we've had in a long time. It's not like this all the time, but you need one every once in a while to keep everyone pumped up."

BOLAND BURNS

Meanwhile, Boland, from Stoney Creek, ON, battled handling problems all weekend in his '33 Willys. After "shaking pretty hard" in second gear during his first-round win over Tommy Howes, Boland said he loosened the car's rear shocks and took a little clutch out for his semi-final match against Mel Eaves.

With help from The Buzz Water Company, a caffeinated water supplier in Hamilton,
ON, Bruce Boland is the only Canadian running the full 20-race Super Chevy Show
circuit this year.

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