Medford, OR – 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 for the fans and track personnel.
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 Friday night this past weekend, both of those track records would be broken and then reset last on during the event.
Rod Burbage would be the first to reset both records during the first qualifying session when he went 6.221/232.59. Then Dan Nickelson would come up right behind him and go 6.243/235.39 to take the #2 qualifying spot and the new MPH record which stood throughout the whole event. Bret Williamson would be 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 would stay as is through two more sessions and when eliminations rolled around the number 1 & 2 qualifiers (Williamson & Burbage) would have byes since there were only 6 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. Then the 2 paired matches raced which Marc Meadors and Dan Nickelson would both advance over their opponents Dan Myers and Jay Diedrich. Burbage would run his single last and laid down a 6.216/234.21 which improved on his Friday night qualifying time.
In the second round it would be Williamson vs. Meadors and Burbage vs. Nickelson.
Williamson stepped it up for his matchup against Meadors and it quickly turned into a peddle fest with Williamson getting to the stripe first with a 7.303/149.70 to Meadors loosing 7.848/193.52. The next pair was a little less exciting as Burbage sailed down for the easy win with a 6.247/231.56 when Nickelson blew the tires off at the hit and idled to the stripe.
The final round would place #1 and #2 qualifiers together with lane choice going to the #2 qualifier, Rod Burbage. After the side-by-side burnouts were complete Williamson and Burbage were ready to go. Burbage was off the line first and they were together until about 330’ marker where Williamson started to shake the tires and had to lift to watch Burbage go down and run a 6.262/231.99 to take the event win.
With the win Rod Burbage now leads the points standings going into the next event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.
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 Friday night this past weekend, both of those track records would be broken and then reset last on during the event.
Rod Burbage would be the first to reset both records during the first qualifying session when he went 6.221/232.59. Then Dan Nickelson would come up right behind him and go 6.243/235.39 to take the #2 qualifying spot and the new MPH record which stood throughout the whole event. Bret Williamson would be 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 would stay as is through two more sessions and when eliminations rolled around the number 1 & 2 qualifiers (Williamson & Burbage) would have byes since there were only 6 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. Then the 2 paired matches raced which Marc Meadors and Dan Nickelson would both advance over their opponents Dan Myers and Jay Diedrich. Burbage would run his single last and laid down a 6.216/234.21 which improved on his Friday night qualifying time.
In the second round it would be Williamson vs. Meadors and Burbage vs. Nickelson.
Williamson stepped it up for his matchup against Meadors and it quickly turned into a peddle fest with Williamson getting to the stripe first with a 7.303/149.70 to Meadors loosing 7.848/193.52. The next pair was a little less exciting as Burbage sailed down for the easy win with a 6.247/231.56 when Nickelson blew the tires off at the hit and idled to the stripe.
The final round would place #1 and #2 qualifiers together with lane choice going to the #2 qualifier, Rod Burbage. After the side-by-side burnouts were complete Williamson and Burbage were ready to go. Burbage was off the line first and they were together until about 330’ marker where Williamson started to shake the tires and had to lift to watch Burbage go down and run a 6.262/231.99 to take the event win.
With the win Rod Burbage now leads the points standings going into the next event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.
