BROWNSBURG, Ind. (April 26, 2016) – As a devout drag racing
historian, Jack Beckman has seen a lot happen in the sport and heard
about even more.
He can’t even recall many NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series team
matching the performance of Don Schumacher Racing’s Infinite Hero Dodge
Charger R/T team funded by Terry Chandler than it has produced over the
past 12 months.
And the one common thread in the performance of Beckman’s team led by
crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham
is that it began when Pennzoil became the “Official Oil” for DSR.
Pennzoil is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its partnership
with DSR by hosting the inaugural Fanfest and Press Conference at
Hermann Square Park at City Hall in Downtown Houston that begins at 11
a.m. (CT). The event, which is open to the public, will feature Beckman
and all DSR drivers along with several racecars on display.
Since the fifth race of the past Mello Yello season, the Infinite
Hero Dodge has accomplished the following with Pennzoil support:
• Mello Yello event titles: seven of the last 19 in 2016 and the Traxxas Nitro Shootout during the NHRA U.S. Nationals
• No. 1 qualifying: seven times in 2016, and at three of this year’s five events
• National elapsed time record: 3.879 (also tied with teammate Matt Hagan for quickest ever)
• NHRA track elapsed time records: 9 (21 tracks on Mello Yello circuit)
• NHRA track speed records: 4
“For nitro racing, the demands on oil are pretty unique,” said the
2012 NHRA Funny Car world champion. “We’re making more horsepower in one
cylinder (about 1,250) than most other race engines make with all eight
cylinders. The amount of load we put on our engines requires a
completely different approach to developing lubrication. It’s clear that
Pennzoil has done that.
“The cool thing is what the Pennzoil engineers have learned from DSR
drag racing is making a better product for high performance and
passenger car oils.”
The Infinite Hero team nearly won at Houston a year ago when it was
runner-up to DSR teammate Ron Capps after earning the No. 1 qualifying
position and setting both track records. It was Beckman’s second final
round at the track but he has yet to collect an NHRA Wally trophy there.
While his team’s staggering performance was a new experience for
Beckman, so was how his day ended Sunday in the Four-Wide Nationals near
Charlotte.
In the first round of the unique event that features four cars racing
abreast, Beckman’s Dodge instantly went up in tire smoke at the
starting line after completing its pre-race burnout.
Apparently, one of the sticky, giant rear tires picked up debris that made getting traction at the hit impossible.
“Something stuck on a tire before that run and the frustrating
thing is we have no idea where it came from,” he said. “We’re not going
to cry about it, just pack up and head to Houston.”
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