BROWNSBURG, Ind. (May 18, 2016) – You can bet Jack Beckman won’t be
buying a green John Deere hat this weekend when he’s around Heartland
Park Topeka for the NHRA Kansas Nationals.
He just might even ignore anyone wearing one.
It’s not because for decades green was an unlucky, forbidden color in
pit areas. That changed when sponsors with green in their pockets and
green in their logos began to support racing.
You’d think Beckman and his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car
team sponsored by Terry Chandler would love the color since they’ve
collected four of the variety as the only bonus for winning four of the
first seven No. 1 qualifying positions through seven of the first 24
events on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour.
That last group of green pole-winning hats was collected last weekend during the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.
“I want one of those yellow ones,” he’s said of the color hat that represents winning an NHRA national event.
A year ago he collected a career-best seven for winning an event
title and another seven for earning the top seed. It was looking very
good that he would win for the first time in 10 races when championship
eliminations began Sunday in Commerce, Ga.
And he just might have had the coveted NHRA Wally trophy had it not
been for teammate Matt Hagan, whose Don Schumacher Racing Dodge that in
the first round took the track records Beckman and crew chief Jimmy
Prock earned in qualifying and then beat the Infinite Hero team in the
championship round.
It allowed Beckman to move up to second in Mello Yello standings.
Despite the plethora of John Deere hats and luscious green fields
he’ll see this week around Heartland Park Topeka, he and his Infinite
Hero team will see yellow when they and reflect on being the reigning
event champions.
A year ago, the team snapped a 54-race losing streak winning the
unique Four-Wide Nationals, but the victory four races later in Kansas
was its first traditional two-lane race win in 29 months.
Last year’s trophy was the 250th for DSR, and that total has increased to 270 since.
All that adds why the Kansas track so appealing to Beckman.
“Topeka literally is the heartland,” he said. “NHRA’s very first
national event was held in Grand Bend, Kan., and Topeka is about as
close as we get to that piece of history and as close as you can get to
the middle of the country.
“And I’m fortunate to be a little bit of that history.”
He’d like to add another winning chapter this weekend.
And he won’t mind getting another green hat as long as he leaves wearing a yellow one.
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