TOPEKA, Kan. (May 21, 2016) – Jack Beckman is over losing his NHRA
national elapsed time record on opening day of the Kansas Nationals.
The blast by Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan also cost
Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T the team’s fifth No. 1
qualifier position in eight of 24 races on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag
Racing Series circuit.
But since NHRA eliminated 20 bonus points for a driver leaving an
event with a new national record the value of an all-time best has been
diminished.
“It’s a whole new deal now,” said Beckman, who is seeded second to
Hagan when championship eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT).
“Records now are just for bragging rights.”
Beckman and the Infinite Hero team sponsored by Terry Chandler and
led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris
Cunningham followed Hagan’s runs of 3.866 seconds at 335.57) on Friday
night was quicker than Beckman’s old record.
“It was unbelievable. Mind blowing,” said Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champion.
In Saturday’s first qualifying session, Beckman didn’t set a record
but his time of 3.913 was quickest of the third session. He was the
quickest in the first, second best in the second, quickest in the third
and his 3.885 was second best in the fourth and final session to collect
10 of a possible 12 qualifying bonus points. The three quickest in each
outing earn from one to three points.
“The sun was out and we ran earlier today than Friday so I couldn’t
imagine anyone running better than Friday night,” he said. “But we got a
lot of (qualifying) points, and those add up.”
But the big points are earned on Sunday, and Beckman could make a big
jump in points if he defends the title he won a year ago, something
he’s only done once in his career.
“At this point, I don’t care about defending any title or getting
points. Our goal now is to get the trophy and get the last spot you can
earn to get into the Traxxas Shootout,” he said of the $100,000 all-star
race he won last year during the U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis. The
first seven event winners earn spots in the eight-car field with a fan
vote determining the last berth.
Track and weather conditions will be major factors in Beckman’s quest for his first NHRA Wally trophy of the season.
“They probably won’t be as good as Friday but could be similar,
especially for the first round and final round that tend to be the
coolest track temperatures on race day.
“The advantage of qualifying high is it sets you up for having a
successful day. First off, you get more points when you’re in the
top-three in a session, you get lane choice in the first round and you
get a better pick of when you’ll run in the first round.
“You can’t minimize the importance of qualifying but it doesn’t
guarantee success with the unpredictability of nitro Funny Cars but it
sets you up for a successful weekend.”
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