Beckman was paired with Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps to open the event at Bandimere Speedway near Denver and it provided an opportunity for him to take a big chunk out of Capps' lead over him in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series points standings.
Beckman has added incentive to be leading the points before the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day Weekend to qualify for the $100,000 Traxxas Nitro Shootout all-star event when the field will include eight drivers.
The first seven were for the first seven event winners this year. Beckman, who won two weeks ago, was not among the first seven. There are two other ways to qualify; one is by a fan vote and the other would be if the points leader after 17 races is not qualified.
"That was a big one for us," Beckman said. "In the big scope of the points, and trying to get in the (Shootout) without relying on the fan vote, we needed an early round match-up with the NAPA car, and we needed to win the race.
"And we got our early round match-up with the NAPA car and we lost the round. That's huge. Our car dropped a cylinder one second into the run, and sometimes that's all it takes. It was a close race. It was a bitter disappointment there - those are the ones that feel like a punch in the gut. You have scenarios to line up for you, and we did. And you have to capitalize, and we didn't.
"This sport, you have to be good enough. Sometimes you don't even have to be good, you have to be good enough. And we weren't good enough."
Beckman shot up to No. 6 in qualifying on his last run Saturday night of 3.985 seconds at 312.78, and Capps was seeded 11th, his worst of the year, to set the match-up.
Beckman and crew chief Jimmy Prock produced a solid time of 4.078 seconds at 301.47 mph but it wasn't enough to get past Capps' 4.047 at 316.45.
Capps, however, lost in the next round but extended his lead over Beckman to 144 points and when Courtney Force advanced to the final round she was able to move up to second and Beckman dropped to third with his Infinite Hero team funded by Terry Chandler.
It was an overall bad day for DSR Funny Cars as all four were eliminated before the semifinals. It was in stark contrast to the past couple months. The DSR teams had combined to win the previous seven event titles including the one two weeks at Chicago where Beckman left with the NHRA Wally trophy.
The following are Beckman's for DSR at Bandimere:
FUNNY CAR
Winner: John Force (John Force Racing)
No. 1 qualifier: Courtney Force (John Force Racing), 3.917 sec.-track record, 318.39 mph
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 6
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Ron Capps (4.047 sec., 316.45 mph) def. BECKMAN (4.078, 301.47)
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 4.175 sec., 236.05 mph, (Session 1); 4.234, 220.37, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.046, 313.58, (Session 3); 3.985, 312.78, (Session 4)
FULL ARTICLE
