DSR: Prock tunes Beckman to track-record 333-mph run near Chicago, as Infinite Hero Dodge jumps to No. 2 for Sunday eliminations

JOLIET, Ill. (July 9, 2016) – Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock went into the last qualifying session Saturday just wanting to move up to qualifying in the top-eight so the team could pick its lane when eliminations in the NHRA Route 66 Nationals begin Sunday near Chicago.

The team funded by Terry Chandler got more than that.

Beckman, who will seek his first win of the year when racing begins at 11 a.m. (CT), uncorked a time of 3.885 seconds at a track record speed of 333.25 mph – the third fastest ever by a Funny Car – and briefly held the number one position, until getting knocked off by Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan.

Nonetheless, Beckman will be the No. 2 seed in the 13th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

“Going into that session we were more concerned with getting lane choice than being at the top of the heap,” said Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champion who will seek his first win at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill.

“That felt good. We’ve fixed some issues in the bellhousing but really what that meant is that a lot of the data that we’ve had recently, we haven’t been able to use. We had to go back quite a bit. We still need five or six more runs to get zeroed in on this thing and figure out exactly what it wants.

“It’s just a great feeling to know that you can go out there and not make a perfect run and run a 3.88 at 333.”

DSR will go for its seventh straight and eighth overall Funny Car title of the year on Sunday where eliminations will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 2 p.m. (ET).

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

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