POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 12, 2016) - Jack Beckman enjoyed a historic day Saturday in the NHRA Finals at the L.A. County Fairgrounds.
It started with the first qualifying session when he invited "Jungle Pam" Hardy (formerly Liberman), a drag racing icon, to guide him back to the starting line after his burnouts.
Then he ended the day with the second quickest run ever in a Funny Car when crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T team funded by Terry Chandler produced a run of 3.825 seconds at 332.10 mph to lock up the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday's championship eliminations in the NHRA Finals that will end the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
"It's just a number," he said of what earned his team its sixth pole of the year.
"It's interesting how excited people can get over a number. We were the last car down the racetrack, so let's face it - people are rushing to try to get home. But you hear how fanatical the people were who stuck around."
Beckman seemed more impressed to have a drag racing legend be his "back-up girl."
"Pam's heyday in drag racing was 40 years ago, and she was part of that scene. From my youngest memory in drag racing, everything about this sport touched my heart. A lot of people are passionate about football but they'll never be able to participate in the sport. I'm absolutely passionate about drag racing and able to participate in the sport. To be able to circle back and include someone like (Jungle Pam), somebody that I just thought was so iconic.
"I still have to wrap my head around it that these are all just normal people who have to go to work. She has bills to pay. But to me, she is Jungle Pam. She was part of the team where I just thought, short of taking a rocket to the moon, it's the coolest thing that I thought a kid could get involved in.
"I'm 50 now and I'm involved in it."
FUNNY CAR
No. 1 qualifier: Jack Beckman (Don Schumacher Racing), 3.825 sec.-track record, 332.84 mph-track record
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: Jimmy Prock; assistants: John Medlen, Chris Cunningham
Qualified: No. 1
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: John Bojec
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 3.921 sec., 326.32 mph, (Session 1); 3.865, 332.84-track record, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: no time, (Session 3); 3.825 sec.-track record, 332.10, (Session 4)
About Infinite Hero Foundation
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Infinite Hero Foundation combats the most difficult front line issues - mental and physical - facing returning military heroes and their families. The Foundation funds programs that drive innovation and the accessibility of effective treatments for military heroes and their families dealing with service-related mental and physical injuries. For more information, visit: www.infinitehero.org.
About Don Schumacher Racing
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., fields eight professional NHRA teams. In Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher, the Matco Tools dragster driven by three-time world champion Antron Brown; the Sandvik Coromant/Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher dragster driven by Shawn Langdon and the FireAde Top Fuel dragster driven by Leah Pritchett; and in Funny Car, 2016 Funny Car world champion Ron Capps in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T, 2011 and 2014 world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots 2015 Dodge Charger R/T, 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge and the Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr.
DSR has won 292 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.
Please visit Don Schumacher Racing for additional information.
