Competition Plus: BECKMAN EXCITED ABOUT HIS CREW CHIEF TRIO

When Don Schumacher Racing announced its crew chief trio that will serve as the tuners for Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger nitro Funny Car in 2017 it turned some heads.

Jack Beckman

Jack Beckman, the driver of the Funny Car, for one is thrilled to have the threesome – John Medlen, Dean Antonelli and Neal Strausbaugh – calling the shots for him.

“I think Medlen is absolutely the cornerstone of the team, and I think that guy is the cornerstone of any team because of his character, and his demeanor, he’s the guy you look to when you are having a bad day,” said Beckman, who won the 2012 nitro Funny Car world championship driving for DSR. “He brings such high class and rock solid morals and character that I think he’s a perfect nucleus to build the team around. I have not ever worked with Dean Antonelli and there’s a guy who spent 22 years at John Force Racing and that in of itself tells you a lot about him. Clearly, he’s dedicated, motivated and loyal. The only constant in life is things change and I’m so pleased he’s decided to make this change. He was very successful the last time he was a Funny Car crew chief on Ashley (Force’s) car. He and (Medlen) have worked together before and I think they have some similar personality traits, they both are very low profile, always deep in thought and I can’t wait to see what Dean’s going to bring to our team.”

Beckman acknowledged Strausbaugh coming onboard was a surprise to him.

“I didn’t see that one coming, and I like Neal,” he said. “We have been teammates under the DSR umbrella, but we’ve never been teammates wearing the same shirt at the races, but I think there is the guy who is going to add an interesting dynamic to our team. Here’s a Top Fuel guy who has been in the crew chief lounge for years, helping make calls on the Army car. The Funny Car isn’t a Top Fuel car, but I firmly believe that having a slightly different perspective on this coming from Neal is going to make us a better car.”

John Medlen

Medlen will begin his third season in 2017 working on Beckman’s Funny Car. This will be the 10th season for Strausbaugh at DSR and Antonelli’s first.

Antonelli was the general manager at John Force Racing the past two seasons after being a crew chief and assistant crew chief at that company where he spent 12 years working under Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly. Antonelli was an assistant crew chief on four world championship Funny Car teams.

Beckman’s first opportunity to work in action with his co-crew chiefs will be at the test session at Wild Horse Motorsports Park in Phoenix, Ariz., the week before NHRA’s season-opening Winternationals Feb. 9-12 in Pomona, Calif.

“Our plan will be to do the three-day test (in Phoenix) and I think will probably drag our (NHRA) Finals combo there, which includes the 6-disc clutch, which we put in for Vegas and Pomona,” Beckman said. “Now, we are also going to do some things that we think are going to make it more predictable. At Pomona (the 2016 season-ending race in November), we made seven runs and on four of them our car hauled, and on three of them, it didn’t make it 10 feet. You can’t race like that. We’re going to have to find something that makes this car much more stable the first 50 feet of the run. I think that’s going to be our biggest target for the first four or five races, to get this thing to launch consistently well because I think once it gets to 50 feet, it’s just going to fly. I will sacrifice some ultimate performance to have more predictability out of the car. We ought to be able to make 12 runs at Phoenix and get a good beat on the car and you throw in another four qualifying runs at Pomona, assuming the weather cooperates, and we ought be able to have 16 runs under our belt.”

Those runs will be critical since Beckman pointed out only he, Medlen and Matthew Archer, who was a mechanic on the car last season, are the only three people returning to the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge from 2016.

“There will be seven people who didn’t work on the Infinite Hero car last year,” Beckman said. “I think that those three test days in Phoenix are going to be really important for getting this new team working in a coordinated effort, and also be really essential for us getting some sort of baseline to drag to Pomona.”

Despite the wholesale changes to his team Beckman is brimming with optimism about the upcoming season.

“I can’t wait to start this year,” he said. “You have no idea how thrilled I am that Medlen is back because Infinite Hero is doing some pretty special stuff. As a drag racer, you want to go out and win races and you just want to destroy everybody on the race track, but with Infinite Hero we get to do a lot of things for some people who are beyond deserving when the car is not running. To have John back as a crew chief is awesome, but to have John back as a representative of the Infinte Hero race team is going to be amazing and I think (Dean) and Neal will fit into that role fantastically as well.”

 Written by Tracy Renck    Wed, 2016-12-28 18:00

Antonelli, Medlen, Strausbaugh to lead Infinite Hero Funny Car

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Dec. 22, 2016) – A triumvirate of nitro tuning talent will serve as co-crew chiefs in 2017 for Terry Chandler’s Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car with driver Jack Beckman at Don Schumacher Racing.

Dean Antonelli joins John Medlen and veteran U.S. Army Top Fuel assistant Neal Strausbaugh at DSR. It will be the 10th season for Strausbaugh, third for Medlen and first for Antonelli at DSR.

Antonelli, 52, served as general manager at John Force Racing the past two seasons after being a crew chief and assistant crew chief at that company where he spent 12 years working under Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly. Antonelli was an assistant crew chief on four world championship Funny Car teams.

“We’re very excited to have Dean join DSR,” said Don Schumacher, whose DSR organization owns 293 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event titles and 16 series championships.

“John Medlen is one of the smartest guys in drag racing and he’s worked with Dean for many years. Terry and I expect very big things from our Infinite Hero team.”

Strausbaugh, 34, will start his 17th season in professional drag racing and 10th at DSR. He has spent his tenure at DSR working as the assistant to DSR crew chief Mike Green with the U.S. Army team that won the 2009 and 2014 Top Fuel world championships.

Strausbaugh, a native of Hillsboro, Ill., lives in Danville, Ind., with his wife, Lacey, and their children, Camden, 6, and Kinlee Mae, 1. He worked with Green on the Funny Car driven by Tommy Johnson Jr. at Don Prudhomme Racing and Darrell Gwynn’s New York Yankee dragster. He also worked on crews for Chuck Etchells and Cory McClenathan.

“Neal has learned from the best and is one of the brightest there is in the pits,” Schumacher said. “He has earned the opportunity to be a crew chief and he will get even better working with Dean and John.

Don Schumacher Racing's Make-A-Wish, Infinite Hero Funny Cars will return in 2017 with continued support from Terry Chandler

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Dec. 12, 2016) - New Mexico philanthropist and drag racing enthusiast Terry Chandler has funded the Make-A-Wish and Infinite Hero Funny Cars at Don Schumacher Racing for the past three seasons. During that time, the teams have combined to win a remarkable 15 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events and 16 No. 1 qualifying spots.

Chandler and her teams have just barely missed the championship in each of the past two seasons; in 2015, Jack Beckman finished No. 2 in the nation in the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, and in 2016, it was Tommy Johnson Jr. and the Make-A-Wish Dodge team that finished the year in second place.

Those impressive statistics, however, pale to the impact Chandler's racing programs have made on countless lives through her support of Make-A-Wish and Infinite Hero.

Chandler, the 2015 recipient of the NHRA Blaine Johnson Award for her dedication to helping others, has announced with DSR owner Don Schumacher that the two race programs designed to raise awareness for foundations very dear to her heart will continue through 2017.

In 2013, Chandler and her brother, Johnny Gray, partnered to sponsor the DSR Funny Car he then drove for DSR. For his final full­ time season of driving, the pair funded the car in honor of their father, the late John R. Gray.

At the end of that season, Johnny retired from full-time driving, but he knew that his sister had found her home away from home. He encouraged her to continue as the sponsor of the team if it was in her heart, and it didn't take long for her to agree. In Gray's absence, Johnson was added to the roster as the new driver.

Chandler and her husband, Doug, own and operate Chandler Aviation at the Cavern City Air Terminal in Carlsbad, N.M. Instead of flying the colors of Chandler Aviation on Johnson's Dodge Charger, however, she chose to use the racecar as a platform to promote awareness for a great cause. The car was painted and the transporters were wrapped with a striking Make-A-Wish design.

Make-A-Wish provides memorable events for children with life-threatening medical conditions, and Chandler's vision was to expand on that to make a great impact. Chandler and DSR host "Wish Kids" and their families to the VIP hospitality pavilion next to the race team's pit area on Saturdays at each of the 24 Mello Yello events held in 21 markets across the country. The Make-A-Wish crew has the opportunity to engage with the children, giving them a tour of the pit area and racecar each weekend.

In 2014,Chandler's desire to give back grew even more, and she began funding a second team at DSR with 2012 Funny Car world championship driver Jack Beckman behind the wheel. The branding for the racecar was dedicated to another organization that touched Chandler's heart: the Infinite Hero Foundation, a non-profit organization that combats the most difficult front line issues - mental and physical - facing returning military heroes and their families.

In addition to exposing millions of television viewers and hundreds of thousands of Mello Yello series spectators to the worthy causes, there are other benefits.

Although she funds the operation, Chandler insists that the racecar truly belongs to each one of the Make-A-Wish children. Each weekend, she points to the Make-A-Wish Dodge and tells them, "This is YOUR racecar."

While she enjoys being part of the extraordinarily fast-paced world of drag racing,the true reward for Chandler is meeting the families and seeing the smiles of Wish Kids as they share an experience that won't soon be forgotten.

Chandler and her Infinite Hero team with Beckman, a former U.S. Air Force sergeant, have hosted scores of Americans who, through military service, gave more than anyone could have asked.

A generous amount of funds have been raised in two years through Chandler's various Infinite Hero events, including nearly $250,000 through the Infinite Hero challenge coin program. Beckman carries Infinite Hero-themed challenge coins on each of his Funny Car passes down the racetrack during a national event, and afterwards, he autographs them and exchanges them with fans for a $100 donation to Infinite Hero.

In all, Chandler's program has raised nearly $500,000 for Infinite Hero and has brought tremendous awareness to some of the most difficult issues facing our returning military heroes and families.

In the season ahead, Chandler hopes to raise even more awareness for Make-A-Wish and the Infinite Hero foundations.

Look for both cars during the 2017 season of NHRA's Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, which is scheduled to begin with the Feb. 10-12 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.

About Don Schumacher Racing
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered near Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Ind., fields eight professional NHRA teams in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

In Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by 8-time world champion Tony Schumacher, the reigning and 3-time world champion Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster driven by Antron Brown, the Red Fuel/Sandvik Coromant dragster driven by 2013 world champion Shawn Langdon and the Papa John's Pizza/FireAde 2000/Pennzoil/Mopar dragster with driver Leah Pritchett.

In Funny Car,  two-time world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar Express Lane 2016 Dodge Charger R/T, reigning world champion Ron Capps' NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge, 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 293 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.
    
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.

DSR: Beckman adds two more NHRA records to Infinite Hero resume but semifinals loss drops DSR Dodge to fifth in final standings

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 13, 2016) - Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock and funded by Terry Chandler had a very good year.

But there was some disappointment Sunday in the season-finale of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season when Beckman lost in the semifinals to eventual event runner-up John Force, who was defeated by Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. for the NHRA Finals event title.

Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champion, had every reason to advance further after his Infinite Hero Dodge with crew chief Jimmy Prock closed qualifying Saturday with a track-record time of 3.825 seconds to secure the team's sixth No. 1 qualifying position of the season.

In addition to the elapsed time record, the Infinite Hero Dodge set the track speed record at 332.84 mph. In all, the team set four time and seven speed records in 24 Mello Yello events.

"We did some amazing things this year on the track and with the Infinite Hero Foundation for our veterans," Beckman said.

"I'm reflective on the year, and it's disappointing to not be able to close it out with a win. But I love this group of people I'm surrounded with. We've changed some lives for the better and we'll just continue moving forward.

"We wanted to have the trophy and that was a really important round against John Force. If we won that round, we would be no worse than third in the points. If we lost, and he moved around us and we dropped to fifth.

"But it was a top-5 finish and that is incredibly hard to do in a nitro car. I think at the outset of the year, we felt our chances were going to be a little bit better. Nobody is going to hang their heads on this."

FULL ARTICLE

Drag racing legend 'Jungle Pam' guides Beckman to Finals pole as Infinite Hero Dodge enjoys second quickest Funny Car run ever

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.

NHRA season wraps up this weekend but Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge Charter R/T team hopeful to end season with win at Pomona

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Nov. 8, 2016) - Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team, sponsored by Terry Chandler, travel to Pomona, Calif., this weekend for the final event of the 2016 NHRA season.

"The season begins and ends almost in my backyard," said Beckman, a resident of Norco, Calif. "I'm 30 miles from the racetrack. Pomona is the track where I have spent the most time. For 10 years, I stood on the starting line flipping the switch for the students we were teaching at the Frank Hawley School.

"I have a deep, personal relationship with that track and it goes back to my childhood. Going there as an 8-year-old to watch the races. What I haven't done there is win in a nitro car. I've taken two Super Comp trophies from Pomona but neither of those were at the Finals."

At the NHRA Finals in 2015, Beckman qualified No. 2 with a 3.890-second pass at 327.90 mph.

He advanced to the semifinals when he defeated Chad Head and Cruz Pedregon but lost to eventual champion Del Worsham.

A win in Pomona is a win the Infinite Hero Foundation team and Beckman would love to mark off their to-do list.

The Infinite Hero Foundation team is currently No. 4 in the NHRA points standings. Although they are not mathematically able to win the championship title, a win at the 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals could advance them to No. 2.

In 2015, Beckman battled for the championship with Worsham of Kalitta Motorsports throughout NHRA's Countdown to the Championship playoffs..

"The year for the Infinite Hero team really didn't stack up to our preseason expectations. We've won two races so far. We posed for at least a top-five finish and could finish as high as second. I think we and a lot of other people expected more out of our results this year. It's not for lack of trying.

"One thing that's a great salve for this would be leaving Pomona with a trophy. It's the one trophy that I think would shine the brightest for two months because you can't lose a race in the offseason.

"If you win the Finals, until we roll around back to the Winternationals again, you're technically undefeated in that time span. I'd like to say I was the guy to do that with the Infinite Hero Dodge at this race."


FULL ARTICLE

DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge team shift focus toward finishing Mello Yello season strong at Pomona finale in two weeks

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 30, 2016) – The Infinite Hero Foundation Funny Car team, sponsored by Terry Chandler and piloted by Jack Beckman, may be out of the hunt for the 2016 Championship title but they’re already aiming their focus to 2017.

The Infinite Hero Foundation team was officially eliminated from the Championship chase on Sunday during the16th annual NHRA Nationals the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

They entered race day as the No. 1 qualifying team at the Strip with their pass of 3.871 at 327.43 mph.

In round one, Beckman lined up against Jeff Arend and made a 3.890-second pass at 326.95 mph. He then advanced to the second to face Courtney Force.

Beckman went into immediate tire smoke and coasted to 7.852-second pass at 78.74 mph to give Force the win.

Entering race day, Beckman trailed the points leader and Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Ron Capps, by 131 points. But due to their second round lose, Beckman fell back to 151 points behind Capps, who advanced to the semifinals.

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

“We knew realistically we weren't going to be able to win the championship coming into this race. But now it's official,” Beckman said.

“I really thought we’d put down some numbers good enough to have a car that could go out and win the race, and to go out and smoke the tires second round, nobody was expecting that out of the Infinite Hero car.

“We're staying and we're testing tomorrow, and we're not testing so much to get an advantage for Pomona, we're testing to get a head start for next year. We'll go back to our regular combination for Pomona and go out there and try to be smart about it and turn on four win lights Sunday there.”

In two weeks, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series returns to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for the final race of the 2016 season.

“I gotta tell ya, a trophy makes the off-season go by really, really well. Right now, everybody is staying positive, we'll focus on Pomona, we'll unload there and on Friday we'll go to work.”

FULL ARTICLE

DSR: Beckman takes fifth Funny Car pole of Mello Yello season; Brown can clinch Top Fuel title Sunday while Capps extends lead

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 29, 2016) – Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car barely ran fast enough Friday to get a speeding ticket on the Interstate 15 and were ranked 22nd in qualifying for the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

But the pace quickened Saturday night when the Beckman’s Dodge tuned by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham produced a track-record time of 3.871 seconds at a speed of 327.43 mph to edge Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan (Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots) for the pole by one-thousandth of a second.

“We got our act together and went the 3.871. That was a sigh of relief, and I thought that would keep us in the top-four but no way I thought it would keep us on the pole,” said Beckman, who earned his fifth No. 1 qualifying spot and set his fourth elapsed time track record.

“The conditions were phenomenal and about as good as you're going to see, but we're still fighting altitude here. It's tough, even with a nitro car, to make that sort of horsepower. I didn't think it was going to stay.

Ron Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge with crew chief Rahn Tobler and assistant Eric Lane qualified fourth and were the most consistent team with four runs between 3.881 and 3.910 seconds.

More importantly for the NAPA team heading into Sunday, Capps was able to extend his lead over DSR teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. (Make-A-Wish) by nine points to 73. But Hagan, ranked third, was able to pull within 83 of Capps and 10 of Johnson.

It’s been a challenge for Capps not to think about his pursuit his first world championship after being the runner-up a record four times, but nothing could have been further from his mind when his brother, Jon Capps, slammed his Funny Car into the guardwall moments before he was to make his last run.

“I feel so safe in my own car when I have control of it. Watching him from the outside was very hard,” he said.

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

“I did the burnout I could see the marks from where he came down from his wheelstand and it kind of played in my head a little bit. I can’t thank Tobler enough for giving me such a confidence boost all weekend. It’s so much fun right now. We just need a big day tomorrow. We’re treating it like it’s the last race of the season. We’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing and if Tobler gives me a great race car and makes me look good like he has all year we’ll be alright.”

In Top Fuel, Leah Pritchett and the Pennzoil team led by crew chief Todd Okuhara and assistant Joe Barlam started the last session as the No. 1 qualifier and despite running its quickest time of the weekend at 3.700, Clay Millican of Stringer Performance posted a 3.689 to take the pole and prevent the Pennzoil team from earning its second pole in three events.

"This girl cannot complain at all," said Pritchett, who earned her third top-two qualifying spot in three races.

"We were planning to throw down out there, thinking we were either going to be up and smoke or .68 or better – but I can't complain at all. We're just going to keep rolling and do what we do."

DSR’s Antron Brown, the reigning and two-time Top Fuel champ, will start Sunday with a 148-point lead over Doug Kalitta, who outscored Brown in qualifying points 3-2 and qualified one spot higher in third to narrow the gap from 150.

“We made some great, quality laps today and that sets us up really good for tomorrow,” said Brown, who can clinch his third world championship in five years if he leaves Las Vegas with a 130-point lead over Kalitta.

“We would’ve love to have gained some more points. We were shooting to go up there and be No. 1 qualifier, of course. The track’s just really, really tight. But, with that being said, we had some great laps this weekend. We literally ran four, great, quality laps. We’re just going to keep working like normal.”

FULL ARTICLE

DSR: No. 4-ranked Beckman, Infinite Hero team look for third event win of season, second in four Countdown playoff races at Las Vegas

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Oct. 26, 2016) ­­- The Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team, piloted by Jack Beckman and funded by Terry Chandler, travel to Las Vegas for the 16th annual NHRA Nationals the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this week.

As the NHRA points stand, the Infinite Hero Foundation team is currently fourth, 131 points behind the leader and Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps.

"The championship is all but out of reach for us but the trophy certainly isn't," Beckman said. "We are not going to treat Vegas like a test session. We feel we have a realistic shot at winning that race.

"Mathematically, the championship is still possible but realistically I think second place might be doable for us. Really, our short-term goal is just a trophy on Sunday in Vegas."

Last year at the Las Vegas event, Beckman and the team, led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, began race day as the No. 4 qualifying team and finished in the quarterfinals round to Capps.

The Infinite Hero Foundation team is looking for its third event win of the season and second win of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff.

"We need to execute well on Friday in qualifying. We just need to be smart about trying to make four quick runs before we even get to Sunday.

"We may make a radical change in the clutch department. We will either do it in qualifying to see if it gives us what we want or we will test it more extensively on Monday in preparation for the last race (in two weeks at Pomona, Calif.) and start getting ready for 2017.

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

FULL ARTICLE

DSR: Beckman falls in second round to DSR teammate, points leader Capps as Infinite Hero team leaves Texas fourth in points standings

ENNIS, TX, (Oct. 16, 2016) - Despite second round exit at the 31st annual AAA Fallnationals, Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation team, funded by Terry Chandler, remain positive as they finish the 2016 NHRA season.

Beckman and the team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, entered race day as the No. 2 qualifier. Their best qualifying effort came on Friday night during the second session when Beckman clocked a 3.843-second lap at 333.66 mph for the track speed record at Texas Motorplex.

"I don't have a crystal ball and I can't look to the last run at Pomona but I think if there was a must win race for the Infinite Hero car this season, I think it all boiled down to second round at Dallas," Beckman said.

During the opening round of competition on Sunday, the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T lined up against Dave Richards. Beckman got the win with his 3.908, 325.92 effort.

Beckman moved onto round two when he matched up against Don Schumacher Racing teammate and NHRA Countdown to the Championship points leader, Ron Capps.

Beckman made a great run at 3.938- (320.51) but Capps left the starting line first and got the win light.

"That was a must win against that NAPA car," Beckman said. "That represents a 40-point swing and they already had a pretty significate lead in the points and they just stretched it even further. That's a real gut check for everybody.

"That's a huge let down - especially to be that close of a race. But, we're paid professionals and we do some great things for the injured veterans through the Infinite Hero Foundation and that's definitely something for us to hang our hats on."

Aside from their performance on the racetrack, the team was part of helping the Infinite Hero Foundation issue grants to the ReBOOT program (BootCampaign.org) and Airpower Foundation (AirPowerFoundation.com).

"The foundation was able to donate $200,000 in grants because of the challenge coin program."

Beckman carries challenge coins inside his Funny Car during every pass down the racetrack and all proceeds go back to help veterans return to their everyday lives.

Beckman and the Infinite Hero team will have a weekend off before heading back to Las Vegas for the 16th annual NHRA Nationals the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"We're going to do our best to win that race then we're going to stay and test and start plans for the off-season and the 2017 season. But again, I don't see why we can't finish this year with two trophies."

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

For additional information, please visit Don Schumacher Racing.

DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero team look for first Countdown win at Texas Motorplex this weekend to move up from third

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Oct. 12, 2016) – Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation team head to Texas Motorplex near Dallas for the fourth race of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship.

Beckman says he and Texas Motorplex have a long relationship.

“Me and Dallas, have a ton of history,” he said. “I went the very first NHRA national event there in 1986. My buddy from the Air Force and I drove 500 miles one way to see that race.

“My dad, who was a contractor and traveled the country, had settled in Dallas just prior to that. I raced my first national event there in Super Comp in 1998 then I raced my first Nitro Funny Car race in Dallas in 2006.
“And with all of that, I’ve had zero success there. I have never left there with a trophy.

“Now, maybe more so than ever, it is the race that I want on my resume. My dad is 79 years old and he lives 45 minutes from the track and I want to have him in the winner’s circle and present him with that cowboy hat, which is the token of winning the national event there. That is high on my priority list.”

At the Texas Motorplex in 2015, Beckman qualified No. 2 for the team funded by Terry Chandler and advanced to the final round where he lost to eventual season champion Del Worsham.

This year, the Infinite Hero Foundation team, led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, is currently No. 3 in the NHRA points standings and 93 points behind the points leader and Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps.

A win at the 31st annual AAA Texas NHRA Fallnationals will help the team close the gap in points and increase their shot at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series Championship title.

“Points-wise, it’s a must win for us. Not only is it a must win for the Infinite Hero team but we have hope that NAPA (Capps) and Make-A-Wish (Tommy Johnson Jr., currently No. 2) go out early and the way those teams have been running, that’s probably not likely.

“I know a lot of people will say, ‘Well how can you wish that on your teammates?’ Well, if the tables were turned, like they were last year, they were all wishing it on us. We’re teammates in certain areas.

“When it comes down to the points chase, when it comes down to the Countdown, when it comes down to the last three races, I think everybody would tell you from burnout to turn out, you don’t have any teammates out there.”

Beckman’s weekend starts Friday afternoon when he joins with Chandler with presenting two $100,000 Infinite Hero Foundation grants in the track’s Champion’s Club.

Accepting the grants will be Houston native and retired Navy Lt. Morgan Luttrell, who sustained a major brain injury on a training mission in 2009 as a member of the Navy SEALS.

He was deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan during a 14-year military career, and since being granted a medical discharge in 2014, the brawny 6-foot-5, 230-pound Luttrell returned to Texas and discovered the Center for Brain Health, part of the University of Texas at Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences where he was treated for his traumatic brain injury.

What he observed while there set him on another course that led him to earn his Master’s degree, and he is currently working on his doctorate to become a cognitive scientist at the University of Texas at Dallas.

The grants will go to the ReBOOT program (BootCampaign.org) where Luttrell is director of development and working to develop a comprehensive, individualized, multi-disciplined approach to increasing mental and physical well-being for our nation’s veterans.

Infinite Hero will also present a grant to the Airpower Foundation (AirPowerFoundation.com) that works in conjunction with Infinite Hero and ReBOOT to provide continued treatment for veterans at no charge at Brain Treatment Centers in Orange County, Calif., and Seattle, Wash., with plans to expand to the East Coast next year.

Making the presentations will be Infinite Hero Foundation executive director Laurie Baker and Chandler, who has funded the Infinite Hero Funny Car racing program at Don Schumacher Racing for the past three years.

Chandler, a native of New Mexico, funds the Infinite Hero team along with DSR’s Make-A-Wish Funny Car. Neither organization contributes any funding to the teams. Chandler’s program has raised nearly $500,000 for Infinite Hero and has brought tremendous awareness to some of the most difficult issues facing our returning military heroes and families.

This season, Beckman has raised more than $120,000 through the sale of special military “challenge coins.” He carries at least 10 on each run down the track and then personalizes each for fans making a $100 donation to Infinite Hero.

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DSR: Beckman goes to semifinals at Maple Grove as Infinite Hero Dodge team continues hunt in NHRA Countdown to the Championship

READING, Pa. (Oct. 2, 2016) - Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T team, sponsored by Terry Chandler, advanced to the semifinals of the 32nd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Due to wet weather conditions in Reading, Pa., NHRA teams only had one lap of qualifying to set the ladder for Sunday's eliminations.

With only one qualifying pass, Beckman was seeded as the No. 11 qualifier when he pedaled his way to a 9.998-second pass at 63.76 mph.

He matched up against Chad Head on Sunday for the first round of competition and improved on his qualifying efforts to post a 3.872 at 330.80 to give him the win light.

Beckman, along with his crew chief Jimmy Prock, clocked their career best elapsed time with a 3.850 (332.26) against reigning world champion Del Worsham to give them the win and to send the team to the semifinals against Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr.

Beckman ran a 3.899, 327.51  mph pass in the semifinals but Johnson got the win with his 3.892, 328.94 and later won the event.

"I'm actually frustrated," Beckman said. "We had a phenomenal race car and lost a close race. But that is one of those must-win situations.

"You had four DSR Funny Cars in the semifinals. The No. 1, 2, 3, 4 cars in the points. We needed to win this race. They're not going to give us a re-run. We're going to have to tighten our belts a little bit.

"We have three chances left, so here's the deal. We need to make it to all three of these final rounds and there probably can't be one of the top two cars in the other lane for us to have a legitimate chance at the championship.

"To some extent, we control our fate. But we're going to have to rely on Make-A-Wish and NAPA stumbling, somewhat, and they're not showing signs of that. There is no reason for us to be beating ourselves up about our performance this weekend. We set the track record, we went one of the fastest speeds of all time here, and we beat some tough cars. But we're not out of opportunities to beat cars in front of us in the points."

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DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero Foundation team return to Maple Grove after big jump in standings following playoff win near St. Louis

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 28, 2016) – After their win last weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis, Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation Funny Car team head to the 32nd Dodge NHRA Nationals with their heads held high.

The Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car funded by Terry Chandler left Gateway on Sunday with the event title when Beckman defeated Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. in the final round.

The win was the team’s first win since the Chicago in mid-July.

“Coming off a win, subconsciously, everybody walks a little taller and has a little bit more confidence,” Beckman said of his team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham.

This weekend the team returns to Maple Grove Raceway, where they are the reigning event champion after rain wiped out three of four qualifying sessions.

With only one round of qualifying, Beckman entered race day as the No. 3 seed. Throughout the course of race day, Beckman knocked out Alexis DeJoria, Johnson, DSR teammate Ron Capps and Chad Head from competition.

“They’ve moved Reading up a few weeks and I think that’s a wise because last year, we almost lost the entire event because of rain. We only got one qualifying run in. It’s such a crapshoot during first round of eliminations – tons of tire smoke.

“And it’s a good decision to put it before Dallas this year. The weather around Reading this time of year tends to be favorable. I would definitely sacrifice world record conditions to have a higher likelihood of running without rain.”

The weather forecast for this weekend currently looks cooler which could result in big racing numbers for the NHRA teams.

“I’m not the weatherman and all the nitro teams are going to be faced with the same conditions. When we unload, we’ll figure out what the weather has in store for us,” Beckman said.

After their win last weekend, the team jumped from eighth in the standings to third and only 70 points behind leader Capps.
Despite the team’s win last year, Beckman says the team needs to focus on this year’s fight for the Funny Car championship.

“I don’t know if winning last year is going to be any factor because we don’t know if track or weather conditions will be the same. We definitely don’t have the same clutch pack in the car – which has been our Achilles heel most of this year. We’ve been trying to understand what the car wants and hoping it will incorporate with our tune-up changes. I would say we’re cautiously optimistic.

“We still aren’t in a comfort zone like we were this time last yea,r but we’ve got the ability to make the changes we need to be successful.”

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FOX SPORTS: Langdon takes a Wally as Don Schumacher Racing dominates St. Louis

By Samuel Reiman @samuelreiman Sep 25, 2016 at 4:55p ET 

 

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Alex Laughlin (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) took their respective class wins at Sunday's AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis.

For Don Schumacher Racing, it was a huge day as they secured all four spots in the Top Fuel and Funny Car final rounds.

In Top Fuel, it was Shawn Langdon and Tony Schumacher facing off for DSR in the final. The points had already been shaken up after Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta, Steve Torrence and Brittany Force - the top four in points coming in - all failed to make it to the semis. Tony Schumacher capitalized on the situation, sitting fifth on the points coming in, while Langdon had to hold off Brown, Kalitta and Crampton just to make it to the final. At the end of the day, it was Langdon knocking out yet another top-name competitor as he took his third win of the season.

Likewise in Funny Car, it was an all-DSR final as Tommy Johnson Jr. and Jack Beckman advanced out of the semis. Of the three points leaders entering - Ron Capps, Del Worsham and John Force - only Capps made it through to the semis, where he was knocked out by Beckman. For Johnson, making the final was a big opportunity as he came in fourth in the points. However, it was Beckman taking the win as Johnson hit trouble down the track in the final, and Beckman moved up to third in the points.

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NHRA.com: Langdon, Beckman, Laughlin, and Savoie collect victories at AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals

September 25, 2016

....

Beckman posted a 3.928 at 324.51 in his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T to better Tommy Johnson Jr.’s 4.185 at 231.40 in his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T during the Funny Car final. Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champion, claimed his 24th career victory and second at Gateway Motorsports Park with the performance. The 2015 season runner-up moved to third in the points standings. Beckman beat Dale Creasy Jr., 16-time champion and recent Charlotte winner John Force, and points leader Ron Capps in the earlier rounds.

“Our team was in a slump, and we did what was incredibly difficult with the way our car was acting unpredictably,” said Beckman, who won earlier this year in Chicago. “I’m not quite sure what changed, but I think I had a good outing as a driver today; the guys tuned smart, and we turned on the win light every time.”

...

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USA Today: Shawn Langdon, Jack Beckman win NHRA Midwest Nationals

The Associated Press 7:15 p.m. EDT September 25, 2016

MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Shawn Langdon raced to his third Top Fuel victory of the year Sunday in the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Langdon powered to a 3.798-second pass at 323.66 mph to beat eight-time season champion Tony Schumacher for his 14th career victory and first at Gateway. The 2013 season champion moved to fourth in the standings after two events in the six-race NHRA Mello Yello Countdown.

"We didn't really have a dominant car in qualifying, but we just kept picking away at it," said Langdon, also the winner at Bristol, Tennessee, and Norwalk, Ohio. "That's what we've been doing since we got those two victories (earlier this year). The car has just responded well. All in all, this was a great team effort. The whole team did a great job and gave me a great racecar today."

Jack Beckman won in Funny Car, Alex Laughlin in Pro Stock, and Jerry Savoie in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Beckman had a 3.928 at 324.51 in a Dodge Charger R/T to edge Tommy Johnson Jr. Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car champion, claimed his 24th career victory and second at Gateway. He's third in the standings.

Laughlin sprinted to his first final-round appearance and victory by powering his Chevy Camaro to a 6.611 at 208.68 to outlast Bo Butner. Laughlin failed to qualify for the Countdown.

Savoie raced to first victory of the year with a 6.933 at 189.36 on his Suzuki and against Angelle Sampey. Savoie is fourth in the standings.

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DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero team earn second win of the season, move to third in Countdown after Midwest Nationals at Gateway

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 25, 2016) – Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation team, sponsored by Terry Chandler, brought home the Wally trophy at the fifth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.

This victory is the team’s second win of the season and Beckman’s second win at Gateway Motorsports Park. However, the win on Sunday was not an easy feat.

“When you look back at all your wins, you never look back and say, ‘Well that one wasn’t fun.’ Every one of them is special for one reason or another,” Beckman said.

“This one will go down as, ‘our team is in a slump and we did what was incredibly difficult with the way our car was acting unpredictably.’ ”

The Infinite Hero team, led by Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, have not won an event since their victory in Chicago in July.

In qualifying, the Infinite Hero Foundation team struggled to make passes down the racetrack. Their only clean lap came on Friday night with a 3.907-second pass at 325.22 mph to seed them No. 2.

They faced Dale Creasy Jr. in the opening round of competition on Sunday. Beckman dropped a cylinder but still turned on the win light with a 4.042 at 309.27.

The big match up came in the second round when Beckman rolled up next to John Force. Beckman won the round with a holeshot victory with a 3.978 to Force’s quicker 3.961.

“Beating John Force is always huge,” Beckman said. “To the average fan, they don’t necessarily understand reaction times and ET and how you can manipulate those numbers and a lot of guys do it on race day.

“They just roll the car in deep. And for me, I just want to race smart and try to reserve lane choice for the team. You really have to be up on your toes and leave on time.

“So to leave on a holeshot that way is extra gratifying. And let’s face it, to beat the Babe Ruth of our sport, that’s never a bad thing.”

Beckman then faced his Don Schumacher Racing teammate and current NHRA Mello Yello points leader, Ron Capps in the semifinals.

Beckman ran a 3.954 to send him into the final round where he met another DSR teammate: Tommy Johnson Jr.

Beckman and Johnson’s Dodge Charge R/T Funny Cars are both funded by Chandler, making the two teammates in a very special way.

As the two Funny Cars rolled up, Chandler stood in the center to see both of her teams race for the event title. The final was even more special because next week is her birthday.

In the final round, Beckman made a stellar pass at 3.928 and 324.51 mph as Johnson went into tire smoke.

“I’ve had some pretty mediocre outings as a driver the last few races,” Beckman said. “You want to be there with your driving in case the car is not dead-on and the car saved me a couple of times too.

“The car was smoking the tires and I think my confidence was down. I’m not quite sure what changed but I think I had a good outing as a driver today and I’ve had a few of those that don’t end up in the winner’s circle. The guys tuned smart, I did my job as a driver and we turned on the win light every time.”

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DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge team qualify No. 2 spot for Sunday's eliminations in NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway near St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 24, 2016) - Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation team, sponsored by Terry Chandler, Sunday at Gateway Motorsports Park in the No. 2 qualifying position and look for their second event win of the season.

This weekend, Beckman and the crew struggled during qualifying as they only made one clean pass down the racetrack at the fifth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.
However, the one clean pass was good enough for the No. 2 qualifying position.

"If you look at the Infinite Hero team at the end of qualifying, you'll see that we qualified No. 2 and that doesn't tell the whole story," Beckman said.

"If you look at the details, you'll see we smoked the tires three out of four times and that doesn't tell the whole story."

During the opening round of qualifying on Friday, Beckman went into tire smoke but then during second session, he clocked a 3.907-second pass at 325.22 mph. He also picked up two bonus points in the session as he was second best of the round.

Unfortunately, on Saturday there was more tire smoke for the Infinite Hero Foundation team as they fought to go down the hot, sticky track in summer-like conditions during the first weekend of fall.
Beckman and his crew chief, Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, will face Dale Creasy Jr. on Sunday for the first round of eliminations.

"Qualifying No. 2 gives you a pretty decent first round match-up. We can probably afford to go up there and do a little bit of experimenting but we also need to try and run a mid-3.90," Beckman said.

"We'll run very well when the car responds to all of our changes. With the recent revisions we've made in the bellhousing, we need data. So the fact that we smoked the tires on three of the four runs doesn't mean we're lost. It means we're trying different things and seeing what the car likes there."

Aside from the NHRA event Wally trophy, Beckman and his team are looking to advance in the NHRA Mello Yello points standings as they compete for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

When entering the race weekend, the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team was eighth in points. A good race weekend could place them in a better positon for the NHRA Championship title.

"2012 was the last time I won St. Louis and that year ended for me about as perfect as a year could end for a driver," Beckman said, referring to his 2012 Funny Car world championship.

"At this point, every single round is huge. The cars that are top three and four in points, they're not going out first early. We can't rely on them stumbling. We have to go deep every single race day from here on out."

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

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DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero Foundation team fight to stay in the hunt for NHRA championship this weekend at NHRA Midwest Nationals

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 21, 2016) - The Infinite Hero Foundation team has some ground to make up this weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis at the fifth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

Last weekend at the Countdown to the Championship opener, the Carolina Nationals near Charlotte, Beckman and his team suffered a first-round loss to the lower qualified but reigning world champion Del Worsham of Kalitta Motorsports.

After their early loss, they fell from fourth in the points to eighth and will begin racing Friday trailing Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps by 110.

"Right now, I can't say how essential St. Louis would be because I don't have a crystal ball," Beckman said.

"What I can say is the maximum number of rounds you can compete in during the Countdown is 24. We just crossed four of those rounds off the list from Charlotte with zero points. When you got out first round, you can't earn any points for the rest of the day."

"Now for us, there's a maximum of 20 rounds left and each win pays 20 points. John Force already has four round wins after winning the Charlotte trophy. Ron Capps has two round wins. We have none.

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

"We have to create some momentum and show the capabilities ow what this team can do. And for everyone's mental wellbeing, we need to hold another trophy real soon to remind us what we're capable of."

The Infinite Hero Foundation team won their first and only event title earlier this season near Chicago.

"2012 was the last time I won St. Louis and that year ended for me about as perfect as a year could end for a driver," Beckman said, referring to his 2012 Funny Car world championship.

"This time last year, we had won six races, set the record four times and it looked like we were on our way to the championship and things just didn't work out for us. But we still had a wonderful year."

In 2015, Beckman came up short of winning the championship after winning seven event titles.

"Right now, we've won one race, we've reset the national record once this year. It looks like the odds are stacked against us for the championship. But we're only six rounds out of the lead. What we need to do is try to take advantage of as many of those 20 rounds as we can possibly participate in. That really means we have to go the final in St. Louis if we have a realistic shot at winning the title."

For additional information, please visit Don Schumacher Racing.

DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge team experience frustrating day with first-round loss near Charlotte to start Countdown playoff

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 18, 2016) – Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation team, funded by Terry Chandler, left zMAX Dragway near Charlotte frustrated after a first-round loss at the ninth annual NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Beckman lined up against reigning world champion Del Worsham of Kalitta Motorsports in the opening round of Sunday’s championship eliminations after making three solid qualifying passes that seeded them No. 5 position over No. 12 qualifier Worsham.

Beckman and crew chief Jimmy Prock had lane choice over Worsham but their day ended quickly when Beckman went into tire smoke as he slowed to a 4.275-second pass at 220.31 mph to Worsham’s 3.976.

“Frustrating. We struggled first round in Indy and we never really found the smoking gun. Now, we know the cause – it’s a bellhousing issue,” Beckman said.

“You’ve got a series of clutch discs that apply torque as soon as you step on the throttle and when they don’t do it in a predictable manner, you have to change something. We made a change coming into Charlotte.

“It looked pretty decent in qualifying. It was a really a warm racetrack in the first round but we had data from that. Everything we did should have allowed this car to go down the track and run a 3.95.

“Then we went out to 400 feet and knocked the tires loose and now we’ve painted ourselves into a corner. We will make a (clutch) disc change going into the next race – something you really don’t like doing this late in the year. The problem is our consistency. We run good numbers but every once in a while, it’s like Russian Roulette and that bullet comes up and our car does something unpredictable.”

Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T team know the importance of round wins during the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. In 2015, they entered the Carolina Nationals as the points leader but because of an first-round loss, the points lead went to Worsham, who went on to win the 2015 Funny Car Championship.

“Here we are in the Countdown and we didn’t just lose first round, we lost the ability to gain points over four rounds of racing.

“It’s a very different sport in drag racing. You can’t go back out there after having a spin out in the first lap and make laps to gain points. You’re finished for the day. We lost 80 points today and we can’t keep spotting those other teams those points when you’re competing for a championship.”

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Infinite Hero Foundation team with Beckman heads south to Charlotte for redemption when Countdown to the Championship begins Friday

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 14, 2016) - Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation team, sponsored by Terry Chandler, head into the Countdown to the Championship playoffs seeded fifth in the NHRA Funny Car points standings.

The team, led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, know how crucial this weekend's event at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte is in the hunt for a championship.

In 2015, Beckman entered the NHRA Carolina Nationals as the top seed but lost the lead to Kalitta Motorsports' Del Worsham, who went on to win the NHRA Funny Car championship.

"Relative to Del, when we left Indianapolis last year, we had a 17-round lead over them," Beckman said. "When we left Charlotte, they were leading us in the points.

"That's how important Charlotte can be. Nobody has a crystal ball and you can't look forward to the last race of the year at Pomona and say, 'Oh gosh, if we would have just done this different in Charlotte!' Because of that, I think the importance of every run is pretty obvious to every nitro competitor out there. You don't know how things are going to end up over the course of six races in the Countdown.
"You have to leave Charlotte with a high level of comfort."

Beckman and the team are looking for redemption after an upsetting loss in the first round of eliminations of the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend. The loss led to them dropping from third to fifth in points to start the Countdown.

"Boy, did we struggle in Indy," Beckman said.

"The frustrating thing about what happened in Indy, when we smoked the tires instantly in the first round, is that we didn't find a smoking gun. We know why the car did that, in the general sense. We don't know why the car did that, in a specific sense. We feel like we have a good direction to make it safer, but it's frustrating when you take a tune-up up there that should run a certain performance and it doesn't come close. Those are the ones that leave us scratching our heads.

"The silver lining is, we left Indy 15 rounds out of the lead and now, we're only three rounds behind."

Currently, Beckman sits in fifth in the NHRA points, only 60 points behind his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps, the No. 1 seed.

"What we need right now is good execution every time we tow to the starting line - not just elimination runs. Those are worth 20 points apiece but each qualifying run is potentially a three-point gain. We have to treat every single run like it's the final round of the U.S. Nationals.

"We're going to put every effort we can to being the quickest car going down the track and making consistent runs every time we tow up there."

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DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero team focuses on Countdown to Championship after disappointing early exit from NHRA U.S. Nationals near Indy

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 5, 2016) - A year ago, "Fast Jack" Beckman and the Terry Chandler-funded Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team, achieved maybe the biggest accomplishment in the sport of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing by winning the prestigious U.S. Nationals two days after winning the Traxxas Nitro Shootout .

Now, Beckman and his purple-clad team are eyeing an even larger prize when the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello season concludes in Southern California on Nov. 13, a second NHRA Funny Car world championship.

"When we won Chicago early this year, I didn't feel optimal and yet we won the race," Beckman said of his team's only win this season in July. "I keep a log book on the cars performance and my performance. My mental focus wasn't great and we won the race. I got up this morning with every reason to believe we were going to win this race. A great night's sleep, good concentration, great focus until one-and-a-half feet into the run and the car did something that baffled us. We weren't trying to be aggressive. We were trying to race smart. Hopefully that is out of the way so it doesn't bite us in the Countdown."

Beckman's weekend couldn't have started much better Friday evening under the lights at the famed Indianapolis strip. After participating in the 11th annual DSR Open House that raised more than $70,000 for Riley Hospital for Children, Beckman's Jimmy Prock-tuned Dodge clocked the second quickest pass of the weekend at 3.859 seconds to qualify the Infinite Hero team in the No. 2 position.

On the rare Monday race day, Beckman's Infinite Hero flopper barely rotated the tires before losing traction as underdog opponent Dave Richards scored the upset victory against the defending race winner.

Beckman will enter the six-race playoff as the No. 5 seed trailing teammate Ron Capps by 60 points or three rounds of racing. Beckman finishes the 2016 regular season with a mark of 25 round wins, 17 losses, one race win, three runners-up and four No. 1 qualifiers.

"We're going to be optimistic," Beckman said of the Countdown to the Championship. "We've got six races left. We're not going in as a top-two seed and we're going to have to execute flawlessly the next six races and there's no group of people I'd rather surround myself with than this group on the Infinite Hero team. Bad weekend at Indy, but good things ahead for the Infinite Hero car.

"We've been on the other side of this, last year we surrendered an enormous point's lead. This year Capps and the NAPA has to do the same thing. Our goal is to concentrate on round wins. I'm not even concerned with race trophies right now, just round wins."

The six-race Countdown to the Championship playoff begins at zMAX Dragway at Concord, N.C., near Charlotte, on Sept. 16.

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

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DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero team look to defend U.S. Nationals title, will start eliminations on Labor Day near Indy seeded No. 2

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 4, 2016) - Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T team funded by Terry Chandler head into the 62nd annual U.S. Nationals eliminations as the No. 2 qualifier and look to repeat their win from last year.

The Jimmy Prock-led team with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham posted a 3.859-second pass to earn lane choice when they face Dave Richards in Monday's opening round.

"We unload and 'Wow!' 3.859, one-thousandth off the track record and one-thousandth from the pole position," Beckman said of his first qualifying pass of the weekend.

"We get the new track record in speed, and then we struggled a little bit.

"In Indy, we get five qualifying shots here so our last one is a representation of what we can see tomorrow. And tomorrow, it's going to be a completely different day," Beckman said.

"We have run late all three days that we've made qualifying runs and now we're going to come out and make our first run in the morning for the first time of the entire event."

The run of show of the U.S. Nationals is unique to the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series because it is the only race to consist of three days of qualifying. Teams get five chances to take on the track to gain as much information as possible as they prepare for the biggest day of the session.

"Track conditions should be good for first round. We're No. 2 but we have to try to protect lane choice and we need to be aggressive.

"At the end of the day, we want to be standing there holding our second consecutive Indy trophy. There's a ton of big hitters standing in our way. We can do it."

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DSR: Beckman, Chandler's Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge look to repeat "Dream Weekend" this weekend in U.S. Nationals

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Aug. 30, 2016) - Last year at the U.S. Nationals, near Indianapolis, Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation team, sponsored by Terry Chandler, had the best possible weekend for a drag racing team.

To start, they won the unique "race within a race" $100,000 Traxxas Nitro Shootout event. They then were the No. 1 qualifying team heading into race day on Labor Day and closed out the weekend by winning the prestigious U.S. Nationals event, snapping a 14-year winless streak for Don Schumacher Racing Funny Cars at Indy.

This year is the 62nd annual event and the tale has a much different beginning than last year.

Beckman has not locked in his spot for the Traxxas Nitro Shootout as one of the first seven event winners of the season.

Although he and the Infinite Hero Dodge won the Mello Yello title on July 10 near Chicago, their only route to getting into Saturday's Shootout will be determined on Wednesday during NHRA Fanfest at Monument Circle in Downtown Indianapolis.

The eighth and final spot will be determined by a lottery weighted by the results of a social media fan vote.

"Last year was a dream weekend winning the Traxxas Shootout and then taking the Wally home the next day," said the 2012 Funny Car world champion. "It was hot, it was nasty and a marathon.

"There really wasn't any time to celebrate after winning the Shootout because we had to get up Monday and do it all over again but on a bigger stage racing for a U.S. Nationals trophy."

And his Infinite Hero Foundation team did just that.

"It was as close to a perfect racing weekend a drag racer could have," he said.

"The coolest part about going to a race that you won the previous year is that you might make it onto the cover of the event program," Beckman said of his win last year. "That's a reminder of being the last person standing at the end of last year's tough week."

Beckman and crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham are currently No. 4 in the NHRA Funny Car points standings. Following the U.S. Nationals, the points will be reset as the series heads into the Countdown to the Championship, the six-race playoff format that will determine which of the 10 Funny Car drivers will take home the 2016 championship.

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

"Right now it's about points and starting the Countdown as high as you possibly can. That 150 percent points payout at Indy puts a bigger carrot at the end of the stick at Indy," Beckman said.

Leading up to the U.S. Nationals, several of the NHRA teams, including seven of the eight Don Schumacher Racing teams, tested at the Indianapolis track in preparation for this weekend.

Beckman's Dodge Charger R/T made several runs down the race track testing different aspects of the car.

"We actually treated this like a test session," Beckman said. "A lot of teams come out here to practice one thing or another; to get the driver up to speed, get a new crew member up to speed, sort out the tune up.

"We actually tried some different clutch levers and a different clutch disc because we know at some point, it may not be this year, we're going to have to make some changes to be back at the top.

"A lot of times a scoreboard won't tell you how good a test session is. Sometimes, it's three or four months later when you recognize when you can implement something you learned during that test session."

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For additional information, please visit Don Schumacher Racing.

DSR: Beckman ready to return to Indianapolis for U.S. Nationals after early round exit for Infinite Hero Dodge team Sunday at Brainerd

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 21, 2016) - Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T team, sponsored by Terry Chandler, didn't look like a team that was lost in the second round Sunday afternoon at the 35th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.

Beckman qualified No. 4 with his 3.859-second pass at 308.85 mph in his third qualifying session.  In the opening round of competition, the Infinite Hero team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham ran a 3.859 at 330.15 to beat Cruz Pedregon.

The team moved into round two where they were matched against Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps. Beckman's car didn't make a full pass and he coasted to a 4.087 at 238.85 mph and the win went to Capps' 3.909 at 305.56 mph.

"It's interesting because we just lost second round. We're very frustrated and we're in here doing the interview and everyone is very upbeat because we have a team and a car that can win a lot of races," Beckman said of his team.

Beckman says his team has an optimistic attitude heading into the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series Countdown to the Championship because they know when the points standings are reset after the U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis, that the big hitters come to play.

"Look what (Del Worsham's) team did last year. They had a similar season to ours this year but gave notice they'd be tough then they came alive in the Countdown," Beckman said of Worsham who won the Funny Car world title last year.

"We're not doing this intentionally. We're not saving all our wins for later in the year but we're certainly capable of running off a streak of wins. It was an amazing weekend, performance wise. We just got bit in the second round. We don't know if we pushed too hard or just had an issue in the bellhousing," Beckman said.

Next week the Mello Yello series off but DSR and other top teams will at  Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis before the prestigious U.S. Nationals.

"I'll be home for two days. I'll mow the lawn; I'll spend time with the kids. I'll head back out to Indy. We'll test for a day or two. Then fly back home for a few days then back out to Indy for the race."

Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation team not only took home the win at Indy but also the Traxxas Nitro Shootout race last year.
This year, they are looking to repeat both titles.

"We still have the Traxxas deal. We're still looking for the fan vote in that. There's a lot of things on the table for us from here to the end of the year. I think it's right that we're upbeat. Yeah, we're frustrated but we know what we're capable of."

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

FUNNY CAR
Winner: Del Worsham (Kalitta Motorsports)
No. 1 qualifier: Matt Hagan (Don Schumacher Racing), 3.822 sec.-world record, 333.02-track record

JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 4
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: BECKMAN (3.859 sec., 330.15) def. Cruz Pedregon (4.838, 163.45)
Second round: Ron Capps (3.909, 305.56) def. BECKMAN (4.087, 238.85)
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 3.917 sec., 326.24 mph, (Session 1); 3.901, 295.14, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 3.859, 308.85, (Session 3); 9.001, 63.29, (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 seven 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 two-time world champion Antron Brown and the Sandvik Coromant/Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher dragster driven by Shawn Langdon and in Funny Car, 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, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr.

DSR has won 283 NHRA national event titles and 14 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.




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DSR: Beckman comes close to career best, possibly record run, with Infinite Hero Dodge on cool, quick Saturday at Brainerd

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 20, 2016) - The Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T, sponsored by Terry Chandler and piloted by Jack Beckman, was on its way to a career best elapsed time.

Unfortunately, they came up just five-thousandths of a second short during the third round of qualifying at Brainerd International Raceway at the 35th annual NHRA Nationals in northern Minnesota.

Possibly the most impressive part of Beckman's 3.859-second lap at 308.85 mph was that the car didn't make a full pass down the racetrack.

"We don't want to push it too hard so what happens when you're that quick early, we hit our REV limiter sooner and it takes a bunch of timing out. The motor is not happy and it drops a cylinder and eats up the blower belt. But otherwise, oh my gosh, what that could have been."

After scattered showers throughout the afternoon, the third and fourth sessions were delayed on Saturday.

"The one thing that is predictable about Brainerd is that nothing is predictable about Brainerd. It's that one track that we go to in August and it's either going to be 100 degrees or it's going to be crisp cool air.

"Then you get these rain showers that are in and out all day long. It's very odd, the way we get into our zone and go up there, and you have to turn the car right around and go back to the pits because there's a rain delay.

"But it's the same for everybody. Sometimes, it's in the middle of the session sometimes it's at the end of the session.

"We were on an absolutely monster pass third qualifying run and it dropped a cylinder and the blower belt came off and we coasted 170 feet and almost ran our career best ET (elapsed time). The thing really wanted to lay down something close to the national record.

"Then our teammate goes out and gets the national record on Q4 and we missed the tune up a little bit," Beckman said of his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan who reset the national record at 3.822.

"We're No. 4 so we've got lane choice," Beckman said. He will race Cruz Pedregon on Sunday in opening round of eliminations.

"It's probably going to be different conditions tomorrow. It's not going to be warm but it'll be sunnier than it was today. The racetrack will have some more heat in it and I think we have pretty good data to ran in it. I'm really looking forward to racing this."

BRAINERD FUNNY CAR
No. 1 qualifier: Matt Hagan (Don Schumacher Racing) 3.822 sec.-world record, 333.02 mph-track record

JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 4
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Cruz Pedregon
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 3.917 sec., 326.24 mph, (Session 1); 3.901, 295.14 (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 3.859, 308.85 mph, (Session 3); 9.001, 63.29 (Session 4)

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DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge enter this weekend's Mello Yello event in Brainerd going for second victory of the year

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Aug. 17, 2016) - In 2015, Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charge R/T team, funded by Terry Chandler, changed the performance of the NHRA Funny Car.

The performance over the last year has skyrocketed and is due in part to Beckman's crew chief Jimmy Prock and assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham.

This weekend, the team travels to Minnesota for the 35th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd. At the event last year, Beckman was the No. 1 qualifier with a stellar pass of 3.901 seconds at 325.69 mph.

A large part of the record breaking performances was due to the laid back style of headers that Beckman started running in Denver last year and many teams have followed its lead.

"Last year Brainerd was the first track on tour to see a Funny Car run in the 3.80s," Beckman said.

"Then last weekend in Seattle, you could have run in the 3.80s and not had lane choice first round. Now that we're cycling back to all the tracks where they've already seen laid back headers with the Funny Car, I thought we'd only see three or four hundredths of a second shaved off the track ET (elapsed time) record but Del (Worsham, Kalitta Motorsports) knocked eight hundredths off Seattle's record that at the time was the quickest round in history."

Last weekend in Seattle, Beckman and the Infinite Hero posted career bests a run in 3.854 seconds - fourth quickest in history - and at an astounding 334.15 mph, the second fastest ever.

Beckman says he is excited about the performance of the Funny Car field and where the sport is headed.

"It's a wonderful show for the fans. Everybody is getting their money's worth. As a driver, I love it because you have to hold on - these things are light in the frontend and hard to drive. As I fan, I just love seeing those big numbers pop up," Beckman said.

"I can't even make any performance predictions. The crew chiefs and Mopar engineering have just blown me away with what they've been able to achieve in the performance game."

After Seattle, NHRA teams had a weekend off. But Beckman and his family did what racers do - they went to a drag race.

"I got to drive a friend's NHRA Top Dragster in the bracket race in Boise (Idaho). I think we made about 17 to 18 runs over the course of the weekend and also did some announcing. It was just a fun getaway.

"It might sound odd that a getaway isn't getting away from a dragstrip, but Sportsman racing is completely different than driving a nitro Funny Car. It's been a good time to unwind.

"I'll hop on an airplane and go home, get everything taken care of there: mow the grass, pack my bags, hop back on the airplane and go to Brainerd. I just can't think of a better way to get my head back in the game than racing. I think now we have the car that we've been wanting.

"The downside is that we've tweaked both of our cars and the DSR chassis shop (fabrication shop) has had to work overtime to get us fresh pipe on this. I don't think that's going to do anything but make us better when we go to Brainerd."

Photo Credit: Auto Imagery

JACK BECKMAN: Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Last event: Seattle (Aug. 5, 2016): Qualified No. 4, lost in second round to Matt Hagan
A year ago at Brainerd: Qualified No. 1, lost in semifinals to Tommy Johnson Jr.
Career at Brainerd: Wins 0; Runner-ups 2 (2008, 2010); Poles 3 (2012-13, 2015)
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L
2016 3rd 16 1 3 2 10 3 4 0 24-15
CAREER 244 23 25 43 69 76 19 7 321-214
Best Time, Speed: 3.854 sec. (2016, Seattle); 334.15 mph (Seattle, 2016)

NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES FUNNY CAR STANDINGS
Through 16 of 24 events; Seattle Funny Car finals to be held at Brainerd; DSR DRIVERS IN CAPS
1. RON CAPPS (4 or 5) 1313 or 1333
2. Courtney Force (1) 1124
3. JACK BECKMAN (1) 1088
4. Del Worsham (0 or 1) 1070 or 1090
5. MATT HAGAN (2) 1011
7. Robert Hight (1) 988
6. John Force (2) 970
8. TOMMY JOHNSON JR. (1) 940
9. Tim Wilkerson (2) 862
10. Alexis DeJoria (1) 765

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