LAS VEGAS (April 1, 2016) – Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge
Charger R/T Funny Car team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock are on the cusp
of earning their third No. 1 qualifying position in four NHRA Mello
Yello Drag Racing events this year with a Las Vegas track record elapsed
time of 3.916 seconds set on Friday to open the NHRA Denso Nationals.
If the time holds after Saturday’s last two qualifying sessions, it
will be the eighth track at which Don Schumacher Racing’s Infinite Hero
team funded by Terry Chandler holds a track E.T. record with Prock and
assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham.
DSR holds 40 of the possible 84 track records in both nitro categories at the 21 tracks on the Mello Yello tour.
“That record just means I didn’t screw up what Jimmy, John and Chris
set the car up to do,” said Beckman, who currently holds the
national-record ET of 3.879.
Beckman, who won a personal best seven event titles and seven poles a
year ago, advanced to the semifinals two weeks ago at Gainesville,
Fla., where he recorded his 3.879.
“It’s going to be a late day tomorrow with the (Top Fuel) dragsters
running first, and if there’s cloud cover then that time definitely will
be in jeopardy. Boy, have I learned the difference between a
provisional pole and the final pole.
“We struggled on the first run (9.434) and were really aggressive at
the starting line and the track wouldn't hold it and that meant we
didn’t have data from the run. When the car doesn’t go 40 feet, you
don’t know how much you missed it.
“It’s very gratifying that our crew can look at an aborted run and come right back and set the track record.”
FULL ARTICLE
