COMMERCE, Ga. (May 14, 2016) – Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero
Foundation team have made qualifying look easy so far in the 2016 NHRA
Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T team sponsored by
Terry Chandler earned their fourth No. 1 qualifying position of the
season with their third NHRA track time record of the year to lead Don
Schumacher Racing’s four Funny Cars into the top-half of the 16-car
field for Sunday’s championship eliminations in the NHRA Southern
Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.
“I’m happy with where we are now,” Beckman said. “Qualifying No. 1 is
nice for a bit of prestige you get, and you also get some qualifying
bonus points with that run. It’s also nice because you can get a more
favorable match-up in the first round tomorrow, but the whole part of
that is to play it smart strategically and win four rounds on Sunday.”
That part has been the challenge for 2012 world champion Beckman and
the Infinite Hero team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants
John Medlen and Chris Cunningham who have yet to reach a final round
this season.
“In Gainesville, we definitely had a car where we could win,” Beckman
said. “Other than that this year, we have stubbed our toe a lot of
times. When the track got warm, if it didn’t wear the clutch just right,
we didn’t make it very far. I think that the changes that we’ve made
have now given us as good of a hot weather package as anyone else out
there.”
The Infinite Hero team started to see success with their hot weather
tune-up during Saturday qualifying at Atlanta Dragway with elapsed times
of 4.033-seconds and 3.975-seconds.
But if weather forecasters are correct for Sunday in Commerce, Ga.,
it could be ideal for Prock and company with a high of 76 degrees and
cloudy skies.
“I’ll sleep well tonight and come in tomorrow embracing the fact that
we’re going to be the favorites. There are so many great cars out here
that you have to go back to the cliché ‘race them one at a time.’ I’m
looking forward to it.”
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