NHRA: Kalitta, Beckman, Anderson, Sampey lead after opening day in Atlanta

Two-time Atlanta winner Beckman took the qualifying lead in Funny Car with a track record performance of 3.939 at 326.32 in his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T. Beckman has three No. 1 qualifiers already this season but is still chasing his first victory of the year. He has 18 No. 1 qualifiers in his career but none in Atlanta.

“This year we have not had the same performances as we did last year,” said Beckman, who raced to a career-high seven victories in 2015. “We are fine when the track conditions are cool, but we’re struggling when it’s warm. There’s still some more performance in this car. At the end of the day, end of the weekend, end of the race, really the only thing that matters is holding up that trophy with your group in the winner’s circle. We haven’t even been to a final yet, and I’m hoping this Sunday is our first one.”




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