Unfortunately, they will have to try again for their first win in Phoenix.
"I'm not the first one of the DSR Funny Car squad to say the cars we fear the most in the other lane are the other Dodges," Beckman said. "We know what parts and aerodynamics they have. I tell you what's very satisfying out here, this is a team sport."
Beckman was referring to his second round lost against Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Matt Hagan who later won the event.
"You've got 11 guys on a team, all working for a singular goal. But we can also go next door. When I needed another parachute, I went over to our Mopar teammate's car and they helped us out. And we had to race them the next round. You always say, 'from burnout to turnout there are no teammates,' it's every team for themselves."
In the first round of competition, Beckman ran a 3.867-second lap at 330.63 mph to give him the win over Cruz Pedregon. Then in round two, Beckman lined up against Hagan. Beckman ran a 3.893-second lap (323.30 mph) but Hagan was quicker with his 3.885.
"It's nice to know that when the fans are making betting odds on who they think will win a Mopar is always going to be near the top of the heap."
Beckman and the Infinite Hero team will have a weekend off before heading to the NHRA Arizona Nationals for the second event of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season.
 |
| Photo Credit: Auto Imagery |
Event winner:
No. 1 qualifier: Matt Hagan (Don Schumacher Racing), 3.822 sec., 335.57 mph (both match Hagan's national records set in 2016)
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chiefs: John Medlen, Dean Antonelli, Neal Strausbaugh
First round: BECKMAN (3.867 sec., 330.63 mph) def. Cruz Pedregon (13.004, 67.39)
Second round: Matt Hagan (3.882, 329.18) def. BECKMAN (3.893, 328.30)
Qualified: No. 8
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 4.153 sec., 295.14 mph, (Session 1); rained out, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 5.937, 123.42, (Session 3); 3.853, 327.43, (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 Papa John's Top Fuel dragster driven by Leah Pritchett and 2013 Top Fuel world champion Shawn Langdon and in Funny Car, 2011 and 2014 world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar Express Lane 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 295 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jeff Wolf (wolfj@shoeracing.com), 702.524.1368
Leah Vaughn (vaughnl@shoeracing.com), 618.516.1988
