GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18, 2017) - Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation Funny Car team, sponsored by Terry Chandler, enter the final day of the 48th annual NHRA Gatornationals ready to post their first win of the year.
"We had the luxury of trying some new things in the bellhousing this weekend," said Beckman, who qualified No. 8 with a final run of 3.883 seconds at 321.27 mph. "When you unload out of the trailer and make a good qualifying run, you know you're set. That should keep you in the top half."
Beckman and the team, led by crew chiefs Dean Antonelli, John Medlen and Neal Strausbaugh made two qualifying passes in the 3.80-second range; their first on Friday and last on Saturday.
During the first qualifying session, Beckman made a pass of 3.883 and closed with the 3.897.
"We actually cycled some new clutch disks in and it's a strategic move. We'll give up a couple of potential qualifying positions here to get that data for when we need to incorporate new disks throughout the year.
"With the six-disk clutch pack, you're going to run out of a certain amount of those by the time the season gets to the end. We want to get ahead of the game. It's a nice deal to be able to test with those.
"We closed qualifying with another 3.80 run. The guys already have a pretty decent handle on what will eventually be our disk package."
Beckman will face Tim Wilkerson in the opening round of competition on Sunday.
QUALIFYING RESULTS FROM THE GATORNATIONALS
FUNNY CAR
No. 1 qualifier: John Force (John Force Racing), 3.832 sec.-track record, 333.25 mph
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chiefs: John Medlen, Dean Antonelli, Neal Strausbaugh
Qualified: No. 8
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Tim Wilkerson
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 3.883 sec., 321.27 mph, (Session 1); 10.014, 74.13, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.382, 205.66, (Session 3); 3.897, 330.23, (Session 4)
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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 297 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.
