LAS VEGAS (April 1, 2017) - Despite a tricky racetrack, Jack Beckman and Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T team overcame challenges to earn the No. 5 seed for eliminations in Sunday's 18th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"The thing with this car, is we're trying to make it predictable," Beckman said.
"If you have a predictable car, you have a consistent car. Then you start leaning on it and you have a fast car, right now I think our predictability is coming to where we need it to be."
The racetrack gave crew chiefs headaches on Friday under unexpected cool conditions. In the second session, Beckman pedaled his way to a 4.351-second time at 223.28 mph, which usually would be near the bottom of the field. But the pass was second best and earned Beckman two bonus points.
On Saturday, the Infinite Hero team, led by crew chiefs Neal Strausbaugh, Dean Antonelli and John Medlen, returned to the track to see sunny skies and feel warmer weather.
Beckman ran a 3.921 (327.03) to open the day then improved to 3.886 (329.18) during the final session to earn the No. 5 position. He will race former world champion Cruz Pedregon on Sunday in the first round.
"We've had to phase in some new clutch disks," Beckman said. "Your inventory gets depleted and you have to work in new ones. We're going to face the same thing three races down the road but if we keep making good decisions like we've done with these two new disks, it should be a pretty seamless transition.
"The better thing is, I think we've got a car we can race with on Sunday."
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chiefs: John Medlen, Dean Antonelli, Neal Strausbaugh
Qualified: No. 5
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Cruz Pedregon
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 8.661 sec., 71.92 mph, (Session 1); 4.351, 223.28, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 3.921, 327.03, (Session 3); 3.886, 329.18, (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 298 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.
