HOUSTON (April 23, 2017) - Jack Beckman and Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Foundation Funny Car team took a big step Sunday when it advanced to the semifinal for the first time this season in the 30th annual NHRA SpringNationals at Baytown, Texas.
Although Beckman lost to Don Schumacher Racing teammate and eventual event winner Ron Capps, Beckman appreciates strides taken by his team led by crew chiefs John Medlen, Dean Antonelli and Neal Strausbaugh.
"Today was our first semi of the year so it's a nice feeling to start going deep into Sunday," Beckman said. "It's no fun to go out second round and start loading up.
"But you know, they give us 24 shots at winner a trophy each year. It's going to be more important during the Countdown that is the last six races, but boy you don't want to just keep burning Sundays and leaving without a trophy.
"The light at the end of the tunnel is we made several good runs in a row here. We made three solid runs in qualifying."
The Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car was consistent throughout qualifying with its last three runs ranging between 3.907 and 3.931 seconds with speeds at 327 mph on each. The 3.907 earned Beckman the No. 6 qualifying spot that will pair him in the first round with Don Schumacher Racing teammate and NHRA Mello Yello Series points leader Matt Hagan.
In round one Sunday, Beckman went into tire smoke down the track but his 4.224 (222.62) was enough to get passed Hagan's 5.142 who also lost traction.
Then during the second round, Beckman clocked a 3.897 (329.18) that was low of the round and eliminated John Force.
In the semifinals, Beckman lined up against Ron Capps but dropped a cylinder right at the hit of the throttle allowing Capps got the round win and later the event title.
"We stumbled first round but we didn't miss it by much," said Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champion. "We came back and ran low ET of second round. And then on our last run something bit us that doesn't normally happen. It put a cylinder out right at the step of the throttle.
"We've just got to figure out what's enough fuel to make it move fast and not too much that it floods out a spark plug. So at least we won't have long to hold our heads down.
"We'll drag this thing out to Charlotte for the Four-Wide Nationals, try to remember how to stage with three cars next to you but it only takes three rounds there to leave with the trophy."
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series travels next weekend to the unique Four-Wide Nationals where four cars race at once for a sensory overload of 44,000 horsepower.
"That place has been pretty good to me in the past. I'm pretty comfortable there. I think now we're starting to get more and more data. We got several more (laps) this weekend so there's a silver lining. We're going to be in good shape."
FUNNY CAR
Event winner: Ron Capps (Don Schumacher Racing)
No. 1 qualifier: Courtney Force (John Force Racing), 3.851 sec., 330.23 mph - track records
JACK BECKMAN, Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chiefs: John Medlen, Dean Antonelli, Neal Strausbaugh
QUALIFIED: No. 6
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: BECKMAN (4.224 sec., 222.62 mph) def. Matt Hagan (5.142, 162.12)
Second round: BECKMAN (3.897, 329.18) def. John Force (4.134, 273.39)
Semifinals: Ron Capps (3.926, 325.37) def. BECKMAN (6.126, 114.85)
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 4.871 sec., 161.07 mph, (Session 1); 3.931, 327.11, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 3.921, 327.03, (Session 3); 3.907, 327.90 (Session 4)
Career at Houston: Wins 0; Runner-ups 3 (2015, 2014, 2009); Poles 1 (2015)
2017 NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES STANDINGS
(Official after Houston; 5th of 24 events; wins in parenthesis; DSR drivers in CAPS)
Funny Car
1. MATT HAGAN (2) 400 -----
2. RON CAPPS (1) 398 -2
3. John Force (1) 371 -29
4. TOMMY JOHNSON JR. (1) 357 -43
5. Robert Hight 301 -99
5. Courtney Force 301 -99
7. JACK BECKMAN 282 -118
8. Jonnie Lindberg 235 -165
9. J.R. Todd 222 -178
10. Jim Campbell 211 -189
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 300 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
