"I'm really, really excited," said Beckman who was runner-up at the event last year.
"This car keeps showing us light at the end of the tunnel and then it moves the tunnel a little farther away from us. We're still not quite speaking its language but we still have a car that can win on race day."
Rain on Friday night forced NHRA to cancel the second qualifying session but not before Beckman clocked a lap of 3.899 seconds at 324.59 mph during the first session.
Teams returned on Saturday to a dry track. During the final qualifying session, Beckman ran a 3.844 (331.77) to move up to No. 4. The Infinite Hero Foundation team, led by crew chiefs Neal Strausbaugh, Dean Antonelli and John Medlen, will face Chad Head of Kalitta Motorsports in the opening round.
"To go back there in what has been far and above the best conditions of the year and to be able to throw down some big numbers with the hitter cars out there, we know what our capabilities are right now.
"Tomorrow probably won't have the fairy tale conditions of today. That being said, it's still going to be what would have been national record times prior to this weekend. Topeka is a difficult track - not because of the racetrack - it may be the smoothest on tour but because the weather seems to change every 10 minutes.
"It's a crew chief's nightmare and a driver's dream and hopefully we're all smiling at the end of the day."
JACK BECKMAN, Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 4
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Chad Head
QUALIFYING RESULTS
FRIDAY: 3.899 sec., 324.59 mph, (Session 1); rained out, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 8.595, 74.38, (Session 3); 3.844, 331.77, (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 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 304 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
