BROWNSBURG, Ind. (May 30, 2017) - Jack Beckman and Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Funny Car team travel to Epping, N.H., for this weekend's fifth annual NHRA New England Nationals.
"It's the newest race on tour, at one of the oldest facilities on tour," Beckman said of New England Dragway.
"I'm a historian and there's so much Funny Car history in that area. The fans are unbelievably grateful for us coming to their town to race. It's kind of a 'pinch me' moment. It's like a throwback to bring in the contemporary NHRA show into a facility that looks like it could have come out of a time machine from the mid-70s."
In 2016 at the New England Nationals, Beckman entered race day as the No. 6 qualifier with a time of 3.895 seconds at 329.99 mph. He advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr.
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series heads to New England Dragway for the ninth event of the season and the first of a four-race swing in June called the "Eastern Swing."
"The schedule is what it is. We don't have any say in it and I'm comfortable with however they want to do it. I would say I'm maybe more anxious than some to get back out there.
"I would say that the drivers who haven't won their first win of the year are chomping at the bit for the four in a row because it will maximize our chances of getting that first trophy."
And it's a trophy that the Infinite Hero Foundation team is hunting.
The team, led by crew chiefs Neal Strausbaugh, Dean Antonelli and John Medlen, has advanced to two semifinals rounds and one final round but has yet to earn their first win of the season.
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Foundation 2017 Dodge Charger R/T - former world champ seeks first in '17
Best Time, Speed: 3.825 sec., (2016 Pomona 2); 334.15 mph (Seattle 2016)
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 306 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
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