Saturday, June 17, 2017

DSR: Beckman, Chandler's Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T team hope for a long, hot race day in Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol



BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 17, 2017) - June 21 marks the first day of summer but the summer heat arrived this weekend at Bristol Dragway for the 17th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals and Terry Chandler's Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car with Jack Beckman is ready to race the tricky track.

The Infinite Hero Foundation team will race Cruz Pedregon on Sunday for the opening round of competition.

After a slight rain on Saturday, Beckman posted a time of 3.959 seconds at 318.62 mph to seed them No. 5 and earn them two qualifying bonus points.
"It was worth the wait," Beckman said. "It was a rain delay. The conditions are going to be completely different tomorrow.

"I'm glad we got to make that run. We got two bonus points out of it which means that we were better than every Funny Car but one. We moved up a spot on the ladder. We got some data going into tomorrow. Then it's going to be another day.

"It's a noon start, which is an hour later than normal. It was already going to be hot, which means first round conditions are going to be more typical of a second round at other summer races.

"So, get ready. As a driver, you still have to do your burn out, stage fine, leave on time. Then get ready, there's going to be some crazy stuff going on tomorrow. They're giving a trophy away so we're doing our best that it goes to the Infinite Hero pit."

JACK BECKMAN, Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Foundation 2017 Dodge Charger R/T    
Crew chiefs: Dean Antonelli, John Medlen, Neal Strausbaugh
Qualified: No. 5
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Cruz Pedregon
QUALIFYING RESULTS
FRIDAY: 4.162 sec., 251.49 mph, (Session 1); 4.000, 322.96, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 6.635, 97.05, (Session 3); 3.959, 318.62, (Session 4)
BY THE NUMBERS
Best Time, Speed: 3.825 sec., (2016 Pomona 2); 334.15 mph (Seattle 2016)
Last event (June 11), Englishtown, N.J.: Qualified No. 4, won in championship round over Ron Capps
A year ago at Bristol: Qualified No. 9, lost in second round to Ron Capps
Career at Bristol: Wins 0; Runner-ups 1 (2011); Poles 0

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 308 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