"It wasn't quite our M.O. in qualifying," Beckman said. "We unloaded with a solid run and got some qualifying points and then struggled the next three runs. It's not that we were testing anything in particular on those runs and that raises a little bit of a question in our heads going into race day."
The Infinite Hero team, opened qualifying on Friday with a pass of 3.878 seconds at 330.23 mph. Unfortunately, none of its three other qualifying efforts resulted in a run over 100 mph.
Their time from Friday seeds the team, led by crew chiefs Dean Antonelli, Neal Strausbaugh and John Medlen in the No. 5 spot. Beckman will line up against former Funny Car and Top Fuel world champion Del Worsham on Sunday.
"We'll still have lane choice and I still think we have a car that can win tomorrow. It's a matter of Dean, Neal and John dipping into the data and making an educated decision on why we're spinning the tires and then making the right adjustments to the car tomorrow. I think we just have to show up tomorrow with a lot of optimism and power forward."
JACK BECKMAN, Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Foundation 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Del Worsham
Qualified: No. 5
FRIDAY: 3.878 sec., 330.23 mph, (Session 1); 7.204, 94.24, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 10.532, 58.27, (Session 3); 10.934, 62.13, (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 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
