Chandler's Infinite Hero team with Beckman in the hot seat at Norwalk gets second win in three straight final rounds
Beckman crossed the finish line in the final round in 4.073 seconds 311.85 mph as the car exploded. He exited safely and got the win over Robert Hight.
"I don't know that we're going to spend a whole lot of time soul searching about why we struggled here, because we left with the trophy," Beckman said who has won three times at Norwalk.
Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champ, and his crew chief trio of Dean Antonelli, John Medlen and Neal Strausbaugh advanced to their third straight final round in which they've now won two.
The Infinite Hero car may not have ran the quickest of the 16-car field but it was definitely consist. Beckman ran times of 4.06, 4.07, 4.07, 4.07 throughout the day.
"What happens when you start running consistent is the other cars know that they have to step up a little and I think that we just enjoyed a little bit of that for the last couple weekends. We weren't spectacular, but our car went to the finish line pretty consistently and folks knew they had to step up.
"When I say we weren't spectacular, recognize I'm talking about a tenth of a second off of where we'd like to be. Which is not even a blink of an eye, but we need to pick that up and I have every confidence we will pick that up.
"If it doesn't happen tomorrow we're going to keep testing this thing. We want to win some more races and we want to win the championship, which means by Indy we have to have a combination that listens to us. But between now and then they're giving a trophy away every weekend."
This weekend's event in Norwalk closed out the "June Swing," consisting of four races throughout the month. Norwalk was the team's third final round in a row and second win in two weeks.
JACK BECKMAN, Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T Crew chiefs: Dean Antonelli, John Medlen, Neal Strausbaugh
SUNDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: BECKMAN (4.060 sec., 319.82) def. Cruz Pedregon (4.180, 266.11)
Second round: BECKMAN (4.078, 310.84) def. Matt Hagan (4.152, 275.06)
Semifinals: BECKMAN (4.074, 319.45) def. Tommy Johnson Jr. (6.049, 118.22)
Final: BECKMAN (4.074, 319.45) def. Robert Hight (6.673, 98.53 mph)
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 9
FRIDAY: 12.165 sec., 81.77 mph, (Session 1); 6.723, 103.40, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.321, 224.88, (Session 3); 3.971, 322.04, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.825 sec., (2016 Pomona 2); 334.15 mph (Seattle 2016)
NORWALK BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (June 18), Bristol, Tenn.: Qualified No. 5, lost in championship round to Ron Capps
A year ago at Norwalk: Qualified No. 5, lost in first round to Alexis DeJoria
Career at Norwalk: Wins 3 (2009, 2015, 2017); Runner-ups 0; Poles 0
2017 NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES FUNNY CAR STANDINGS
(Official after Norwalk, Ohio; 12th of 24 events; wins in parenthesis; DSR drivers in CAPS)
1. RON CAPPS (5) 1,095 -----
2. MATT HAGAN (3) 946 -149
3. JACK BECKMAN (2) 860 -230
4. Robert Hight 809 -286
5. TOMMY JOHNSON JR. (1) 739 -356
6. Courtney Force 714 -381
7. John Force (1) 683 -412
8. Tim Wilkerson 525 -570
9. J.R. Todd 508 -587
10. Cruz Pedregon 431 -664
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, 2016 world champion the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr.
DSR has won 310 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
