BBC TopGear: Video: dragster detonates at New England Nationals

Jack Beckman’s Funny Car explodes halfway down the strip. Thankfully, he's OK

We all know everything looks better in slow motion. Whether it’s people get splatted in the face with water balloons, or smashing slabs of jelly with tennis rackets, the more frames per second something is captured in, the better.

When you add the mad and sometimes explode-y world of drag racing into the mix, slow-mo comes into its own.

Recently, we showed you what happened when dragster pilot Doug Kalitta started drifting (something that’s definitely not meant to happen in this form of motorsport) down the strip in his Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster. It was majestic. Today’s vid however, is just plain terrifying.

At the eighth-mile mark during the third qualifying session at the recent New England Nationals at New England Dragway, Jack Beckman’s Infinite Hero Dodge Charger exploded.

As you can see above, with fuel and fire throbbing out of the side pipes, all was going swimmingly, until… well, see for yourself. The engine detonates sending the composite bodywork flying, while the manifold and case of the supercharger are split clean in half.

Mercifully, Jack Beckman was unharmed, and walked away unscathed.

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DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero power back in rain-delayed eliminations after major explosion two days earlier in New England Nationals

EPPING, N.H. (June 6, 2016) – Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T completed a pair of runs Monday in the rain-delayed NHRA New England Nationals with times of 3.935 and 3.937 seconds.

Even though his last run of 3.937 at 325.30 was impressive, it wasn’t enough to defeat Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr., who advanced to the final round at New England Raceway at Epping, N.H.

That he was even able to get down the track both times was a testament to his Infinite Hero team funded by Terry Chandler and led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham.

The team needed a resurgent Monday before next weekend’s NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at Englishtown, N.J., which will be the second of four races in four weeks.

The Infinite Hero team exhibited resilience after suffering one of the biggest Funny Car explosions in drag racing history in Saturday’s first qualifying session and was forced to miss the day’s last qualifying run.

As Beckman passed half-track on his third qualifying run, a malfunction led to a horrific engine explosion that destroyed the Dodge Charger R/T carbon fiber body, damaged the chassis and caused considerable damage to the electrical wiring from an ensuing fire. He was uninjured.

The Infinite Hero team skipped the final qualifying session to get ready to race for the trophy on Sunday and remained late at the track not knowing race day would be rained out.

“This is the first of four in a row and I hope things settle down a little bit and we get to go into the winner’s circle,” said Beckman, who will arrive at Englishtown second in points and only 15 out of first.

“To have what happened to us on Saturday and to run as well as we did today on a chassis without any previous runs is what we expect because Terry Chandler gives the funds to do that, and (team owner) Don Schumacher gives us the personnel and the equipment to be able to run that well.

“But sometimes that’s easier said than done. To actually be able to go out and do it by running two 3.93s after all the things we had to suffer through and Sunday’s rain delay … the silver lining is we have a good combination to take to Englishtown and we don’t have to feel like we have to be rushed to get a new front half on that chassis and press it back into service next weekend.

“I actually think this new chassis drives a little better. The back half of the other chassis had tons of runs on it, and we had run it over parts of the past four years.

“Brighter days are ahead for the Infinite Hero group.”

And Beckman isn’t talking about the weather.

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BangShift.com: Watch Jack Beckman Suffer One Of The Worst Funny Car Explosions Of All Time At NHRA Epping

 Jun 05, 2016 Brian Lohnes  

The NHRA New England Nationals event had already delivered some pretty amazing stuff by the time that Saturday afternoon had rolled around. Historically quick runs in classes from super stock to funny car kept two days of packed house attendance entertained. Track records were leveled multiple times in multiple categories and things were really set up for a nice afternoon of nitro fun in Epping, New Hampshire. That is why no one could have predicted the calamity that would befall Jack Beckman during the third round of funny car qualifying.

While making a run against John Hale, Beckman’s Infinite Hero foundation Dodge exploded with a level of destructive force New England Dragway had never seen before. Funny cars and dragsters explode, it happens, but they don’t usually detonate with the ferocity that this one did. As you will see in the video, the explosion was so great the actual blower case was blown apart (admittedly something we have never seen in a modern blower with a billet case). That gives you an idea of just how much of a bomb this was.

In the videos below you will see the explosion and you will also see John Kernan’s interview with Jack after the hist has settled at the top end of the track. Beckman goes into detail about what it was like to be inside the car when all of this happened and it is a pretty damned good watch.

We were very relieved that Jack was OK. The car is not Ok, though. With a bent chassis and a destroyed engine, the crew was dismantling the thing and getting the backup car ready last night for the racing that we plan on seeing Sunday.

Driving funny cars is a dangerous business but even with that being said, some days are LOTS more dangerous than others.

 

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CBS8.com: Funny car explodes at the NHRA, driver walks away

NEW ENGLAND (CBS 8) - A scary sight at the NHRA race in New England. Jack Beckman was on his way to a win when his car explodes.
   
Beckman did an amazing job keeping the car in his lane and pulling the chutes.
   
The car looked to be a total loss, but Beckman walked away under his own power.

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RACER.com: Beckman uninjured after explosion

NHRA Funny Car driver Jack Beckman was unhurt after his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger exploded during Saturday's first round of qualifying for the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway.

Crew chief Jimmy Prock confirmed that a broken camshaft was the cause of the explosion. Beckman was in the process of closing the throttle when the broken camshaft caused the air/fuel mixture to ignite in the manifold, causing the blow-up.

"It was moving around some," Beckman told Fox Sports after he climbed out of the wreckage. "This racetrack can be exciting as a driver, the groove can get tight and sometimes you have to stage off to the inside to get better rubber on the starting line. I pulled it back, and it's moving around some, and I think it just started to spin the tires ... what could have happened is it might have tagged an intake valve, and big explosion, I mean, that's one of the biggest ever.

"The worst for me, 'cause the oil was completely all over my visor, and I actually had time to reach up with my glove and wipe it up, and until then I couldn't any see anything. And it's nice to know that you're not going into the wall. You look at the safety gear and my gloves are burned, my firesuit's burned, and I'm OK. Forty years ago that wouldn't have been the case with a fire like that."

The team planned to continue with the same chassis, foregoing the final session in order to take the time to prepare the car for final eliminations.

Ron Capps maintained his No. 1 qualifying spot in Funny Car qualifying after Friday's elapsed time track-record pass of 3.865 pass (325.92mph) held up.

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DSR: Beckman rides out massive explosion in Infinite Hero Dodge, team skips last qualifying session to prepare for Epping race day

EPPING, N.H. (June 4, 2016) – Jack Beckman rarely misses a qualifying session, but his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T team felt it best to sit out the last one on Saturday in the NHRA New England Nationals about 60 miles north of Boston.

As he approached the finish line in the third of four qualifying sessions, a malfunction led to a horrific engine explosion that destroyed his carbon fiber body and considerable damage was done to electrical wiring from the ensuing fire.

Beckman was not injured, and crew chief Jimmy Prock decided the best way to prepare for Sunday’s scheduled eliminations would be to take time to get either that car or the back-up Dodge ready to race on Sunday.

“I’m sure there was some kind of parts failure,” Prock said after the run. “It started spinning (the rear tires) and it moved to the inside and out of the grove. It was on fire under the (computer) box, so we just have to see how much is burned up.”

The Infinite Hero team, which is sponsored by Terry Chandler, started Saturday ranked sixth in qualifying after a 3.895-second run at 329.99 mph in Friday’s opening session. Beckman, who started Saturday second in points and only 11 behind leader Courtney Force, will start Sunday in the No. 6 spot and face Cruz Pedregon in the opening round.

Beckman felt as though he might have been able to back off the throttle sooner, but Prock said TV video indicated that was not the cause of explosion.

“On the TV video it looked like he was closing the throttle when it started to spin,” Prock said.

Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champion seeking his first win of the season, began drifting out of the traction grove past mid-track. As it approached the finish line, the explosion lifted the manifold and detonated the supercharger off the engine. The ensuing fire singed Beckman’s protective boots and fire suit.

“We were concerned about our driver and over the (two-way) radio he said as calmly as he could, ‘I’m fine,’” said assistant crew chief John Medlen. “We work hard to keep these drivers safe. You can fix a racecar.”

Beckman explained the few seconds of unexpected excitement.

“It was moving around some. This racetrack can be exciting for a driver because the grove can get tight. I pulled it back some, and it just started to spin the tires. That’s one of those times where you wish you had a tenth of a second earlier to get off the throttle.

“It was a big explosion, one of the biggest ever.

“The worst was I had oil all over my visor and couldn’t see. Fortunately, I had time to reach up with my glove and wipe it off. Until then I couldn’t see, and it’s just nice to know you’re not going into the wall.

“It’s a helpless feeling.

“When you can’t see you don’t know where anything is out there including (the other car). That’s the terrifying aspect. It’s bouncing and there’s oil all over the tires and you need to slow it down. Once I wiped off the oil, I knew I was slowing down and wasn’t going to hit anything. That’s a nice feeling.”

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NHRA YouTube Video 
NHRA Funny Car driver Jack Beckman Walks away from HUGE engine explosion
Jack Beckman's Infinite Hero Dodge Charger exploded and shreded the composite shell at the eighth-mile mark during the third qualifying session at the 2016 NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway. Beckman kept the car straight in his lane. Only the nose of the body remains attached to the car. The manifold and the case of the supercharger are split apart.

DSR: Beckman won’t limp into New England Nationals, but ready for his Infinite Hero Dodge to kick down door to winner’s circle

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (May 31, 2016) – Jack Beckman enjoyed a perfect afternoon Tuesday as he prepared to pack for his trip this week across the country to drive his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car beginning Friday in the NHRA New England Nationals at Epping, N.H.

Beckman was watching his son Jason’s hockey practice. He found the sheet of ice especially enjoyable because it wasn’t in a bag on his elevated left ankle.

Beckman injured the ankle at the top-end of the track at Topeka, Kan., in a minor mishap that a couple decades ago likely would have kept him out of his racecar.

“My ankle hurt a little on the burnouts, but when I got to the line it never bothered me,” he said, adding focus and adrenaline likely killed the pain.

“This cars are so advanced and sophisticated that I didn’t have any problems operating the clutch. Several years it would have been a lot different.”

It was a nagging memory of a weekend that could have been perfect.

The Infinite Hero team produced Beckman’s career best elapsed time (3.866 seconds) and speed (332.59 mph) en route to qualifying second and advancing to the final round for the second straight race.

Unfortunately for his Infinite Hero team sponsored by Terry Chandler and led by crew chiefs Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, their teammate Matt Hagan was just a little bit quicker (3.862), faster (335.57) and for the second straight event beat Beckman to the NHRA Wally trophy.

Beckman lost his NHRA elapsed time record to Hagan.

“You just never know when you’re going to win again,” said Beckman, who has not won an event title through this year’s eight Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events but ranks second in points and only 12 out of first.

Beckman and the Infinite Hero team reached into the 3-second zone on each of its first seven Topeka runs and another in the final would have be a first in the NHRA Funny Car category.

But like the other three finalists in Top Fuel and Funny Car, Beckman lost traction soon after the track was prepared for the championship rounds.

“We have a car that made seven 3-second runs consecutively. Nobody has ever done that.
We had every reason to think going up there for the final that we’d get our eighth with a good shot to get the trophy.”

The race at Epping marks the first of four races in four weekends.

“We’ll pick up the pieces and be ready for four in a row. We really feel like we have something to prove when we get to Epping.”

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DSR: Beckman closes in on Funny Car points lead after Infinite Hero Dodge advances to finals at Kansas for second straight weekend

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 22, 2016) – Jack Beckman was one of the four finalists in Sunday’s championship round of nitro competition in the Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka that lost traction en route to the finish line on what had been the fastest track ever in NHRA competition.

Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T sponsored by Terry Chandler and led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham were on the cusp of NHRA Funny Car history by becoming the first to complete all eight runs in a Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event in the 3-second range and winning their first title of the year.

A win over Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan with crew chief Dickie Venables also would have given the championship points lead to Beckman.

But after a record-setting weekend that saw three of four national records fall in the nitro categories, both cars lost traction but Hagan’s spinning came a little later in the run that allowed him to beat Beckman in a final round for the second straight weekend.

Hagan’s winning time was turtle-like 5.724 seconds at 179.04 mph to Beckman’s 6.560 at 146.75 mph. It was the second consecutive weekend when Hagan beat Beckman in a final round.

“We didn’t go four feet,” Beckman said. “And Dickie and Matt in the other lane didn’t go 50 feet.
And the dragsters (in the final) didn’t go either.

“At that point you have to look and say it’s probably the glue (traction compound) they spray before each round that didn’t get the same amount of drying time before the finals that it typically gets.

“I just wish we could have put on a better show for the fans. Many of them got treated to the show of a lifetime on Friday and Saturday, and the finals were kind of anticlimactic.

“We have a car that made seven 3-second runs consecutively. Nobody has ever done that.

We had every reason to think going up there for the final that we’d get our eighth with a good shot to get the trophy.”

Beckman, who is seeking his first NHRA Wally trophy of the year, would have taken over the Funny Car points lead with a win over Hagan but will only trail leader Courtney Force by 12 points when the series resumes in two weeks at Epping, N.H., to begin a stretch of four races in four weekends.

“We’ll pick up the pieces and be ready for four in a row,” said Beckman, who competed in his second final round at Topeka where he won in 2012.

“We really feel like we have something to prove when we get to Epping.”

FULL ARTICLE

DSR: Loss of NHRA national record doesn’t deter Infinite Hero’s Beckman from main focus of defending Funny Car title in Kansas Nationals

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 21, 2016) – Jack Beckman is over losing his NHRA national elapsed time record on opening day of the Kansas Nationals.

The blast by Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan also cost Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T the team’s fifth No. 1 qualifier position in eight of 24 races on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit.

But since NHRA eliminated 20 bonus points for a driver leaving an event with a new national record the value of an all-time best has been diminished.

“It’s a whole new deal now,” said Beckman, who is seeded second to Hagan when championship eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT). “Records now are just for bragging rights.”

Beckman and the Infinite Hero team sponsored by Terry Chandler and led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham followed Hagan’s runs of 3.866 seconds at 335.57) on Friday night was quicker than Beckman’s old record.

“It was unbelievable. Mind blowing,” said Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champion.

In Saturday’s first qualifying session, Beckman didn’t set a record but his time of 3.913 was quickest of the third session. He was the quickest in the first, second best in the second, quickest in the third and his 3.885 was second best in the fourth and final session to collect 10 of a possible 12 qualifying bonus points. The three quickest in each outing earn from one to three points.

“The sun was out and we ran earlier today than Friday so I couldn’t imagine anyone running better than Friday night,” he said. “But we got a lot of (qualifying) points, and those add up.”

But the big points are earned on Sunday, and Beckman could make a big jump in points if he defends the title he won a year ago, something he’s only done once in his career.

“At this point, I don’t care about defending any title or getting points. Our goal now is to get the trophy and get the last spot you can earn to get into the Traxxas Shootout,” he said of the $100,000 all-star race he won last year during the U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis. The first seven event winners earn spots in the eight-car field with a fan vote determining the last berth.

Track and weather conditions will be major factors in Beckman’s quest for his first NHRA Wally trophy of the season.

“They probably won’t be as good as Friday but could be similar, especially for the first round and final round that tend to be the coolest track temperatures on race day.

“The advantage of qualifying high is it sets you up for having a successful day. First off, you get more points when you’re in the top-three in a session, you get lane choice in the first round and you get a better pick of when you’ll run in the first round.

“You can’t minimize the importance of qualifying but it doesn’t guarantee success with the unpredictability of nitro Funny Cars but it sets you up for a successful weekend.”

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DSR: Beckman rides off with another green hat in Southern Nationals but wants to defend his Kansas title and leave with a yellow one

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (May 18, 2016) – You can bet Jack Beckman won’t be buying a green John Deere hat this weekend when he’s around Heartland Park Topeka for the NHRA Kansas Nationals.

He just might even ignore anyone wearing one.

It’s not because for decades green was an unlucky, forbidden color in pit areas. That changed when sponsors with green in their pockets and green in their logos began to support racing.

You’d think Beckman and his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team sponsored by Terry Chandler would love the color since they’ve collected four of the variety as the only bonus for winning four of the first seven No. 1 qualifying positions through seven of the first 24 events on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour.

That last group of green pole-winning hats was collected last weekend during the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

“I want one of those yellow ones,” he’s said of the color hat that represents winning an NHRA national event.

A year ago he collected a career-best seven for winning an event title and another seven for earning the top seed. It was looking very good that he would win for the first time in 10 races when championship eliminations began Sunday in Commerce, Ga.

And he just might have had the coveted NHRA Wally trophy had it not been for teammate Matt Hagan, whose Don Schumacher Racing Dodge that in the first round took the track records Beckman and crew chief Jimmy Prock earned in qualifying and then beat the Infinite Hero team in the championship round.

It allowed Beckman to move up to second in Mello Yello standings.

Despite the plethora of John Deere hats and luscious green fields he’ll see this week around Heartland Park Topeka, he and his Infinite Hero team will see yellow when they and reflect on being the reigning event champions.

A year ago, the team snapped a 54-race losing streak winning the unique Four-Wide Nationals, but the victory four races later in Kansas was its first traditional two-lane race win in 29 months.

Last year’s trophy was the 250th for DSR, and that total has increased to 270 since.

All that adds why the Kansas track so appealing to Beckman.

“Topeka literally is the heartland,” he said. “NHRA’s very first national event was held in Grand Bend, Kan., and Topeka is about as close as we get to that piece of history and as close as you can get to the middle of the country.

“And I’m fortunate to be a little bit of that history.”

He’d like to add another winning chapter this weekend.

And he won’t mind getting another green hat as long as he leaves wearing a yellow one.

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