SEATTLE (Aug. 7, 2016) - Any loss is hard on a driver but a second-round loss on Sunday at the 29th annual Protect the Harvest NHRA Nationals was especially hard for Jack Beckman.
The reason of the loss was a redlight start by Beckman against his Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Matt Hagan.
"It's bitterly disappointing. You look at reasons why you lose: clutch application, horsepower, track conditions. This was 100 percent driver error," Beckman said.
The loss was also hard because of how well the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T team, funded by Terry Chandler, and tuned by Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, ran this weekend. During qualifying, Beckman clocked four solid passes: 3.925 seconds, 3.918, 3.861 and 3.879.
He was seeded in the No. 4 spot and faced Gary Densham on Sunday for eliminations. Beckman ran a stellar 3.854 at a speed of 334.15 mph.
He then was matched against Hagan where he was knocked out of competition because of his early departure.
"There's no excuse, there's no way to spin it. I absolutely made a mistake up there.
"There's a variance on the Christmas tree from the time we stage till the time that it activates the ambers and we got a long one up there.
"But it doesn't matter. Our job is to react when the tree comes on," Beckman said.
"I started squeezing the throttle and the car started rolling. Then when I floored the throttle, it was already rolling through the starting line and we got a red light.
"The real frustrating part is we had a car good enough to win the race and you just don't want to let the guys down. I love how supportive they are. This is a tough one for me. I just need to get my act together when we roll into Brainerd. If we leave there with a trophy, everyone is going to have their spirits a little bit higher."
After the annual three-week race Western Swing, the Infinite Hero Foundation team will return to the DSR shop near Indianapolis before returning to the race in two weeks at Brainerd, Minn. for the 35th annual NHRA Nationals and the 17th stop of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series circuit.
"This is a tough weekend as a driver but the Infinite Hero team ain't done winning this year."
FULL ARTICLE
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Saturday, August 6, 2016
DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero team will start Sunday’s Northwest Nationals from fourth starting spot at Pacific Raceways near Seattle
SEATTLE (Aug. 6, 2016) – Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Foundation team, sponsored by Terry Chandler, are looking for some redemption this year at the 29th annual Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways near Seattle. (Photo Credit: Auto Imagery)
Last year at this race Beckman and his team, led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, were the No. 1 qualifier and were on the verge of sweeping the Western Swing with their previous wins in Denver and Sonoma.
Their sweep was ended in the semifinals when they lost to Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Tommy Johnson Jr.
This year is a different story.“I think the Infinite Hero guys are looking for a little redemption on the West Coast,” Beckman said.
Beckman is the No. 4 qualifier with his best qualifying pass coming in the third session on a cool, overcast Saturday afternoon near Seattle when he clocked a 3.861-second run at 332.26 mph.
“It’s interesting. We went quicker than we’ve ever run before, quicker than the national record, and we’re second quickest in the pair we were in, and then another car surpassed it,” Beckman said.
The other car was Del Worsham of Kalitta Motorsports who set a national record at 3.832.
The performance of the Funny Car category took off last year when Beckman and his Infinite Hero Foundation team went on their hot streak that started at Denver. They qualified No. 1 at four straight events: Sonoma, Seattle, Brainerd and Indianapolis.
A lot of their success is due in part to the laid-back style of exhaust headers that create downforce.
“Now we’re getting back to the tracks that we have already ran with swept back headers so you don’t expect to see the big jumps in performance like we saw last year.
Beckman is excited about the performance of the Funny Car field and where the sport is headed.
“It’s amazing. It’s a wonderful show for the fans. Everybody is getting their money’s worth. As a driver, I love it because these things are light in the frontend and hard to drive. As fan, I just love seeing those big numbers pop up.”
FULL ARTICLE
Last year at this race Beckman and his team, led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, were the No. 1 qualifier and were on the verge of sweeping the Western Swing with their previous wins in Denver and Sonoma.
Their sweep was ended in the semifinals when they lost to Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Tommy Johnson Jr.
This year is a different story.“I think the Infinite Hero guys are looking for a little redemption on the West Coast,” Beckman said.
Beckman is the No. 4 qualifier with his best qualifying pass coming in the third session on a cool, overcast Saturday afternoon near Seattle when he clocked a 3.861-second run at 332.26 mph.
“It’s interesting. We went quicker than we’ve ever run before, quicker than the national record, and we’re second quickest in the pair we were in, and then another car surpassed it,” Beckman said.
The other car was Del Worsham of Kalitta Motorsports who set a national record at 3.832.
The performance of the Funny Car category took off last year when Beckman and his Infinite Hero Foundation team went on their hot streak that started at Denver. They qualified No. 1 at four straight events: Sonoma, Seattle, Brainerd and Indianapolis.
A lot of their success is due in part to the laid-back style of exhaust headers that create downforce.
“Now we’re getting back to the tracks that we have already ran with swept back headers so you don’t expect to see the big jumps in performance like we saw last year.
Beckman is excited about the performance of the Funny Car field and where the sport is headed.
“It’s amazing. It’s a wonderful show for the fans. Everybody is getting their money’s worth. As a driver, I love it because these things are light in the frontend and hard to drive. As fan, I just love seeing those big numbers pop up.”
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| PHOTO CREDIT: Auto Imagery |
FULL ARTICLE
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero team look for redemption at Pacific Raceways near Seattle after two early round loses on NHRA Western Swing
KENT, Wash. (Aug. 3, 2016) - After two early round exits, Jack Beckman and his Infinite Hero Foundation team are ready for a little revenge this weekend near Seattle at the 29th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.
Last weekend in the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Beckman was eliminated in the second round of competition and two weeks ago, he lost in the first round at Denver to start the annual Western Swing.
Last year on the Swing, Beckman went 10-1 in three races with the Infinite Hero Dodge funded by Terry Chandler. Their winning streak ended in Seattle when Beckman's Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Tommy Johnson Jr., beat him in the semifinals.
"I think the Infinite Hero guys are looking for a little redemption on the West Coast," said Beckman of his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham.
"At this point last year of the Western Swing, we were 8-0. Right now, we're 1-2."
Last season, the Infinite Hero team won a seven event titles. This year has been more of a struggle.
"It's tough," Beckman said. "I don't think I ever drove better than last year. At times when the car wasn't perfect, I think I was able to pedal or leave quick enough to get the win light.
"I think sometimes it's easy to perform well when you feel like you're sitting on the best horse out there. Sometimes that can work back to the driving as well. I have to be very self-analytical on this and make sure I'm doing everything I can on this because still lots of these races that come down to a few thousandths at the finish line.
"You don't want to feel like as a driver you left anything on the table," Beckman said.
Needless to say, he and his team are ready to get back on the track to redeem themselves.
"We had to switch cars again after Denver. We wheel stood twice in qualifying in Denver. We ran that car in eliminations and it bent a couple tubes.
"So we unloaded 'Old Reliable,' for Sonoma and we're just trying to figure out what it wants right now. It would be nice to stick to the same chassis for the rest of the year just so you could accumulate data."
Aside from getting back to the track to bring home a title, Beckman is looking forward to racing in Seattle for another very important reason.
This week at Pacific Raceways, there will be a memorial service for Mark Lyle, the NHRA official starter who tragically lost his life earlier this year in March.
"Thursday night at the track, we're going to do a tribute for Mark Lyle. It's his home track, where he got his start with the NHRA.
"I think that's a fitting place to gather with his family and friends, to officially say goodbye to a great guy."
For additional information, please visit Don Schumacher Racing.
Last weekend in the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Beckman was eliminated in the second round of competition and two weeks ago, he lost in the first round at Denver to start the annual Western Swing.
Last year on the Swing, Beckman went 10-1 in three races with the Infinite Hero Dodge funded by Terry Chandler. Their winning streak ended in Seattle when Beckman's Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Tommy Johnson Jr., beat him in the semifinals.
"I think the Infinite Hero guys are looking for a little redemption on the West Coast," said Beckman of his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham.
"At this point last year of the Western Swing, we were 8-0. Right now, we're 1-2."
Last season, the Infinite Hero team won a seven event titles. This year has been more of a struggle.
"It's tough," Beckman said. "I don't think I ever drove better than last year. At times when the car wasn't perfect, I think I was able to pedal or leave quick enough to get the win light.
"I think sometimes it's easy to perform well when you feel like you're sitting on the best horse out there. Sometimes that can work back to the driving as well. I have to be very self-analytical on this and make sure I'm doing everything I can on this because still lots of these races that come down to a few thousandths at the finish line.
 |
| PHOTO CREDIT: AutoImagery |
Needless to say, he and his team are ready to get back on the track to redeem themselves.
"We had to switch cars again after Denver. We wheel stood twice in qualifying in Denver. We ran that car in eliminations and it bent a couple tubes.
"So we unloaded 'Old Reliable,' for Sonoma and we're just trying to figure out what it wants right now. It would be nice to stick to the same chassis for the rest of the year just so you could accumulate data."
Aside from getting back to the track to bring home a title, Beckman is looking forward to racing in Seattle for another very important reason.
This week at Pacific Raceways, there will be a memorial service for Mark Lyle, the NHRA official starter who tragically lost his life earlier this year in March.
"Thursday night at the track, we're going to do a tribute for Mark Lyle. It's his home track, where he got his start with the NHRA.
"I think that's a fitting place to gather with his family and friends, to officially say goodbye to a great guy."
For additional information, please visit Don Schumacher Racing.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero Foundation falls short in Sonoma Nationals, ready to return to record-making form next weekend at Seattle
SONOMA, Calif. (July 31, 2016) - Jack Beckman and his Infinite Hero Foundation team came up short of defending their event title at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday when they were eliminated during the second round of competition.
"We did everything we needed to do for a team that didn't qualify in the top half of the ladder," Beckman said of the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T funded by Terry Chandler.
Beckman qualified No. 9 with a pass of 3.920 seconds at 323.27 mph.
In the first round, Beckman's 3.921-second pass at 323.27 mph got past teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. and the Make-A-Wish team, also funded by Terry Chandler.
Then during the second round, Beckman's car went up in tire smoke and the win went to Del Worsham of Kalitta Motorsports.
"We came out and we pushed the track hard. We beat our teammate (Johnson) in a side-by-side 3-second run. We took lane choice into the second round. And it dropped a cylinder right at the step - that made it shake and smoke the tires."
"You're just not going to win without running low 3.90s, even in the heat of the day anymore. One of the tough parts about that is when the track heats up and you pull the tune-up back just a bit it's hard to trying to keep all eight holes (cylinders) lit.
"It's frustrating. We're hanging tight in the points. But man, we need to be moving up and we're running out of time to do that before we go into the Countdown (to the Championship) for the reset of points after Labor Day.
Despite his early exit Sunday, Beckman remains third in the Funny Car points standings.
"Right now, in the regular season, it's just trophies. All you're after is just trophies," Beckman said.
"Once you go into the Countdown, the reality is, round wins are what's most important. Yes, getting a trophy gets you the most round wins but, you could runner-up at every race of the Countdown and probably win the Championship.
"It's not that we need to be any more motivated or determined but I think when we roll into Seattle, we'll have burned up a lot of notepads and calculator keys trying to figure out exactly what this car wants," Beckman said.
Next weekend is the final race of the three-race Western Swing.
"You just want to be standing there at the end of the day Sunday and have the fans say, 'Wow! What a perfect day!' So that's our goal in Seattle - perfect Sunday."
FUNNY CAR
Winner: John Force (John Force Racing)
No. 1 qualifier: Del Worsham (Kalitta Motorsports), 3.868 sec.-track record, 327.43 mph
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 9
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: BECKMAN (3.921 sec., 323.27 mph) def. Tommy Johnson Jr. (3.988, 296.76)
Second round: Del Worsham (3.958, 322.04) def. BECKMAN (7.608, 86.88)
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 3.933 sec., 322.34 mph, (Session 1); 4.389, 195.17, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.120, 242.71, (Session 3); 3.920, 323.27, (Session 4)
FULL ARTICLE
"We did everything we needed to do for a team that didn't qualify in the top half of the ladder," Beckman said of the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T funded by Terry Chandler.
Beckman qualified No. 9 with a pass of 3.920 seconds at 323.27 mph.
In the first round, Beckman's 3.921-second pass at 323.27 mph got past teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. and the Make-A-Wish team, also funded by Terry Chandler.
Then during the second round, Beckman's car went up in tire smoke and the win went to Del Worsham of Kalitta Motorsports.
"We came out and we pushed the track hard. We beat our teammate (Johnson) in a side-by-side 3-second run. We took lane choice into the second round. And it dropped a cylinder right at the step - that made it shake and smoke the tires."
"You're just not going to win without running low 3.90s, even in the heat of the day anymore. One of the tough parts about that is when the track heats up and you pull the tune-up back just a bit it's hard to trying to keep all eight holes (cylinders) lit.
"It's frustrating. We're hanging tight in the points. But man, we need to be moving up and we're running out of time to do that before we go into the Countdown (to the Championship) for the reset of points after Labor Day.
Despite his early exit Sunday, Beckman remains third in the Funny Car points standings.
"Right now, in the regular season, it's just trophies. All you're after is just trophies," Beckman said.
"Once you go into the Countdown, the reality is, round wins are what's most important. Yes, getting a trophy gets you the most round wins but, you could runner-up at every race of the Countdown and probably win the Championship.
"It's not that we need to be any more motivated or determined but I think when we roll into Seattle, we'll have burned up a lot of notepads and calculator keys trying to figure out exactly what this car wants," Beckman said.
Next weekend is the final race of the three-race Western Swing.
"You just want to be standing there at the end of the day Sunday and have the fans say, 'Wow! What a perfect day!' So that's our goal in Seattle - perfect Sunday."
FUNNY CAR
Winner: John Force (John Force Racing)
No. 1 qualifier: Del Worsham (Kalitta Motorsports), 3.868 sec.-track record, 327.43 mph
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 9
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: BECKMAN (3.921 sec., 323.27 mph) def. Tommy Johnson Jr. (3.988, 296.76)
Second round: Del Worsham (3.958, 322.04) def. BECKMAN (7.608, 86.88)
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 3.933 sec., 322.34 mph, (Session 1); 4.389, 195.17, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.120, 242.71, (Session 3); 3.920, 323.27, (Session 4)
FULL ARTICLE
Saturday, July 30, 2016
DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge look to defend Sonoma title but have to face DSR teammate in Sunday’s opening round
SOMONA, Calif. (July 30, 2016) - Jack Beckman and his Infinite Hero Foundation team strive to repeat their victory in last year's Sonoma NHRA Nationals. But, his match-up will play out a little differently than it did last year.
In 2015, Beckman met his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. in the final round. This year at the 29th annual Sonoma NHRA Nationals, the two are meeting in the opening round.
"I hate to race a teammate first round," Beckman said. "And I hate to race another Terry Chandler car first round."
Chandler funds the Infinite Hero Foundation and Make-A-Wish teams.
"I think we know the direction we need to go. And no holding back for tomorrow," Beckman said.
"We have to give it 100 percent against that Make-A-Wish car and they'll do the same against us and it'll definitely be interesting for the fans."
Not only is the match-up different than last year but the elapsed times of the Funny Car field is much different.
In 2015, Beckman qualified No. 1 when he ran a 3.921-second lap at 323.43 mph, which was a national record. This year, his best qualifying effort came in the final qualifying session when he ran a 3.920 and he finished in the No. 9 spot.
"Last year, we come here and ran a 3.92 (3.921), and we're the heroes of the universe. We come here this year and run a 3.92 with a zero and we won't even have lane choice going into tomorrow.
"My, what a difference a year has made in Funny Car."
Beckman, along with his crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, brought home seven event titles last year. This season their first title came a few weeks ago near Chicago but they are third in the standings.
Sonoma is the second stop of the annual the three-race Western Swing that concludes next weekend near Seattle.
Beckman and Johnson will faceoff tomorrow during round one of eliminations which will air live on FOX Network at 4 p.m. ET.
FUNNY CAR
No. 1 qualifier: Del Worsham (Kalitta Motorsports), 3.868 sec.-track record, 327.43 mph
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 9
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Tommy Johnson Jr.
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 3.933 sec., 322.34 mph, (Session 1); 4.389, 195.17, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.120, 242.71, (Session 3); 3.920, 323.27, (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 seven 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 two-time world champion Antron Brown and the Sandvik Coromant/Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher dragster driven by Shawn Langdon and in Funny Car, 2011 and 2014 world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots 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 281 NHRA national event titles and 14 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.
For additional information, please visit Don Schumacher Racing.
In 2015, Beckman met his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. in the final round. This year at the 29th annual Sonoma NHRA Nationals, the two are meeting in the opening round.
"I hate to race a teammate first round," Beckman said. "And I hate to race another Terry Chandler car first round."
Chandler funds the Infinite Hero Foundation and Make-A-Wish teams.
"I think we know the direction we need to go. And no holding back for tomorrow," Beckman said.
"We have to give it 100 percent against that Make-A-Wish car and they'll do the same against us and it'll definitely be interesting for the fans."
Not only is the match-up different than last year but the elapsed times of the Funny Car field is much different.
In 2015, Beckman qualified No. 1 when he ran a 3.921-second lap at 323.43 mph, which was a national record. This year, his best qualifying effort came in the final qualifying session when he ran a 3.920 and he finished in the No. 9 spot.
"Last year, we come here and ran a 3.92 (3.921), and we're the heroes of the universe. We come here this year and run a 3.92 with a zero and we won't even have lane choice going into tomorrow.
"My, what a difference a year has made in Funny Car."
Beckman, along with his crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham, brought home seven event titles last year. This season their first title came a few weeks ago near Chicago but they are third in the standings.
Sonoma is the second stop of the annual the three-race Western Swing that concludes next weekend near Seattle.
Beckman and Johnson will faceoff tomorrow during round one of eliminations which will air live on FOX Network at 4 p.m. ET.
FUNNY CAR
No. 1 qualifier: Del Worsham (Kalitta Motorsports), 3.868 sec.-track record, 327.43 mph
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 9
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Tommy Johnson Jr.
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 3.933 sec., 322.34 mph, (Session 1); 4.389, 195.17, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.120, 242.71, (Session 3); 3.920, 323.27, (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 seven 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 two-time world champion Antron Brown and the Sandvik Coromant/Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher dragster driven by Shawn Langdon and in Funny Car, 2011 and 2014 world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots 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 281 NHRA national event titles and 14 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.
For additional information, please visit Don Schumacher Racing.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
DSR: First-round loss costly for Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge team but visit with American heroes provides longer lasting memories
Beckman was disappointed he was sidelined in the opening round of eliminations Sunday to Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps by a narrow margin. Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team started the day ranked second to Capps in Mello Yello Drag Racing Series points and trailed by 126.
It was the scenario he and crew chief Jimmy Prock wanted, a chance to take a big chunk out of Capps' lead but Beckman came up short with a 4.078-second run to Capps' 4.047. Capps lost in the next round and extended the margin over Beckman to 144. Courtney Force advanced to the final round and moved around Beckman in the standings.
"That was a big one for us," said Beckman, who had won the previous event near Chicago. "We got our early round match-up with (Capps) and we lost. That's huge. It was a bitter disappointment; those are the ones that feel like a punch in the gut. You have a scenario line up for you, and we did. And you have to capitalize, and we didn't.
"In this sport, you have to be good enough. Sometimes you don't even have to be good, you have to be good enough. And we weren't good enough."
But that was in the mile-high altitude of Denver and this weekend Beckman gets back to sea level and a chance to defend the event title he won a year ago at Sonoma Raceway near San Francisco. He also won the pole for that race.
The Denver weekend, however, is one of Beckman's most memorable.
The Infinite Hero Fund, which provides grants to assist veterans who return from war with physical or psychological injuries, hosted three American heroes: J.R. Martinez and identical twins Morgan and Marcus Luttrell, each of whom are retired Navy SEALs. It was only a few days after Marcus, author of the book "Lone Survivor" that recounts his harrowing experience during a 2005 military operation in Afghanistan, shared an inspirational message to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
"I got to hang out with J.R. when we did the Mopar autograph signing together," said Beckman, whose Infinite Hero team is funded by Terry Chandler.
"It's interesting to see people and the way they deal with life-changing events. That guy is so inspirational.
"And then I'm strapped in to our racecar towing up to the starting line and the Luttrell brothers point into me and give the thumbs up.
"And I think, OK, this is as close to combat as we're going to get in the civilian sector - strapped into a nitro Funny Car going out there to do battle on the track. But those are guys who have REALLY gone into combat on a regular basis."
JACK BECKMAN: Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Last event Denver, July 22-24: Qualified No. 6, lost in first round to Ron Capps
A year ago at Sonoma: Qualified No. 1, won in championship round over Tommy Johnson Jr.
Career at Sonoma: Wins 1; Runner-ups 1 (2010); Poles 2 (2010)
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L
2016 3rd 14 1 3 2 5 3 4 0 22-13
CAREER 242 23 25 43 68 76 19 7 319-212
Best Time, Speed: 3.866 sec. (2016, Topeka); 332.59 mph (2016, Topeka)
FULL ARTICLE
Sunday, July 24, 2016
DSR: Beckman loses big opportunity in first round to gain ground on DSR teammate in Mopar Mile-High Nationals, drops to third
DENVER (July 24, 2016) - Jack Beckman knows his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T team lost a great opportunity Sunday in the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in the first round.
Beckman was paired with Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps to open the event at Bandimere Speedway near Denver and it provided an opportunity for him to take a big chunk out of Capps' lead over him in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series points standings.
Beckman has added incentive to be leading the points before the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day Weekend to qualify for the $100,000 Traxxas Nitro Shootout all-star event when the field will include eight drivers.
The first seven were for the first seven event winners this year. Beckman, who won two weeks ago, was not among the first seven. There are two other ways to qualify; one is by a fan vote and the other would be if the points leader after 17 races is not qualified.
"That was a big one for us," Beckman said. "In the big scope of the points, and trying to get in the (Shootout) without relying on the fan vote, we needed an early round match-up with the NAPA car, and we needed to win the race.
"And we got our early round match-up with the NAPA car and we lost the round. That's huge. Our car dropped a cylinder one second into the run, and sometimes that's all it takes. It was a close race. It was a bitter disappointment there - those are the ones that feel like a punch in the gut. You have scenarios to line up for you, and we did. And you have to capitalize, and we didn't.
"This sport, you have to be good enough. Sometimes you don't even have to be good, you have to be good enough. And we weren't good enough."
Beckman shot up to No. 6 in qualifying on his last run Saturday night of 3.985 seconds at 312.78, and Capps was seeded 11th, his worst of the year, to set the match-up.
Beckman and crew chief Jimmy Prock produced a solid time of 4.078 seconds at 301.47 mph but it wasn't enough to get past Capps' 4.047 at 316.45.
Capps, however, lost in the next round but extended his lead over Beckman to 144 points and when Courtney Force advanced to the final round she was able to move up to second and Beckman dropped to third with his Infinite Hero team funded by Terry Chandler.
It was an overall bad day for DSR Funny Cars as all four were eliminated before the semifinals. It was in stark contrast to the past couple months. The DSR teams had combined to win the previous seven event titles including the one two weeks at Chicago where Beckman left with the NHRA Wally trophy.
The following are Beckman's for DSR at Bandimere:
FUNNY CAR
Winner: John Force (John Force Racing)
No. 1 qualifier: Courtney Force (John Force Racing), 3.917 sec.-track record, 318.39 mph
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 6
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Ron Capps (4.047 sec., 316.45 mph) def. BECKMAN (4.078, 301.47)
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 4.175 sec., 236.05 mph, (Session 1); 4.234, 220.37, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.046, 313.58, (Session 3); 3.985, 312.78, (Session 4)
FULL ARTICLE
Beckman was paired with Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps to open the event at Bandimere Speedway near Denver and it provided an opportunity for him to take a big chunk out of Capps' lead over him in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series points standings.
Beckman has added incentive to be leading the points before the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day Weekend to qualify for the $100,000 Traxxas Nitro Shootout all-star event when the field will include eight drivers.
The first seven were for the first seven event winners this year. Beckman, who won two weeks ago, was not among the first seven. There are two other ways to qualify; one is by a fan vote and the other would be if the points leader after 17 races is not qualified.
"That was a big one for us," Beckman said. "In the big scope of the points, and trying to get in the (Shootout) without relying on the fan vote, we needed an early round match-up with the NAPA car, and we needed to win the race.
"And we got our early round match-up with the NAPA car and we lost the round. That's huge. Our car dropped a cylinder one second into the run, and sometimes that's all it takes. It was a close race. It was a bitter disappointment there - those are the ones that feel like a punch in the gut. You have scenarios to line up for you, and we did. And you have to capitalize, and we didn't.
"This sport, you have to be good enough. Sometimes you don't even have to be good, you have to be good enough. And we weren't good enough."
Beckman shot up to No. 6 in qualifying on his last run Saturday night of 3.985 seconds at 312.78, and Capps was seeded 11th, his worst of the year, to set the match-up.
Beckman and crew chief Jimmy Prock produced a solid time of 4.078 seconds at 301.47 mph but it wasn't enough to get past Capps' 4.047 at 316.45.
Capps, however, lost in the next round but extended his lead over Beckman to 144 points and when Courtney Force advanced to the final round she was able to move up to second and Beckman dropped to third with his Infinite Hero team funded by Terry Chandler.
It was an overall bad day for DSR Funny Cars as all four were eliminated before the semifinals. It was in stark contrast to the past couple months. The DSR teams had combined to win the previous seven event titles including the one two weeks at Chicago where Beckman left with the NHRA Wally trophy.
The following are Beckman's for DSR at Bandimere:
FUNNY CAR
Winner: John Force (John Force Racing)
No. 1 qualifier: Courtney Force (John Force Racing), 3.917 sec.-track record, 318.39 mph
JACK BECKMAN, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 6
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Ron Capps (4.047 sec., 316.45 mph) def. BECKMAN (4.078, 301.47)
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: 4.175 sec., 236.05 mph, (Session 1); 4.234, 220.37, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.046, 313.58, (Session 3); 3.985, 312.78, (Session 4)
FULL ARTICLE
Saturday, July 23, 2016
DSR: Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge jumps to sixth on last qualifying run, faces DSR teammate Capps in pivotal first round near Denver
DENVER (July 23, 2016) - The biggest race of Sunday's Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals could be in the first round when Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T face Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps.
Points leader Capps is 124 ahead of Beckman, who is second. Two weeks ago near Chicago, Beckman beat Capps in the championship round for his first title of the season.
"There are still five races and a lot of points before the field is set for the Countdown (to the Championship playoff), but the first round Sunday is big."
Beckman has a good sense of humor and a joke he made Saturday at Bandimere was based more in fact than fiction.
"As drivers we love coming to the mountain because Bandimere is a great facility and the fans are some of the best we see all year. And the crew chiefs can't wait to see it in their rearview mirrors when they're leaving Sunday night."
The mile-high altitude chokes the 10,000-horsepower HEMI engines of power and qualifying added variables of heat and rain delays on Saturday and Sunday.
Beckman's Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T led by crew chief Jimmy Prock and funded by Terry Chandler weren't able to get to the finish line Friday under power on both runs but rallied early Saturday evening with a 4.046-second run at 313.58 in the third session and further improved on the last run with a time of 3.985 at 312.78 mph.
On his last run, he became the sixth Funny Car driver at Bandimere to crack into the 3-second zone. He joined with Del Worsham in the other lane who ran a 3.969 for the first side-by-side 3s at the track.
The Infinite Hero Dodge will start No. 6 in Sunday's championship eliminations beginning at 11 a.m. (MT) with the final rounds televised live on Fox to mark the first time in NHRA history that an event was televised live on a national network.
"Our first two runs on Friday the front tires came off the ground and I was thinking, 'Wow, so that's what happens when you're pushing hard.' It's the first time we've been back (to Bandimere) with this style of header and we don't want to hurt the racecar too badly. It knocked the alignment out and it probably isn't as perfect as it was when it rolled out of the DSR shop a couple of months ago. But it goes nice and fast.
"We emptied every piece of scrap metal out of the cabinets that we could and bolted it on the front of the car to keep it on the track. We're heavy. But the car is very drivable and we can tune around that.
"I don't know if you have to throw everything out that we learned at the night sessions once we go into race day in the heat of the sun but we figured it out last year OK."
Teams will face conditions unlike what they experienced in qualifying. Sunday begins with Top Fuel at 11 a.m. (MT) followed by Funny Car. The forecast is for cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-80s.
The Mopar Mile-High Nationals is the 14th of 24 events in the Mello Yello Series and first stop on the three-race, three-week Western Swing that heads to Sonoma, Calif., near San Francisco, next weekend and concludes near Seattle.
FULL ARTICLE
Points leader Capps is 124 ahead of Beckman, who is second. Two weeks ago near Chicago, Beckman beat Capps in the championship round for his first title of the season.
"There are still five races and a lot of points before the field is set for the Countdown (to the Championship playoff), but the first round Sunday is big."
Beckman has a good sense of humor and a joke he made Saturday at Bandimere was based more in fact than fiction.
"As drivers we love coming to the mountain because Bandimere is a great facility and the fans are some of the best we see all year. And the crew chiefs can't wait to see it in their rearview mirrors when they're leaving Sunday night."
The mile-high altitude chokes the 10,000-horsepower HEMI engines of power and qualifying added variables of heat and rain delays on Saturday and Sunday.
Beckman's Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T led by crew chief Jimmy Prock and funded by Terry Chandler weren't able to get to the finish line Friday under power on both runs but rallied early Saturday evening with a 4.046-second run at 313.58 in the third session and further improved on the last run with a time of 3.985 at 312.78 mph.
On his last run, he became the sixth Funny Car driver at Bandimere to crack into the 3-second zone. He joined with Del Worsham in the other lane who ran a 3.969 for the first side-by-side 3s at the track.
The Infinite Hero Dodge will start No. 6 in Sunday's championship eliminations beginning at 11 a.m. (MT) with the final rounds televised live on Fox to mark the first time in NHRA history that an event was televised live on a national network.
"Our first two runs on Friday the front tires came off the ground and I was thinking, 'Wow, so that's what happens when you're pushing hard.' It's the first time we've been back (to Bandimere) with this style of header and we don't want to hurt the racecar too badly. It knocked the alignment out and it probably isn't as perfect as it was when it rolled out of the DSR shop a couple of months ago. But it goes nice and fast.
"We emptied every piece of scrap metal out of the cabinets that we could and bolted it on the front of the car to keep it on the track. We're heavy. But the car is very drivable and we can tune around that.
"I don't know if you have to throw everything out that we learned at the night sessions once we go into race day in the heat of the sun but we figured it out last year OK."
Teams will face conditions unlike what they experienced in qualifying. Sunday begins with Top Fuel at 11 a.m. (MT) followed by Funny Car. The forecast is for cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-80s.
The Mopar Mile-High Nationals is the 14th of 24 events in the Mello Yello Series and first stop on the three-race, three-week Western Swing that heads to Sonoma, Calif., near San Francisco, next weekend and concludes near Seattle.
FULL ARTICLE
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
DSR: Beckman set to defend Mopar Mile-High Funny Car title near Denver, win second straight Mello Yello title with Infinite Hero Dodge
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (July 19, 2016) – Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team powered by Mopar and led by crew chief Jimmy Prock gave notice at the last race that they have not lost their way to a winner’s circle.
After winning a series-best seven titles last year in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Beckman hoisted his first NHRA Wally trophy since last October when he won on July 12 near Chicago.
”We didn’t know if we would win at Chicago, but we were confident we could,” said Beckman, who was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base in Aurora, Colo., while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
“We’d made it to three final rounds before Chicago and were frustrated we couldn’t close it out. We just weren’t able to get a handle on our racecar. Something would come up that threw us a curveball, and we couldn’t tune around those issues.”
The Infinite Hero team connected near Chicago.
In his fourth final round in 13 of 24 Mello Yello events, the win over Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps enabled Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge funded by Terry Chandler to move up one spot to second in points heading to this weekend’s 37th annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway near Denver where he has won twice including in his NHRA championship season in 2012.
“Denver is a race where we warm up 30 minutes earlier than any other race before the first qualifying session just to make sure it will idle. It’s that much more difficult to adjust to the altitude.
“Denver is completely unique. There’s one notebook for Denver and another one for the other 20 facilities where we race. When we get done with Denver, we put that notebook back on the shelf and don’t dust it off until we go back the next year.”
This is one year when he and his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T powered by Mopar team with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham are eager to get back to the mountain after a new exhaust header design was used for the first time in competition a year ago helped the team win the first of three titles in a five-race span.
“We bolted on the new headers for the second round of eliminations against (DSR teammate) Matt Hagan, and we never went back to the old style.”
He also believes Bandimere will see its first 3-second Funny Car. Through 13 races this season, elapsed time records have been reset at 12 of 13 tracks including three by Beckman that gives him ownership of eight track E.T. records.
BIG INFINITE HERO WEEKEND
The Infinite Hero Foundation will host special guests during the Mile-High Nationals and peripheral events.
Jose Rene “J.R.” Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq when he received severe burns over one-third of his body, was selected by Mopar to be the Grand Marshall for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals. He also was the Season 13 champion on the “Dancing with the Stars” television program.
On Sunday evening, a new event – "Tailgate for the Troops" will include Martinez along with special military guests Morgan and Marcus Luttrell. The event will feature tailgate cuisine and entertainment with local band Phat Daddy.
The Luttrells are retired U.S. Navy SEALs. Morgan is currently working on his doctorate in mental health studies, which will allow him to work with victims of traumatic brain injuries, and Marcus authored the book “Lone Survivor.”
They will provide inspirational stories and details of their involvement with helping others to heal and overcome personal circumstances.
Tickets are available at the door for a minimum donation to Infinite Hero of $150.
On Monday, The Club at Ravenna will host the 3rd Annual Ravenna Invitational to benefit Infinite Hero with 18 holes of golf, a cocktail hour and dinner reception.
FULL ARTICLE
After winning a series-best seven titles last year in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Beckman hoisted his first NHRA Wally trophy since last October when he won on July 12 near Chicago.
”We didn’t know if we would win at Chicago, but we were confident we could,” said Beckman, who was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base in Aurora, Colo., while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
“We’d made it to three final rounds before Chicago and were frustrated we couldn’t close it out. We just weren’t able to get a handle on our racecar. Something would come up that threw us a curveball, and we couldn’t tune around those issues.”
The Infinite Hero team connected near Chicago.
In his fourth final round in 13 of 24 Mello Yello events, the win over Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps enabled Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge funded by Terry Chandler to move up one spot to second in points heading to this weekend’s 37th annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway near Denver where he has won twice including in his NHRA championship season in 2012.
“Denver is a race where we warm up 30 minutes earlier than any other race before the first qualifying session just to make sure it will idle. It’s that much more difficult to adjust to the altitude.
“Denver is completely unique. There’s one notebook for Denver and another one for the other 20 facilities where we race. When we get done with Denver, we put that notebook back on the shelf and don’t dust it off until we go back the next year.”
This is one year when he and his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T powered by Mopar team with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham are eager to get back to the mountain after a new exhaust header design was used for the first time in competition a year ago helped the team win the first of three titles in a five-race span.
“We bolted on the new headers for the second round of eliminations against (DSR teammate) Matt Hagan, and we never went back to the old style.”
He also believes Bandimere will see its first 3-second Funny Car. Through 13 races this season, elapsed time records have been reset at 12 of 13 tracks including three by Beckman that gives him ownership of eight track E.T. records.
BIG INFINITE HERO WEEKEND
The Infinite Hero Foundation will host special guests during the Mile-High Nationals and peripheral events.
Jose Rene “J.R.” Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq when he received severe burns over one-third of his body, was selected by Mopar to be the Grand Marshall for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals. He also was the Season 13 champion on the “Dancing with the Stars” television program.
On Sunday evening, a new event – "Tailgate for the Troops" will include Martinez along with special military guests Morgan and Marcus Luttrell. The event will feature tailgate cuisine and entertainment with local band Phat Daddy.
The Luttrells are retired U.S. Navy SEALs. Morgan is currently working on his doctorate in mental health studies, which will allow him to work with victims of traumatic brain injuries, and Marcus authored the book “Lone Survivor.”
They will provide inspirational stories and details of their involvement with helping others to heal and overcome personal circumstances.
Tickets are available at the door for a minimum donation to Infinite Hero of $150.
On Monday, The Club at Ravenna will host the 3rd Annual Ravenna Invitational to benefit Infinite Hero with 18 holes of golf, a cocktail hour and dinner reception.
FULL ARTICLE
Sunday, July 10, 2016
DSR: Beckman finds winner’s circle at Route 66 with Infinite Hero Dodge to start second half of Mello Yello season on high note
JOLIET, Ill. (July 10, 2016) – A GPS device might have helped Jack Beckman find the Route 66 Raceway winner’s circle and media center late Sunday afternoon.
It had been about 10 months since the 2012 NHRA Funny Car world champion visited any winner’s circle or media center for a post-race celebration and interview after winning a title in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
And he’d never advanced to a final round at the track near Chicago until Sunday when his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T team funded by Terry Chandler and led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham defeated teammate Ron Capps to snap a 15-race winless streak.
He joined with teammate Antron Brown to give DSR both nitro titles for the fourth straight year at the track near the hometown of owner Don Schumacher.
“It’s a little bit frustrating to have been the only one of our DSR Funny Cars that hadn’t closed the deal when Capps seems to be winning every weekend, (Matt) Hagan had multiple wins and Tommy won.
“We knew we would find it.”
“Even though we had been to three final rounds this year, we really didn’t have our car,” he said referring to last year’s performance which produced seven titles. “This year we had never made it more than 200 feet in any of those final rounds, and we were struggling. We set the national record this year, qualified No. 1 four times this year, but we just couldn’t put it together.”
The Infinite Hero Dodge powered by Pennzoil performed at Route 66 including a No. 2 qualifying effort.
“I’ll tell you the great thing about DSR and my teammates, it was my birthday two weeks ago and Tommy Johnson said he’d drive the car (for a test session) Jimmy wanted to do. They took it out to Indy and made four hits on it, and the thing never went past 400 feet but it started pointing us in the right direction as to what needed fixed.
“The car was just darn near flawless out there today. This doesn’t mean we’re going to be dominant at the next race, but it means I’ll feel a lot more confident when we pull through the gates knowing we can make consistent runs. Once you start making the consistent runs, you can turn the wick up and make quick runs.”
FULL ARTICLE
It had been about 10 months since the 2012 NHRA Funny Car world champion visited any winner’s circle or media center for a post-race celebration and interview after winning a title in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
And he’d never advanced to a final round at the track near Chicago until Sunday when his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T team funded by Terry Chandler and led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham defeated teammate Ron Capps to snap a 15-race winless streak.
He joined with teammate Antron Brown to give DSR both nitro titles for the fourth straight year at the track near the hometown of owner Don Schumacher.
“It’s a little bit frustrating to have been the only one of our DSR Funny Cars that hadn’t closed the deal when Capps seems to be winning every weekend, (Matt) Hagan had multiple wins and Tommy won.
“We knew we would find it.”
“Even though we had been to three final rounds this year, we really didn’t have our car,” he said referring to last year’s performance which produced seven titles. “This year we had never made it more than 200 feet in any of those final rounds, and we were struggling. We set the national record this year, qualified No. 1 four times this year, but we just couldn’t put it together.”
The Infinite Hero Dodge powered by Pennzoil performed at Route 66 including a No. 2 qualifying effort.
“I’ll tell you the great thing about DSR and my teammates, it was my birthday two weeks ago and Tommy Johnson said he’d drive the car (for a test session) Jimmy wanted to do. They took it out to Indy and made four hits on it, and the thing never went past 400 feet but it started pointing us in the right direction as to what needed fixed.
“The car was just darn near flawless out there today. This doesn’t mean we’re going to be dominant at the next race, but it means I’ll feel a lot more confident when we pull through the gates knowing we can make consistent runs. Once you start making the consistent runs, you can turn the wick up and make quick runs.”
FULL ARTICLE
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