QUIET CONFIDENCE SURROUNDS JACK BECKMAN FIGHTING FOR TITLE HEADING INTO NHRA FINALS

POMONA, Calif., November 7, 2011 - Jack Beckman will wheel the Valvoline NextGen/Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to the Auto Club Raceway starting line here this weekend holding second place in the standings, a mere one point out of first, as the opening round of qualifying begins for the 47th-annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.

The slim margin could disappear or expand during the qualifying rounds Thursday, Friday or Saturday, dictating the Sunday race-day results to attain the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship.

"One point could mean nothing or the championship," explained Beckman who trails his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan as the final-race week begins. "If we don't make up the point in qualifying, we are essentially one round behind Matt. If we win the race, the difference is irrelevant; if we go out in the same round as Matt late in the race, without either Cruz (Pedregon, 25 behind Beckman) or Mike (Neff, 33) going around us, qualifying points will determine the championship.

"We've demonstrated throughout the year we are one of the best Sunday cars, so if we don't make it up in qualifying and retain our position, we'll have to go at least one round better than Matt to win the title."

Despite not being especially strong in qualifying, Beckman believes the Valvoline/Aaron's Funny Car will be up to the challenge of competing throughout the weekend.

"I have a ton of confidence in Rahn (Tobler, crew chief) and John (Collins, assistant crew chief)," he said. "They'll give me a race car which has the best possible chance of going down the race track each qualifying session.

"This is where Rahn and John are going through the data from this year and late last season, looking at what we've run on cooler tracks to decide the route we'll take. Even if the track might handle a 4.01, we won't go for that out of the box; we'll shoot for maybe a 4.03 and then chip away (at the time) in subsequent sessions.

"I feel surprisingly good about this entire weekend. Not in an arrogant way, but the comfort and chemistry with the nine guys on the team has been phenomenal all season long and we have every reason to believe we can end the season as world champions."

 

 

JACK BECKMAN QUALIFIES EIGHTH
FOR SUNDAY'S NHRA FINALS

POMONA, Calif., November 12, 2011 - Jack Beckman today qualified the Valvoline NextGen/Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car eighth for Sunday's 47th-annual Automobile Club of ¬Southern California NHRA Finals here, trailing in the Countdown to the Championship battle by 12 points.

Beckman, who faces ninth-qualifier Tim Wilkerson in the first round of final eliminations which begin at 11 a.m. PT, needs to make up one round of racing to pass his Don Schumacher Racing Teammate Matt Hagan, while holding off Cruz Pedregon, Mike Neff, Robert Hight and fellow DSR driver Ron Capps.

"We've always wanted to control our own fate at this point," explained the 45-year-old Californian who posted a 4.113-second pass at 313.58 miles per hour to gain his top-half-of-the-field starting spot. "And the way the ladder is set, we will. We would meet Matt in the second round if we both win our first-round races.

"This is what we asked for; what we've worked for the last 10 months. Now we just have to do the job."

Getting out of the opening round is the first order of business, Beckman said.

"We can't take Tim for granted, can't look past the first round," he explained. "You can't take anything for granted in this sport. These are 8,000-horsepower race cars running on nitro and anything can happen on any run.

"You have to win each round - they are all do or die situations for everyone fighting for this championship.

"I'm just hoping to have a very long, productive day. I have tremendous confidence in Rahn and John (Tobler, crew chief, and Collins, assistant crew chief)."

 

 

JACK BECKMAN FINISHES RUNNER UP IN CHAMPIONSHIP LOSES IN QUARTERFINALS OF NHRA FINALS

POMONA, Calif., November 13, 2011 - Valvoline NextGen/Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driver Jack Beckman lost in the quarterfinals of Sunday's 47th-annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals here to finish the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season second in the championship standings.

Beckman's title hopes ended when his 4.142-second lap at 310.27 miles per hour was not quick enough to defeat Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan (4.107 at 307.44 mph), who went on to win the Funny Car championship (as well as the race) when he defeated Cruz Pedregon in the semifinals, here at Auto Club Raceway Pomona.

"We got out run by a better car," explained the Norco, Calif. resident. "They earned this win and I salute Matt and the entire DieHard team. I'm very glad the Valvoline/Aaron's car was able to keep them honest.

"We can't second guess ourselves. We were given the opportunity we wanted, to come into the last race of the season with a real shot at the title. We did everything right, again, but just got out run by the better car."

Reflecting on the season, Beckman, who won three times in five final-round appearances, spoke in positive terms.

"We've had a fantastic season," he said. "We'll come back next year and make another run for the championship."

Coming from the eighth-qualifying position (4.113 at 313.58 mph), Beckman ran a tire-smoking 4.522 pass at 280.84 mph in the opening round, but was able to dispatch ninth-qualifier Tim Wilkerson, whose problems resulted in a 7.012 lap.