2015 NHRA U.S. NATIONALS - FUNNY CAR NOTEBOOK
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MONDAY FUNNY CAR NOTEBOOK
RED-HOT BECKMAN GRABS HIS FIRST INDY FC TITLE - Two years ago, NHRA nitro Funny Car driver Jack Beckman couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.
Now, he’s walking on water.
Since mid-July, Beckman has been in an amazing zone in NHRA’s nitro Funny Car class.
And, he definitely didn’t let his foot off the gas this weekend at the U.S. Nationals.
A day after winning the $100,000 Traxxas Shootout, Beckman followed that up with his first career U.S. Nationals victory Monday.
Beckman, on a holeshot, beat Robert Hight in the finals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
Beckman clocked a 4.058-second elapsed time at 310.77 mph, compared to Hight’s quicker 4.045-second run at 309.77 mph. The margin of victory came at the starting line. Beckman had an .034 reaction time and Hight left the line at .063.
“I’m still that 7-year-old kid who went to my first drag race,” Beckman said. “Now, my name will show at Indy (as winner) and to (also) do it as shootout winner. Now, I’m on a list with some people who I thought were 9-feet tall.”
Beckman acknowledged all his success has been crazy to digest.
“I wish I had a day just to go rest and get my head back at ease and understand the enormity of this because it is hard to enjoy what just happened because you are just plain worn out,” Beckman said. “(Sunday) after the Traxxas (Shootout) I was trashed. It was a miserably hot day that ended up wonderful. I’m going to have to stare at it (the Wally from the U.S. Nationals) on the office shelf, and realize that we actually did it.”
Beckman, who drives the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge for Don Schumacher Racing, has a class-best six wins at Charlotte, Topeka, Norwalk, Denver, Sonoma, and now Indy. This was the 18th win of his career and his first at the U.S. Nationals. He was runner-up at Indy in 2008 and 2013 to Hight. This was Beckman’s 21st career national event victory.
What’s more, Beckman improved his season record to 15-0 against John Force Racing cars – John, Courtney and Hight. Beckman now has a 2-7 career record against Hight in final rounds.
Beckman will go into the six-race Countdown to the Championship with a 30-point point lead by virtue of winning the regular-season title.
The Countdown begins at Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 18-20.
Beckman knows what it takes to win an NHRA nitro Funny Car world championship. He did exactly that in 2012.
The position he is in now however, is somewhat amazing since he failed to qualify for the season-opening Winternationals, but they have definitely made up for lost ground with crew chief Jimmy Prock and assistant crew chiefs John Medlen and Chris Cunningham. Prock left John Force Racing prior to the end of the 2014 season, and Medlen came to DSR following last season.
“When Jimmy was let go (late) last year and Don brought him on for the last two races, maybe in a greedy sort of way I started looking ahead,” Beckman. “Don reserves the right to put whomever as a driver and whomever as a crew chief on a team and then he lets the crew chief hire the people on that team. I just knew what Jimmy was capable of doing and I felt like if we could just stay together maybe would be able to win some races and do something like this. I called Jimmy and told him if this matters to you, it matters to me. I think we can do some great things together. Maybe the greatest part about this year, and Jimmy will not you this, but we went had a crab cookout at his (Prock’s house) with my friend from Deadliest Catch and Jimmy’s wife told me this: It matters to Jimmy. I have my husband back. He loves where he is right now and I can’t tell you how good that makes me feel.”
When Beckman won at the Four-Wide Nationals March 29 at zMax Dragway he broke a 54-race winless drought.
“I don’t want to talk to somebody after they’ve hit the Lotto or done something to set themselves up for life, and listen to them tell me what their attitude was like when things weren’t so good,” Beckman said. “I want to talk to people when things suck. Then follow them for a couple of years and see if their mentality and principles lead them to success. The 2013 season was an OK year and and 2014 was bitterly disappointing, but I’m incredibly lucky to get a paycheck from Don Schumacher, and I never forgot I have a fantastic job. But, to be completely honest, I think in the back of my head I wondered if I was ever going to be able to win again? I have to tell you may have the best car on race day, but one hiccup and your day is over. Sometimes just getting there is the battle and you have to capitalize in the final round. You just have to keep showing up with a good attitude and smile when you feel like crying. Now, look what has happened.”
TOP RACEDAY TAKEAWAYS
FORCE, DEJORIA COUNTDOWN DRAMA – If Courtney Force was going to have a chance to move up from 11th to 10th in the final regular season standings she had to beat her good friend Alexis DeJoria in the first round of the U.S. Nationals Monday at Lucas Oil Raceway.
She did.
“There’s a lot obviously in the back of my mind, but really the focus is going up and having fun, and trying to get the round win,” Force said minutes before her run against DeJoria. “It’s definitely helpful (that the points are a point and half at Indy). We already things calculated for what ifs, and I’m just trying to block that out and go rounds and it will be what it will be.”
It was a victory for Force and kept her chances for the Countdown to the Championship alive. Force clocked a 4.064-second run at 316.67 mph to edge DeJoria’s 4.085-second run at 307.02 mph.
In order for Force to surpass DeJoria she not only had to beat Force, but she also needed to advance to the finals. In the second round, Force faced off against Don Schumacher Racing’s Tommy Johnson Jr. – and that’s where her Countdown dreams ended.
Johnson Jr. clocked a 4.093-second run at 309.13 mph to edge Force’s 4.117-second run at 312.93 mph.
“You’re welcome Alexis,” Johnson Jr. said.
The win by Johnson Jr. clinched the No. 10 spot for DeJoria with 905 points. Force now can do no better than 11th after finishing the regular season with 860 points.
It was a clean sweep for John Force Racing in round one as John defeated Cruz Pedregon – for the 67th time in 99 head to head meetings – and Robert Hight edged John Bojec.
Pedregon lost to Force, but by losing – with no oildown – he clinched a spot in the Countdown in ninth place with 908 points.
10 YEARS AND COUNTING – When Robert Hight made it to the finals of the U.S. Nationals it added another line to the ultra-impressive resume of John Force Racing at Indy.
This was the 10th year in a row JFR has had a Funny Car in the final and JFR has winners seven out of the last eight years.
For the record, JFR has had five drivers win the Funny Car class at the U.S. Nationals. John Force (1993, ’96, ’98, 2002), Hight (2006, 2008 and 2013), Ashley Force-Hood (2009, 2010), Mike Neff (2011, 2012) and Gary Densham (2004).
OFFERING SUPPORT – During the U.S. Nationals, standout Indy Racing driver Graham Rahal, Force’s fiancé, was there to offer support to her and take in the Big Go.
“For any sport, it doesn’t matter your biggest event is the crown jewel of your season,” Rahal said. “For drag racing this it. Does this compare (to the Indy 500)? They are completely different venues. Drag racing fans are very loyal people. The campgrounds looked great this weekend. This is a cool place to come and be. The people in Indianapolis love racing any time. The Indy 500 just goes back so, so many years, I think it is hard to really compete or compare against the history of it. Certainly this (the U.S. Nationals) has the potential for many more years. I come here for her (Courtney). I enjoy this. I enjoy being here. I’ve been around drag racing all my life with my dad (Bobby) and Snake (Don Prudhomme) and Miller Lite. I love bringing people out and let them get a little taste of drag racing, but really I come out to support Courtney.”
STICKING WITH THE 49ERS – Ron Capps is an avid fan of the five-time Super Bowl champions San Francisco 49ers.
These days it’s hard to be a supporter of the Niners, with the loss of their head coach Jim Harbaugh, and countless players to retirement and suspension.
“This is when you find out if you’re a true fan and who the true fans are,” Capps said. “It’s the same thing about our sport (drag racing). That’s what is neat about it. You find out when teams are down a little bit, you find out who are the hardcore fans. They (the Niners) have some good leaders around, they just need to loosen up a bit. Nobody knows about the new coach (Jim Tomsula). It’s going to be fun to watch. I’m so happy football is here.”
San Francisco hosts the Vikings Monday night Sept. 14 in the season-opener for both teams.
Capps and Tommy DeLago, DeJoria’s crew chief, actually have worked games for KNBR radio, a sports talk station in San Francisco games, holding parabolic microphones, including at Super Bowl XLVII when the Niners lost to the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans.
“Tommy and I are looking are doing a couple of games this year,” Capps said. “I want to go to the (Levi’s) Stadium. We will just have to see what we can work in our schedules.”
BAD LIGHT, GOOD WIN – When Hight met Tommy Johnson Jr. in the semifinals – he didn’t get a great start as he cut a .221 light, compared to Johnson Jr.’s .048 light.
Hight was saved as Johnson Jr.’s Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car smoked the tires right off the line. Hight ran a 4.047-seconds at 313.58 mph.
“Something distracted me up there,” Hight said. “I thought I heard Tommy like double step it. Something just screwed me up. I think we dodged a bullet there, and great job to my team. I didn’t do so good, but I will do better in the final.”
SUNDAY FUNNY CAR NOTEBOOK
BECKMAN KEEPS ROLLING WINS TRAXXAS SHOOTOUT - Since mid-July, nitro Funny Car driver Jack Beckman can’t do much wrong.
The 2012 world champion continued his memorable, magical ride as he won the $100,000 Traxxas Nitro Shootout Sunday at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis.
Beckman defeated Robert Hight in the Shootout with a 4.051-second time at 309.06 mph, while Hight came in at 4.138 seconds at 303.71 mph.
The Shootout win is just something Beckman added to his capturing the No. 1 qualifying position for Monday’s U.S. Nationals with a track record time and speed of 3.936 seconds at 323.74 mph.
“2013 was kind of disappointing although we did win the (Traxxas) Shootout in spectacular fashion,” Beckman said. “Then in 2014 we only made it to one final round and never won a single race, it’s very frustrating. I never lost sight of the fact that I was very fortunate to get a paycheck to drive a nitrous Funny Car. When you know your capabilities are better than your achievements, it’s tough. I don’t know what was wrong then. We had all the right people I thought, all the right parts, just poor results. I knew when they said that Jimmy (Prock) was going to come over I knew that we were going to do some special things this year. You do think about how great it could be and I’m not sure I could’ve imagined it being this good. It’s just been a little bit surreal.”
Beckman also beat Courtney Force and Ron Capps during his Traxxas victory parade.
If Beckman’s track record shattering run wasn’t enough, he beat Hight in the heat of the day.
“I made that comment in other interviews, I think that we’ve shown everybody how good we are when conditions are favorable maybe to the point that they thought the bad conditions might swing the pendulum away from our favor,” Beckman said. “We’ve been spectacular in hot conditions too. We just haven’t had that many runs in the past month and a half. The things we’ve done in that amount of time may have made people forget about that. I think (Sunday) we just reinforced it. In terms of gratifying, probably more so for the crew chief. From a drivers standpoint, anything it takes to get that trophy. The No. 1 qualifier I think is a great crew chief award. I only like it because it gets you more points towards the championship. The driver award is that trophy at the end of the day for me, I don’t care if it’s 110 degrees or 47 degrees. I bet the crew chiefs are going to have a tough time sleeping at night having to go up against that Dodge (Monday) and knowing that it’s got 4.00 something feel no matter what.”
Beckman acknowledged the main driver who has been able to step on his Superman cape is his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr.
“Yes, he’s made a wish several times and it’s come true,” Beckman said. “I sure hope that genie is back in the bottle. This is not coming from an arrogant or cocky standpoint whatsoever, it’s coming from the points standpoint. The last few times that we’ve faced him I’ve thought this is going to be our day. We have the better car, we’ve been making better runs and they have just had our number. We drew at Seattle to have the chance at the sweep and Brainerd apparently our car was trying to run a 360 on them and it just ripped the tires loose on them. No excuses. John Collins and that team have just done a phenomenal job. That’s a little point of frustration for us but we don’t have to make our car better to beat them, we have to get it to run to its potential to beat them.”
As good as things are going for Beckman, it begs the question if he’s worry about following from Cloud Nine.
“That’s a great question and I think that it’s a fair question,” Beckman said. “Let me give you an analogy and see if it makes sense. You qualify first so what attitude do you take to the starting line? If we do our job then we can’t lose or do you go up there and think oh my God everybody expects us to win, I better not screw up. The reality is that you just want to do the best you can and taking the confident attitude out there is better. Sure, the wheels could fall off this thing right now but we’d drag our car before anybody else’s in the pits not by a long shot. If we never won another race again this year I hope that I’d be able to stop you guys at the finals and say 2015 was a phenomenal voyage but I think we’re going to win a couple more races this year. I think we’ve got Bob Bode first round but you’ve got to be confident enough to perform your job easier. We’re not looking past Bob Bode, he could have his day (Monday) at the race track.”
PRESSURE IS RELATIVE TO DEJORIA – Popular nitro Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria came to the U.S. Nationals in 10th place in the points - 73 points in front of 11th place Courtney Force.
DeJoria qualified No. 6 for Monday’s race at 4.000 seconds and Force is in the No. 11 spot at 4.113.
If Force loses first round, DeJoria will clinch the No. 10 spot for the six-race Countdown to the Championship, which starts at Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 18-20. In order for Force to surpass DeJoria in the standings and take the No. 10 spot, DeJoria would have to lose first round and Force would have to advance to the finals or DeJoria would have to lose in the second round and Force would have to win the race.
Cruz Pedregon also factors into the Countdown conversation. Pedregon arrived at the U.S. Nationals, in ninth place in the points – 28 points in front of 10th-place Alexis DeJoria and 101 points in front of 11th-place Courtney Force.
Things became a lot more interesting for Pedregon when he had an oildown in the third qualifying session and was docked 25 points and fined $8,000. Pedregon will clinch a Countdown spot Monday as long as he doesn’t have another oildown. His next oildown will result in a 30-point deduction.
DeJoria, who is the defending U.S. Nationals champion, acknowledged she’s not getting caught up in the points scenarios.
“I don’t really think about it (the pressure),” DeJoria said. “I just treat every run like it is just a regular day. It is (frustrating to be in this position), but at the same time I don’t have the time to really sit there and dwell about it. I just have to deal with it how it comes. Yeah, we’re in this position, and we just have to roll with and do our best.”
DeJoria, however, does realize the value of punching her ticket to the Countdown in her Patron XO Café Incendo Toyota.
“It’s extremely important (to make the Countdown),” DeJoria said. “Not just for our team, but for our sponsors and all of the people who support us. Obviously, everybody wants to see our team be a part of that, but whether we do or not, we are still going to go at it just as hard.”
A year ago, DeJoria won three races and finished a career-best seventh in the points. This season, DeJoria’s best performance was a runner-up effort at Englishtown, N.J., June 4-7.
KEEPING HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE – Team owner and former driver Jim Head has a storied history at the U.S. Nationals, winning in nitro Funny Car (1984) and Top Fuel (1997).
Since 2013, Chad Head, Jim’s son, has been piloting the family-owned nitro Funny Car, and it is something he relishes.
“Every race means something to me that you get to race with your father,” Chad said. “Not very many people say that they can come to the race track and you can drive the car he drove. He tunes it and I get to drive it. We get the highs. We get the lows, and we just try to make the best of it that we can and it is something really special, so every race is special to come and do that. Heck I just had a buddy back home lose his father unexpectedly, which puts things in perspective.”
Although Jim Head is in a select group in terms of U.S. Nationals success, it’s not something that is a conversation starter.
“When he comes to the race here (in Indy), he’s pretty focused and pretty much all business,” Chad said. “It’s all special to me.”
BODE HAS SIMPLE APPROACH FOR INDY – Veteran nitro Funny Car driver Bob Bode has a simple plan for this weekend at Indy.
“Our plan is to make sure we don’t blow anything up,” Bode said. “The last two races (Chicago) and (Brainerd) were pretty poor races for us. Our goal here is to keep it all intact and probably run really hard on Sunday if we can get that far. We have a few things that we are testing and we are going to see if they are going to be good.”
Bode ran hard enough Sunday and qualified No. 16 at 4.736 seconds. Bode clinched the final spot when Justin Schriefer had electrical problems and was unable to make his final qualifying pass.
Bode acknowledged the first-round losses he suffered at Chicago and Brainerd also were costly.
“We hurt short blocks at both those races,” Bode said. “We are trying to get that fixed so that we can lean on it harder. We have to see if our new adjustments are going to help us. We will know Friday night when I hit the gas. If it gets past two seconds we will probably be all right.”
Bode didn’t get to make a run Friday because of the rain, and on Saturday his best time was 5.765 seconds at 120.75 mph which was 15th best.
Bode also has raced at Pomona, and Houston this season, but he relishes coming to Indy.
“We love having this big of race close to home,” said Bode, who lives in Barrington, Ill. “I bring my son down here (to Indy) with his Junior Dragster and I’ve been down here six times this year. The starting line looks strange with all these people because I see it empty.”
Bode’s son, Bob Bode III is 13 years old.
“We were going home from the last race here a couple of weeks ago and my son told me all the races here are on Sunday and we could come to their whole series,” the elder Bode said. “For us this is like next door and for it being the U.S. Nationals, it is the coolest thing I get to do all year. My birthday is Monday and wife (Alice) asked if I wanted to skip this (the U.S. Nationals) and I told here this is the coolest place to be on your birthday where else would I want to go?”
The elder Bode said his son has been racing Junior Dragsters since he was 8.
“He has won two Division 3 championships and he’s done really, really well,” Bode said. “He turns 18 in April in five years the seat in my Funny Car is his I just have to last long and hopefully I can. I would give nothing more to be Jim Head to stand there and fold my arms and watch my kid hit the gas for the first time. I don’t even care how good he does. Just to see him get out there and get licensed and take the green light sometime would be pretty cool for me to watch him do that.”
Bode captured his lone national event win in 2010 at Brainerd, Minn., but seeing his son drive would trump that joy.
“It would be 1,000 times more satisfying just to get him licensed and maybe get him in this car,” Bode said. “It would be such a success to see him actually go through that at get to that point. I hope to put in him a Nostalgia car at 16 and let him try that a couple years of that, so we have good plans.”
HIGHT PRAISES KERSHAW, GREINKE – It’s no secret world champion nitro Funny Car driver Robert Hight is a huge Los Angeles Dodgers fan.
And, he’s definitely been paying attention to the performances of Zach Greinke (15-3) and Clayton Kershaw (12-6) for the National League West-leading Dodgers.
“That’s a 1-2 punch and I guess that would be cool if anybody would ever compare John and I as a 1-2 punch like Greinke and Kershaw. “I hope the Dodgers do whatever it takes to keep Grienke because he’s a free agent at the end of the year. You can almost say when they are pitching, and they are back-to-back, which I hope happens in the playoffs, it is a 1-2 punch where they are going to get two wins, and that’s what you need in the playoffs, so it’s exciting.”
Hight, who has attended several home Dodgers games this season, will see his favorite team in action Wednesday on the road at Los Angeles Angels Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.
“Monday night Grienke is pitching and Tuesday night Kershaw is pitching,” Hight said shrugging his shoulders. “It would be unreal if the Dodgers could make the playoffs. It’s been since 1988 since they have been in the World Series. With the money they have got and the money they are spending, they should do it (get to the World Series).”
Hight said he has even more passion for the Dodgers these days because of the friendship he has developed with Dodgers’ third baseman Justin Turner.
“Justin came out to Pomona (the Winternationals in February) and then he came out to Phoenix,” Hight said. “John and I got to go to spring training with him. In fact, he’s text before and told me that he had (his) whole clubhouse watching NHRA. You know how that makes you feel? That’s pretty cool when you get a whole clubhouse of baseball players watching what we are doing.”
Hight said he was introduced to Turner through Geno Effler, NHRA’s former Vice President, Public Relations & Communications who knew Turner from Cal-State Fullerton.
“Justin has got my daughter (Autumn) on the field several times this year,” Hight said. “We’ve also gone out a few times and we’ve become friends. What’s also cool is he just loves and follows drag racing. After I won at Brainerd (Aug. 23) he was like the third text on my phone.”
TOMMY JOHNSON JR. KNOWS WHAT INDY WIN MEANS – Tommy Johnson Jr. has won 11 NHRA Pro national events – nine in Funny Car and two in Top Fuel.
The veteran driver, however, has never won the prestigious U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, which he would love to check off his bucket list. Johnson Jr., pilots a Dodge Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing.
“You remember how much this (the U.S. Nationals) means and you are thankful for the opportunity to do it again,” Johnson Jr. said. “Every day is special and some days are just more special than others. Winning this (the U.S. Nationals) is almost a must if one day when you’re done and your checking off boxes. This is a big box and plus it has little ones inside of it.”
Johnson Jr. qualified No. 3 and will meet John Halle in round 1. Johnson Jr. did lose in the first round of the Traxxas Shootout Sunday to Tim Wilkerson.
SPORTING THE BEARD – Playoff beards were introduced by NHL players in the Stanley Cup and now it is a tradition in many sports leagues. The player stops shaving when his team enters the playoffs and does not shave until his team is eliminated or wins a championship.
This weekend at the U.S. Nationals, reigning world champion Matt Hagan is sporting a beard, but he was quick to point out it has nothing to do with the upcoming playoffs.
“It’s one of those deals getting that time of year in the fall and deer season is coming around,” said Hagan, who resides in Christiansburg, Va. “It’s something different. I’m just trying to change it up a little bit. It’s not really a playoff beard or anything like. It’s just something I wanted to do. How long it stays just depends on how bad it itches.”
Hagan said deer hunting season starts for him in October.
CAPPS IN AT NO. 9 – Ron Capps has left the U.S. Nationals with four trophies in his 21-year NHRA career but the one he cherishes most has evaded him.
Capps wants that to change Monday by winning the most prestigious award in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season with his NAPA AUTO PARTS 2015 Dodge Charger R/T team led by crew chief Rahn Tobler at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis, which is one of only three NHRA national events where he has yet to win the NHRA Wally trophy.
"Growing up in California I just wanted to go to the U.S. Nationals as a fan," he said. "Then I got my dream of driving a nitro car in our sport's biggest race, and ever since then it's the one trophy I've wanted to win the most."
A year ago, he won an event title but it was the completion of the event that started in Brainerd, Minn., two weeks prior that was delayed by rain. He also won invitational events during the U.S. Nationals three times (1998-99 and 2002).
But he doesn't have one that says "U.S Nationals Winner."
And he needs to go rounds Monday to move up from sixth in Mello Yello standings.
The U.S. Nationals is the last event of the Mello Yello regular season after which the top-10 drivers will be determined to compete for NHRA world championships in the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoff that begins in two weeks outside of Charlotte. Points will be reset for Countdown contenders with the regular season points leader getting a 30-point lead over the No. 2 driver with the other eight positions separated at 10-point increments.
Monday's racing could greatly impact the final regular season standings especially with a new points-and-a-half payoff in eliminations when round winners will earn 30 points instead of the standard 20 at all other Mello Yello races and Capps will face DSR teammate Matt Hagan, who qualified No. 8 and one spot ahead of Ron.
The NAPA AUTO PARTS team is only 41 points out of fourth place.
"The way we look at it, it's the last race where we can make up points, even though we have to race Hagan, the guys right in front of us, we want to move up to fourth and the only way we can do that is to race these guys early and gain some points.”
SATURDAY NOTEBOOK FUNNY CAR
BECKMAN GRABS NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITION – Since the Mile-High Nationals (July 24-26) in Denver, Jack Beckman has been in a zone.
He won in Denver and Sonoma (Calif.) and was setting world records along the way.
Beckman has qualified No. 1 at three-consecutive races – Sonoma, Seattle and Brainerd – and he’s well on his way to four straight after Saturday night.
Beckman, driving the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing, set both ends of the nitro Funny Car track record with a 3.936-second lap at 323.74 mph at Lucas Oil Speedway.
“The things we did to the DSR Funny Cars to make them quicker, make them a little bit tougher to drive,” Beckman said. “They want to hunt around in the middle of the race track, and I’m not sure if that’s what happened to (Matt) Hagan and (Ron) Capps out there, but they are right on the edge. They are super fast, but they are twitchy. I could feel it on that one, it was was wanting to move and Indy is dark at night. My goodness, I wasn’t going to say anything and (Jimmy) Prock (Beckman’s crew chief said I wouldn’t got in that car if I were you, I couldn’t see. Thank God it wasn’t just me. The guys put in the setup for the 3.94 at (Brainerd) and it went within in sixth thousandths of it on that run. When you get to the point that the car becomes that predictable and it’s that quick, that’s a tough combo to beat.”
Beckman’s magical ride since Denver has vaulted him into first-place in the point standings.
The 2012 world champion Beckman also has five wins this season after to failing to qualify for the Countdown a year ago.
“Sucked might be more like it,” Beckman said about his 2014 season. “(Right now) is Cloud Nine. You dream of stuff like this. There’s still that little kid in me who daydreams about being that person on the mountain looking down. The problem in drag racing, especially Funny Cars, is the view is not the same very long. These things are so temperamental and things change so quickly in our sport.”
With his stellar run in the fold, Beckman took a moment to talk about his approach for Sunday’s $100,000 Traxxas Shootout.
“It should be completely different conditions,” Beckman said. “We went a 4.28 smoking the tires early Saturday under what is probably going to be similar conditions. Our guys are plenty smart enough to off of that. They will take that run and tweak it a little bit to get it through the middle of the race track and you just hope it’s going to be enough to get around Courtney and that Traxxas car.”
DEJORIA CLOCKS KEY QUALIFYING RUN – Alexis DeJoria, the driver of the Patron XO Café Incendio Toyota, came to the U.S. Nationals in the No. 10 spot in the points standings.
DeJoria is trying to stay in that position after Monday so she can qualify for the six-race Countdown to the Championship.
DeJoria took a step in securing that spot with a 4.000-second run at 314.97 mph, which left her in the No. 6 spot in her Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car.
“We are still looking for consistency, so a 4-flat for us is good, but I’m sure someone will run 3.92 or 3.93,” said Tommy DeLago, DeJoria’s crew chief.
DeJoria came to Indy 73 points in front of 11th place Courtney Force. Force didn’t qualifying in the top 12 on Saturday.
HIGHT LEADS JFR CONTINGENT – Robert Hight led the John Force Racing contingent Saturday at Indy.
Hight was second on the qualifying ladder at 3.971 seconds. John Force was ninth at 4.090 seconds. Courtney Force was 14th quickest at 4.848 seconds.
WORSHAM’S DOUBLE INDY CELEBRATION A DECADE AGO – The U.S. Nationals has countless great memories for racers – and Del Worsham is no exception.
Back in 2005 at Indy, is an experience he will never forget.
Worsham, who was competing in the nitro Funny Car class, won the $100,000 NHRA Skoal Showdown event and then capped the weekend by winning the U.S. Nationals, and also collected the $50,000 double-up for winning both events
Worsham defeated Frank Pedregon in the finals of the U.S. Nationals in his Checker Schuck’s Kragen Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
“When I won Indy, I guess I really didn’t realize how big a race it was,” Worsham said. “The biggest thing about winning Indy, besides the money which was greatly increased was just the amount of people who called to congratulate me. To me, the Winternationals, being from California was the biggest race, but winning Indy it really showed me how much people really cared and how big an event it was. Being from California, I didn’t really realize that, but it is. It’s pretty special.”
Although 10 years have passed since Worsham won two races at Indy, it is still fresh in his mind.
“It seems like yesterday,” Worsham said. “It was a pretty special weekend and a crazy weekend. It is hard to believe it has been that long, but it has been 10 years, and it would sure be nice to win it again.”
Worsham entered this weekend’s U.S. Nationals fifth in the point standings and did take a moment to imagine adding a nitro Funny Car world championship to the Top Fuel one he won in 2011. Worsham qualified No. 4 Saturday with his 3.978-second run at 322.11 mph.
“It’s not a deal breaker as far as my career goes, but it is kind of where I started off and what I like to do,” Worsham said. “To win the Funny Car championship would allow me to say that I’ve done pretty much everything I wanted to do in this sport, and you always want to keep doing and do better, but it would be nice. There’s a lot of unfinished business there.”
Worsham finished second in the Funny Car points in 2004 and was third in both 2001 and 2002.
“We’ve done well with it (Funny Car), but we haven’t won it, so it is a big part of why I’m here right now,” Worsham said.
Worsham drove Funny Cars from 1990-2010, then he piloted a Top Fueler in 2011 and won the world title. In the 2012 season, Worsham was Alexis DeJoria’s crew chief in Funny Car and then he returned to driving in the seat of the DHL Funny Car fielded by Kalitta Motorsports.
“We have to run every single race as hard as we can and you need to get a little bit lucky,” Worsham said about his though process for the rest of the season. “I think we better race every race like it is the last race at this point. We need to get all the points we can and minimize any kind of stupid mistakes you can make.”
Worsham also believes the record-setting runs Funny Cars were making in Brainerd, Minn., last month led by Matt Hagan’s 3.879 elapsed time will return again this season.
“They will be back in the fall,” Worsham said. “Definitely by the time we get to Pomona, and also it can happen again in Reading (Pa.), and in Las Vegas. I think those runs just kind of give us an idea of what’s out there and what we are going to need to do and where we need to be.”
WILKERSON TALKS ABOUT CAREER-BEST RUN - Veteran nitro Funny Car driver Tim Wilkerson has been a steady, respected competitor since 1996.
Back in 2008, Wilkerson had his best season, finishing second in the points behind legendary John Force.
Wilkerson turned some heads again when clocked a 3.921-second time at 328.70 mph when he defeated John Force in the second round of the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway Aug. 23.
“I was real proud of my guys,” Wilkerson said. “They have worked hard all year to make me look good, and it was a good sign of our efforts. I was really pleased.”
Wilkerson, who ended up losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Robert Hight, was the third fastest Funny Car at Brainerd behind Matt Hagan (3.879) and Jack Beckman (3.903), both of Don Schumacher Racing. Wilkerson, meanwhile, runs an independent team sponsored by Levi, Ray & Shoup. He also serves as the crew chief alongside Richard Hartman.
“It’s really gratifying,” Wilkerson said about running that 3.921 elapsed time with no teammate. “At the Traxxas Shootout press conference at Indianapolis (Sept. 2) Alan Reinhart said Force has all his cars in and Schumacher has all his cars in, and I said yeah and Wilkerson has all his in as well. We had a good time with that.”
Wilkerson acknowledged he doesn’t see the historically quick times from Brainerd race happening at the U.S. Nationals (Sept. 4-7) ay Lucas Oil Raceway.
“We are back to reality here (at Indy), I hope anyway,” Wilkerson said. “That track (at Brainerd) was just tremendous and the conditions there were out of control. The track is smooth first off and whenever you get that kind of traction, basically because it was so cool and overcast every day and they got to prep the track where it was out of control. Well, the sun is a great equalizer. It sucks all the oil out of the track even when there is glue on it. It will straighten us all back up and bring us back to reality.”
Wilkerson proved his Brainerd run was no fluke as he clocked a 3.998-second run Saturday night to qualify No. 5.
“It ran what we wanted to run, you can’t do any better than that,” said Wilkerson’s crew chief Richard Hartman. “The show off cars are probably going to come out here and kick our tails, but it was a good run for us. It takes some pressure off (Saturday) and now we can race for the Traxxas Shootout (Sunday) and not worry about qualifying.”
The 3.80s blistering ETs may not occur at Indy, but Wilkerson believes they may appear again before season’s end.
“Can that happen again this year someplace? Yeah it probably will,” Wilkerson said. “It taught everybody what to do. God, I hope not (that it happens at Indy). I’m telling you that’s hard on parts. We have crankshaft life down to four and five runs. Just stupid stuff like that a team like me, I can’t afford that. I have to have two cycles through a motor on a crank, and I took that motor home and it had five runs on it, and the crank was junk. It’s not black, it is a little bit bent and it is cracked from stem to stern. It’s no fault of the crankshaft manufacturer, we are just tugging on them. To run 281.50 mph at halftrack in a Funny Car, you’re tugging on it, that’s just all there is to it. It has plenty of power and it runs good and it wasn’t hurting anything just these motors are only going to take so much. There just not going to take any more than what we are doing there. We are happy that that thing didn’t blow up and do anything wrong, and the parts look nice. I could see if we had to race in conditions like that all the time, it would be hard on the budget.”
Wilkerson is optimistic about what he can accomplish this weekend.
“I try to keep this race in perspective, and the race within a race is a bit of distraction,” Wilkerson said. “But, we can use the money and we have a good car and I’m hoping we can do some good here.”
Wilkerson’s son, Daniel Wilkerson has raced a nitro Funny Car off and on, beginning in 2009, but the elder Wilkerson doesn’t see Daniel driving any time soon.
“No, I wish he was,” said Tim about his son racing. “It takes every dime we have to run this car, so we’re probably never going to have two cars again. Our next evolution will probably be him driving and me tuning, but I don’t know if we will ever do that, because I’m not ready to quit driving yet.”
LEARNING CURVE FOR HALE – John Hale has proven himself in the Nostalgia Funny Car ranks – winning prestigious races.
This season is his first driving for famed-owner Jim Dunn in nitro Funny Car and it has been a learning curve for Hale.
“This year has been everything as far as emotions,” Hale said. “They went well from doing well early in the year to struggling a little bit with my driving midseason and then getting a grip on myself and my driving and getting my confidence back. That’s where I’m at right now. When you make a mistake in one of these cars, and mean by mistake I let the car get over in the other lane in Joilet (in July). When you that, your confidence doesn’t just come back in one good run. It may not come back in five runs. What you have to do is put that run in a drawer and shut it, and if there is a piece of paper hanging out in that drawer you can’t look at it. You have to move on.”
Hale had a season-best runner-up finish at the Gatornationals in March, and came to the U.S. Nationals 13th in points. At Indy,
“I think when Jim (Dunn) comes in here (the U.S. Nationals) he saves parts to turn the car up for this race because it is a special race to him,” Hale said. “I’m confident going in there and I’m fired up to keep the car in the groove and run my personal-best time here.”
Hale’s first qualifying run Saturday was the first of his career at Indy. He clocked a 4.196-second time at 306.88 mph to qualify No. 12.
“I’ve been a crew member here a couple of times, but I’ve never been down the race track,” said Hale, who resides in Dallas. “I liken this to race to racing in Bakersfield that I do with my Nostalgia car. When you pull in the gate you can feel the grandest of the whole race and the prestige of it. I’ve won the Hot Rod Reunion there twice. It’s awesome to be here in Indy and you can feel what this race means just by how many people are outside the race track. It’s an honor to be here driving for a legend and have a good car and be at the biggest race of the year. This is something a lot of racers dream about and never get to experience and I’m here and I’m going to take it all in.”
Prior to coming to Indy, Hale drove his One Bad Texas Nostalgia Funny Car last weekend at Cordova (Ill.) Dragway Park.
“We qualified third and we lost in the first round,” Hale said. “It rained off and on and race track wasn’t all that good and a lot of cars were spinning the tires. We spun the tires in the first round. It’s still always fun because there isn’t a lot of pressure in the Nostalgia racing.”
Hale said his next Nostalgia race will be the IHRA World Finals in Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 9-10.
