BECKMAN BUMPED OUT IN FIRST ROUND IN NORWALK
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/j_beckman_222014.jpg" alt="j_beckman_222014" align="left"borders="0"/>
NORWALK, Ohio (June 29, 2008) - Jack Beckman, driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T, endured but lost a pedaling match against Cruz Pedregon in the opening round of Funny Car eliminations at the Second Annual NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, today.
Beckman nailed the starting lights with an outstanding reaction time of .046 of a second to Pedregon's lazy .132 (.000 is perfect) but couldn't regain traction in time when both cars smoked the tires and went into a pedalfest aiming for the finish line.
Pedregon recovered first, posting a winning 5.933-second elapsed time at 204.42 mph. Beckman followed with a 6.323/180.12. Margin of victory: .3045 of a second.
"I wish Rahn Tobler (Pedregon's crew chief) had told us ahead of time that they were just going to run a 5.93," said Beckman with a smile. "If we had only known. Interesting deal. We actually changed lanes. We thought the right lane was better and I don't think we would have done it any differently. Cars were going up in smoke in both lanes.
"As a driver it's kind of exciting to know that you might have an effect on the race, and I pedaled it four different times. I would have given up except I could see Cruz out the window and he was moving all over the place too.
"It was incredibly exciting. I would love to do that every round; I just want our win light to come on. And it's a shame because that was an opportunity and we can't let too many more of those opportunities slip by to get back in the top 10," added Beckman, who is 12th in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings, 56 markers out of 10th place. The top 10 vie in the Countdown to the Championship following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
Next up is the 29th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver, Colo., July 11-13.
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/j_beckman_222014.jpg" alt="j_beckman_222014" align="left"borders="0"/>
NORWALK, Ohio (June 29, 2008) - Jack Beckman, driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T, endured but lost a pedaling match against Cruz Pedregon in the opening round of Funny Car eliminations at the Second Annual NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, today.
Beckman nailed the starting lights with an outstanding reaction time of .046 of a second to Pedregon's lazy .132 (.000 is perfect) but couldn't regain traction in time when both cars smoked the tires and went into a pedalfest aiming for the finish line.
Pedregon recovered first, posting a winning 5.933-second elapsed time at 204.42 mph. Beckman followed with a 6.323/180.12. Margin of victory: .3045 of a second.
"I wish Rahn Tobler (Pedregon's crew chief) had told us ahead of time that they were just going to run a 5.93," said Beckman with a smile. "If we had only known. Interesting deal. We actually changed lanes. We thought the right lane was better and I don't think we would have done it any differently. Cars were going up in smoke in both lanes.
"As a driver it's kind of exciting to know that you might have an effect on the race, and I pedaled it four different times. I would have given up except I could see Cruz out the window and he was moving all over the place too.
"It was incredibly exciting. I would love to do that every round; I just want our win light to come on. And it's a shame because that was an opportunity and we can't let too many more of those opportunities slip by to get back in the top 10," added Beckman, who is 12th in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings, 56 markers out of 10th place. The top 10 vie in the Countdown to the Championship following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
Next up is the 29th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver, Colo., July 11-13.
