Beckman cedes in Pomona second round

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
Round 1 of 24
NHRA Winternationals
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Pomona, Calif.
Feb. 5-8, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438;
jstropus@earthlink.net

BECKMAN CEDES IN POMONA SECOND ROUND

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2009) - Driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal
Services Dodge Funny Car, Jack Beckman endured five days of rain at the
season-opening NHRA Winternationals, which included qualifying in only one
session on Saturday, an aborted day of eliminations on Sunday following one
round, a total wash-out on Monday and finally the completion of the event
today (Tuesday).

On Sunday, Beckman defeated the reigning NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing
Series Funny Car champion Cruz Pedregon in the first round with a solid
4.196-second pass at 284.56 mph, then two days later when the weather
cleared he fouled out to Robert Hight. Beckman's teammate Ron Capps then
defeated Hight in the semifinals to claim his first Funny Car victory of the
season.

"Incredibly disappointing," said Beckman, of North Hills, Calif. "I started
squeezing the throttle up there. You're focused on the Christmas Tree, you
want to get a good light and I caught myself doing that. So I went to go
back to idle and I double-stepped the throttle. Not only did it red-light,
it threw the tune-up on the race car completely off.

"The only bright spot of my day is that Capps walked out of here with the
Funny Car win. And we only have to wait a week to get back and do it again."

Next up is the 25th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Raceway in
Chandler, Ariz.., Feb. 20-22.

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