Beckman bumped out in Gators opening round

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 3 of 23
41st annual NHRA GATORNATIONALS
Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway
March 12-14, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

BECKMAN BUMPED OUT IN OPENING ROUND AT GATORS

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 14, 2010) - As the No. 10 Funny Car qualifier for
the 41st annual NHRA Gatornationals, Jack Beckman did not have lane choice
for the opening round of eliminations today. He also faced defending event
champion Bob Tasca III in that round, the No. 7 qualifier.

With those two strikes against him and the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services
Dodge Charger team before he even took off at the starting line, Beckman
knew he had a challenge ahead of him. He nailed the Christmas Tree with a
quicker reaction time of .081 (.000 is perfect) to Tasca's .098, but soon
struck the tires, which slowed him to a 6.672-second lap at 94.77 mph to
Tasca's winning 4.139/308.57.

³Now I have to walk the walk," said Beckman, who fell from second only to
third in the point standings. "Iıve been saying that, with this
Valvoline/MTS team, weıve got the attitude and weıve got the chemistry and I
think everybody can be a good winner. I think the mark of the team thatıs
going to win this deal this year is the one that can lose and keep the right
attitude and go into the next race and do well again.

³Itıs just a danger, with a nitro fuel tank, that youıre going to get popped
first round a few times a year. Itıs not that we necessarily expected it,
and itıs not that we ever think itıs going to happen to us at any race, but
itıs going to happen and the fact that we didnıt have lane choice probably
didnıt help much. 

"Weıve got to pick up the pieces, look at the data and collaborate with the
other Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car crew chiefs and figure out what we
have to do to speed this thing up and keep it consistent and qualify
better."

Next up for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series is the NHRA Four-Wide
Nationals in Concord, N.C., March 25-28.

³The next race is going to be an odd one," Beckman added. "Itıs a four-wide,
three-ring-circus type of environment. We might as well just go on and win
that one and get back to the regular races. Thatıs it.

"I think if you look at the guys on the team, everyone is disappointed.
Nobody likes to lose and thatıs not why we come racing with these sponsors
and Don Schumacher Racing. But, if we drag our feet, keep our heads down
over this, itıs going to affect us at the next race. Weıre just going to
move on, and weıre going to be fine.²
 
UNOFFICIAL FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS, after three national events:
1. John Force, 280
2. Ron Capps, 226
3. Jack Beckman, 219
4. Bob Tasca III, 205 (runner-up today)
5. Robert Hight, 181
6. Matt Hagan, 181
7. Tony Pedregon, 180
8. Tim Wilkerson, 177 (winner today)
9. Ashley Force, 149
10. Del Worsham, 128

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