Beckman advances to quarters in Norwalk

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 13 of 23
Fourth annual NHRA Nationals
Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park
Norwalk, Ohio
June 25-27, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

BECKMAN ADVANCES TO QUARTERS IN NORWALK

NORWALK, Ohio (June 27, 2010) - No. 3 qualifier Jack Beckman advanced to the
Funny Car quarterfinal round today at the fourth annual NHRA Nationals in
Norwalk, Ohio, by defeating Jim Head in the opening stanza.

After ousting Head with a 4.373-second pass at 238.17 mph on a track surface
that was heating up to 128 degrees, Beckman was dismissed by Del Worsham in
the second round. Beckman grabbed the lead at the starting lights (.079 to
.105 reaction times), but Worsham overtook him for the victory with a
4.253/286.56 to Beckman's 4.327/277.49.

ŗWešre going rounds at every race, which is great," said Beckman, who holds
on to No. 4 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series class point
standings, with the Countdown to 1 playoffs kicking in after the next four
races for the top 10 in points. "But that really is kind of what you want
once you get into the Countdown and those points count. Right now we know
wešre good enough and wešre going to be solid in the Countdown. We really
want trophies at the next few races.

"Sometimes you can benefit from luck on race day but you truly have to
create the situation to benefit from the luck. That means you have to be
going down the track every run. In Bristol last weekend we got overly
aggressive and we smoked the tires. Here in Norwalk we just played a little
different strategy. We thought if we could go down the track with a solid
run it might be enough, but Worsham just outran us out there. So, more power
to those guys. 

"We do know wešre on the right track. We did get data from that run. If you
go out there and blow it up or smoke the tires, you donšt necessarily know
how much to change it for the next race. And each time we go down the track,
the hope is that thatšs going to help us win the war for the whole season.

"Itšs frustrating to lose, but Itšs not necessarily that disappointment of
hanging your head down, because (crew chiefs) Rahn Tobler and John Collins
are going to go back, clean everything up, get our war chests ready to go
and wešll just have to go get our trophy in Seattle. So, wešre cool, and
wešre fine with it.˛

Next up is the 23rd NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Wash., July 9-11.

UNOFFICIAL FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS, after 13 of 23 events:
1. John Force, 1024 (runner-up today)
2. Robert Hight, 951
3. Matt Hagan, 849
4. Jack Beckman, 835
5. Ashley Force Hood, 813
6. Bob Tasca III, 792
7. Tim Wilkerson, 777 (winner today)
8. Ron Capps, 751
9. Del Worsham, 741
10. Tony Pedregon, 637

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