E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals
Event 3 of 24 (Indy 1)
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis
July 11-12, 2020
DSR Elimination Highlights:
- Matt Hagan wins the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals and moves to third in points
- Hagan’s win was his 34th overall, third in the last six events, and win No. 348 for DSR
- For the second consecutive event, the final round featured an all-DSR Dodge Funny Car final
- For the sixth consecutive event, DSR was triumphant in the Funny Car category, and parked a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the winner’s circle
- DSR occupies the 1-2-3 spots in the Funny Car point standings
In Top Fuel, Antron Brown advanced to the semifinals and cracked into the ‘top five’ in standings
(EXCERPT)
JACK BECKMAN
Driver of the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Qualified: No. 3 (4.050 E.T. at 298.47 MPH)
The Results:
E1: 4.099 E.T. at 250.60 MPH defeated Mike McIntire 4.506 E.T. at 203.55 MPH
E2: 3.969 E.T. at 316.90 MPH defeated by Matt Hagan 3.949 E.T. at 321.19 MPH
Race Recap:
Jack Beckman qualified for the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals in dramatic fashion. After struggling to make a full pull in Q1, Beckman started the second and final session sitting in 14th. As he sat strapped into his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, he heard the cars in front of him bump out of the field and into the 17th position. It was a ‘make or break’ moment as he pulled up to the line for Q2, and crew chiefs Dean Antonelli and John Medlen weren’t taking any chances. They tuned Beckman’s machine to a 4.050 E.T., which held up to be third-quickest heading into race day.
Against his first-round opponent, Mike McIntire, Beckman had the starting line advantage and maintained his lead throughout the run, despite losing traction just prior to crossing the beams. In the quarterfinals, Beckman went head-to-head with DSR Dodge teammate Matt Hagan. The former world champs had previously battled it out 48 times, with each clocking the win 24 times. Beckman was once again first on the throttle, but by half-track, Hagan had caught up and began to pull away for the win.
Quotable:
“That was the first time we made it to the lights under power in six runs this weekend. We have been having an issue with downtrack tire spin and we obviously remedied that. The crazy thing is, we ran second-low E.T. of the meet by backing the car down and that tells us what we need to do for next weekend. It’s upsetting to lose, but with a new front-half on this car, the silver lining is we have a good baseline tune-up for next weekend, and I think we’re going to be a favorite when we roll back up for Q1.”
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship Standings:
Top Fuel
1. Doug Kalitta – 310
2. Steve Torrence – 199
3. Billy Torrence – 190
4. Leah Pruett – 189
5. Antron Brown – 174
6. Brittany Force – 153
7. Shawn Langdon – 144
8. Clay Millican – 142
9. Justin Ashley – 140
10. Austin Prock – 131
Funny Car
1. Jack Beckman – 278
2. Tommy Johnson Jr. – 276
3. Matt Hagan – 238
4. Tim Wilkerson – 179
5. John Force – 173
6. Ron Capps – 159
7. Alexis DeJoria – 154
8. Bob Tasca III – 149
9. J.R. Todd – 141
10. Robert Hight – 100
About Don Schumacher Racing:
Established in 1998 as a single-car Top Fuel team, Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) has grown to become the winningest organization in NHRA Drag Racing history. Including team owner Don Schumacher’s five NHRA Funny Car titles from the 1970s, DSR’s current win count stands at 347, and DSR is looking forward to reaching the ‘350 milestone’ early in the 2020 season. DSR owns 17 world championships in three different NHRA categories.
Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana, DSR currently fields eight professional teams competing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. In Top Fuel, the Matco Tools/Global Electronic Technology/Toyota dragster driven by three-time world champion Antron Brown, the Nordic Boats/Revchem Composites/Hawkeye Industries dragster driven by Cory McClenathan, the Mopar/Pennzoil/Okuma dragster driven by Leah Pruett, and the Global Electronic Technology machine driven by eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher. In Funny Car, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driven by 2016 world champion Ron Capps, the Mopar Express Lane/Pennzoil/Sandvik Coromant Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat piloted by two-time series title-holder Matt Hagan, and in Doug Chandler’s ‘giving cars,’ 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge, and Tommy Johnson Jr. behind the wheel of the MD Anderson Dodge.
DSR also campaigns two Factory Stock Showdown entries. The duo is piloted by Pruett, the 2018 Factory Stock Showdown Series champion, and former Pro Stock racer Mark Pawuk.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at Shoeracing.com, on Twitter and Instagram at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.
