AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals
Event 20 of 24 (St. Louis)
Countdown Event 2 of 6
World Wide Technology Raceway
Madison, Ill.
Sept. 27-29, 2019
DSR St. Louis Elimination Highlights:
- Leah Pritchett advanced to the semifinals to jump three spots in the Countdown to the Championship Top Fuel standings, and crack into the ‘top five’
- Ron Capps’ quarterfinal finish helped him maintain his No. 4 Funny Car ranking
- Jack Beckman remains in the Funny Car ‘top five’
Driver Information:
Funny Car:
JACK BECKMAN
Driver of the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Qualified: No. 9 (3.894 E.T. at 326.16 MPH)
The Results:
E1: 3.944 E.T. at 326.56 MPH defeated by J.R. Todd 3.954 E.T. at 327.27 MPH
Race Recap:
“Fast Jack” Beckman opened the Countdown two weeks ago with a thrilling triumph in Reading, Pa., and was looking to maintain his position on top of the standings this weekend in St. Louis. After earning the second, first, and third qualifying positions, respectively, at the previous three events, Beckman found himself starting from unfamiliar territory in the No. 9 position on Sunday morning. The 2012 Funny Car world champion drew reigning Funny Car champion J.R. Todd in the first round of eliminations. Beckman clocked a strong 3.944-second pass in the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge, but his opponent’s small starting line advantage enabled him to swipe the holeshot win.
Quotable:
“We missed the beat here this weekend. We made it down the track two of four qualifying sessions, and our car the last two races had been absolutely stellar. I don’t think by any means we were lost. I was very confident heading into race day. The bottom line is this one goes down as a holeshot loss, and that was on me. Had my right foot been three-thousandths of a second quicker, we wouldn’t be talking about this; we’d be heading into the next round and racking up points. I feel like I let the team down. I just needed to have a faster light. If you lose by a bunch, you shrug your shoulders and look at data and go on. When you lose by two-thousandths of a second, you second guess yourself a whole bunch. I think we’ve got to move past that and unload in Charlotte and get ready to win that one.”
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship Starting Positions:
Top Fuel
1. Doug Kalitta – 2232
2. Steve Torrence – 2230
3. Mike Salinas – 2191
4. Brittany Force – 2184
5. Leah Pritchett – 2170
6. Antron Brown – 2159
6. Richie Crampton – 2159
8. Austin Prock – 2153
9. Billy Torrence – 2152
10. Clay Millican – 2125
Funny Car
1. Robert Hight – 2235
2. John Force – 2222
3. Jack Beckman – 2211
4. Ron Capps – 2191
5. J.R. Todd – 2182
6. Bob Tasca III – 2156
7. Shawn Langdon – 2155
8. Tommy Johnson Jr – 2138
9. Matt Hagan – 2132
10. Tim Wilkerson – 2109
About Don Schumacher Racing:
Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) is the winningest team in NHRA Drag Racing history, having claimed more than 335 NHRA national event titles and 17 world championships since opening its doors in 1998.
Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana, DSR fields seven professional teams competing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series. In Top Fuel, the Matco Tools dragster driven by three-time world champion Antron Brown, the MOPAR/Pennzoil/Sparkling Ice dragster driven by Leah Pritchett and eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher’s machine. 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 Matt Hagan, and in Terry and 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 Make-A-Wish Dodge.
DSR also campaigns two Factory Stock Showdown entries. The duo is piloted by Pritchett, 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.