Jack Beckman opened up the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season with a semifinal finish at the 50th annual NHRA Winternationals, driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger Funny Car.
After qualifying seventh with a 4.101/310.91 pass, Beckman dismissed Tony Pedregon in the opening round of eliminations with a 4.164/306.12, then defeated Del Worsham using a 4.183/304.32. Having enjoyed lane choice up to that point, he lost it to his semifinal round antagonist, 14-time Funny Car champion John Force.
Beckman trailed Force by a tick at the launch but soon struck the tires, as Force cruised to the victory with a 4.125/305.56 run. Beckman crossed the finish line in 5.658 seconds at 132.02 mph.
“We’ve made 18 runs together as a team,” he said of his revamped team for 2010, including new crew chief Rahn Tobler. “It’s a major change for Rahn to adapt to the parts and pieces that we had, and then for assistant John Collins to fit in with Rahn’s philosophy on this. It’s hard to complain.
“We all wanted to win the 50th annual Winternationals. And losing is never easy in this sport, but we’re leaving in fourth place and we look like we’ve been chipping away at this tune-up. We knew we had to step it up.
“Unfortunately, the old John Force looks like he’s back. They had lane choice, they had a bad hot rod, and we couldn’t take a weak tune-up up there.
“We had an ignition issue before the semis. That’s the cool thing about this sport. When everything is going perfect it’s easy to be good. It’s when a wrench gets thrown into the works and you watch how the team adapts to that and then takes that poker face back up for the next round that tells a lot.
“We were the last car into the lane for the semis, and everybody still did their jobs perfectly up there. I just can’t wait for the next five days to be over so we can go to Phoenix and try it again.”
Next up is the 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals in Chandler, Ariz., Feb. 19-21.
FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS, after one event:
1. John Force, 121 (winner today)
2. Ron Capps, 94 (runner-up today)
3. Bob Tasca III, 78
4. Jack Beckman, 74
5. Del Worsham, 59
6. Matt Hagan, 57
7. Ashley Force Hood, 56
8. Cruz Pedregon, 51
9. Robert Hight, 43
10. Tony Pedregon, 33
10. Jim Head, 33
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