Championship Drag Racing

Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals
Pomona, CA
(November 1-4)

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Driver Profile

Jack Beckman Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger

Pomona, Saturday: Local favorite Jack Beckman earned his fifth No. 2 qualifying spot of the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series today at the Auto Club NHRA Finals, recording a 4.786-second elapsed time at 320.89 mph in both the first and the third qualifying sessions (what are the odds of that happening?).

Beckman, of North Hills, Calif., also solidified for the Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team the No. 1 spot in the 2007 Funny Car Full Throttle NHRA Pit Crew Championship, awarded for consistency in qualifying throughout the year.

Uncharacteristically for the MTS team, he smoked the tires in the second session, slowing to a 10.589/76.96. In his final attempt he established a 4.829/295.85.

"It looks like it probably would have been a 4.80," said Beckman of that final pass, "but it spun the tires at the top end, and I think it hit the rev limiter. Two 4.78s - one of them pretty close to race-day conditions for tomorrow - and that last run was a pretty decent run. Not bad for the Mail Terminal Services Dodge team and crew chiefs Phil Shuler and Todd Okuhara.

"We've run good in both lanes and qualified second for the fifth time this year. Don't know who we race, don't care, because they're all tough. Want to close on a positive note. Time to win. Period. Exclamation point. Done."

Beckman actually faces Gary Densham in the opening round of eliminations on Sunday.

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