Beckman Continues Mopar Funny Car Hot Streak With Win In Dodge Charger R/T At NHRA Summernationals

June 12, 2017 by Dodge

•Jack Beckman wins 48th annual NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey

•Victory is first of the season for Beckman and 25th Funny Car win of his career

•Don Schumacher Racing teammates Beckman and Ron Capps advance Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars to final round

•A Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car has won nine of 10 final rounds in 2017; Mopar holds top three Funny Car points positions

•Mopar HEMI® power has won at least one Nitro category in 11 straight events dating back to 2016

•Tony Schumacher takes Mopar-powered U.S. Army dragster to second round in Top Fuel

•Steve Comella goes to Super Stock semifinal in 1968 Dodge Dart

•Comella wins Dodge Top Finisher award in Super Stock, Stephen Smyth claims honor in Stock Eliminator

June 11, 2017 , Englishtown, N.J. - Jack Beckman got on the board in 2017 during the NHRA Summernationals at historic Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, becoming the sixth Mopar HEMI®-powered Nitro driver from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) to win an event this year. The 2012 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion put his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T in the winner's circle for the first time this season and the 25th time in his Funny Car career.

The win also extended a winning streak for Nitro cars featuring Mopar HEMI power to a staggering 11 in a row, stretching back to the season-ending NHRA Finals at Pomona more than six months ago. With Beckman's win, Mopar DSR teams now claim the top three spots in the Funny Car point standings, and at least one Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car has appeared in every final round but one to date in 2017.

'Fast' Jack Beckman defeated his teammate Ron Capps' Dodge Charger R/T with a pass of 4.100 seconds at 312.42 mph from the left lane in the final round to just better Capps' lap of 4.143 at 299.66. Beckman's reaction time was .081 to Capps' .088 off the line.

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Beckman, whose team underwent a number of personnel changes in the offseason, used a little bit of luck and a whole lot of HEMI power on a very hot day on the way to his first prestigious NHRA Summernationals win. He first took down fellow Dodge competitor Jim Campbell in round one as Campbell struggled to get down track. Beckman then beat Cruz Pedregon by .001 as both cars labored and lost cylinders on their way to the finish line in the second round. Beckman next caught a lucky break in the semifinals as his car went up in smoke and he was forced to coast to the line, but his opponent Courtney Force turned on the red light, giving the win and a place in the final round to Beckman, albeit without lane choice.

Capps' day meanwhile kicked off with both he and opponent Del Worsham smoking the tires and shaking at half-track, but Capps masterfully pedaled his Dodge Charger R/T to turn on the win light. He again struggled in round two, but Alexis Dejoria was disqualified for crossing the center line, allowing Capps to advance to the semifinals. There he lost a cylinder, but opponent Robert Hight had mechanical issues and smoked, giving Capps yet another win and a final-round appearance for the sixth time this season.

Also in Funny Car, Matt Hagan drove his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T past Jonnie Lindberg in round one to set up a pairing with Courtney Force in a re-match of last week's final round at New England Dragway. Force got the best of Hagan this time though as he lost a cylinder and the car got loose, ending the Mopar Express Lane team's day.

Finally, Tommy Johnson Jr. won round one in his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car by beating Bob Tasca, despite being significantly late off the line. He caught up when Tasca smoked the tires to get a lucky win light, but Johnson bowed out to Hight in round two.

In the Top Fuel category, Mopar drivers Tony Schumacher and Leah Pritchett found themselves matched up in round one. Although Schumacher had qualified sixth and Pritchett ninth, a 14-car field meant the two DSR teammates would battle early in the day. Pritchett got a slight jump in her Dodge Challenger SRT Demon dragster, but had a cylinder out at the step, allowing Schumacher and the U.S. Army team to narrowly defeat the points leader entering the day. The first-round defeat was the first of the year for Pritchett, while Schumacher was defeated by Doug Kalitta in the second round.

The NHRA Summernationals lived up to the event name, with temperatures in the 90s and an extremely hot racetrack during race day playing havoc with drivers and teams alike. The race was the second of a grueling four-race stretch throughout the month of June.