Phoenix: Jack Beckman Saturday notes

BECKMAN COLLECTS NO. 7 IN PHOENIX QUALIFYING

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 20, 2010) - Racing the newly-themed "To Afghanistan With Love" Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Funny Car, Jack Beckman earned the no. 7 spot in qualifying for the 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals today, the second round of the 23-event NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Only three qualifying sessions were completed this weekend, as rain cancelled one today and delayed the second. Beckman made the best of that one run, posting his quickest pass of the weekend, a 4.133-second elapsed time at 307.30 mph, to move him up from 15th to seventh. His other passes included a 5.790/118.50, and a 4.747/284.51.

"It was an interesting final session, because we had an enormous delay, with us in the water box, ready to go," said Beckman. "Forty-minute cleanup. And then, two pairs after we ran, it started raining again. We could have lost that session.

"We found out where we needed to be. We asked the Valvoline/MTS Dodge a question on that run and it told us, so now we'll play off of that.

"It would have been tough, if we ended up 15th or 16th, to step up to take a swing at the top two cars tomorrow. But, we're in the middle of the pack and we have lane choice and I think we're very comfortable going into tomorrow.

"If we can get by first round and second round, by the time we get paired against the higher-qualified cars, the car should have told us a little bit more about what it wants.

"A huge sigh of relief at the end of the run and it will be an awesome debut for the ‘To Afghanistan With Love’ car. It would be way cool to win in its first race out."

Beckman will meet up with Bob Tasca III in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations.

-source: dsr