Mopar® HEMI®-powered Beckman Moves Into Second in Countdown Points at Memphis
Mopar HEMI-powered Funny Car contender Jack Beckman jumped from third to second in the Countdown to 1 playoffs standings on the strength of his quarterfinals finish on Sunday, Sept. 28 at the 21st annual O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals.
Driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T, Beckman defeated Tony Pedregon in the opening stanza, which propelled him past Pedregon in the standings into the No. 2 spot. In the quarterfinals, however, Beckman was dealt a defeat by Mike Neff.
"It stings," said Beckman, a member of the Don Schumacher Racing team. "We had a golden opportunity there. The other side of it is we did ourselves a lot of good taking Tony out first round, so we're leaving here second in points."
Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driver Gary Scelzi posted a solid No. 8 qualifying effort and dismissed No. 9 qualifier Gary Densham in the opening round before an engine explosion in his quarterfinal match-up against Ashley Force ended his day early. Mopar-powered Funny Car drivers Ron Capps, Jerry Toliver, Melanie Troxel and Tommy Johnson Jr. also saw their days end sooner than desired, exiting in the first round.
Next up is the third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals in Richmond, Va., on Oct. 10–12. For more info on the NHRA, visit http://www.nhra.com.
