Beckman shocked that Full Throttle qualifying streak ends at NHRA Spring Nationals near Houston after 87 races

April 28

BAYTOWN, Texas (April 28, 2012) – Jack Beckman was mystified and so were his crew chiefs after he failed to qualify for Sunday’s championship eliminations of the NHRA Spring Nationals in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Beckman’s Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger R/T will not be racing on a championship Sunday for the first time in 87 races dating to the middle of 2008. It was the longest active Funny Car qualifying streak.

“We really don’t know why our car wouldn’t go down the track without smoking the tires,” said Beckman, who was third in points before the weekend.

“We’ve got some smart guys working on this and a great bunch working on the car. It’s been baffling.”

It is the third consecutive Full Throttle event when a Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car did not advance to race on a Sunday.

“We have a week before we go to Atlanta and that will be another hot, humid track. Our Valvoline NextGen team will go over every little detail on our computers and get this figured out.”

Jack Beckman, Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger R/T
No. 17: Did not qualify
FRIDAY
Session 1: 4.760 sec., 171.47 mph
Session 2: 4.332, 227.34
SATURDAY
Session 3: 5.073, 161.92
Session 4: 4.756, 229.63

SCHEDULE
Saturday: Pro qualifying, 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
Sunday: Pro eliminations, 11 a.m.

ON ESPN2
Sunday: 7-10 p.m. EDT (delayed)

WEATHER.COM FORECAST
Sunday: High 82 degrees, partly cloudy, 20 percent chance of precipitation