DSR teams dominate first night of PRO Winter Warm-Up; Beckman posts career best, Brown tops in Top Fuel

January 20

JUPITER, Fla. (Jan. 20, 2012) - After four days of private testing in South Florida when teams tried new parts, pieces and performance, the top teams in NHRA drag racing including the seven-car Don Schumacher Racing contingent were finally able to race side by side Friday night.

And the best efforts were produced by Don Schumacher Racing.

The most impressive run of the night was in Funny Car when Jack Beckman and crew chief Rahn Tobler produced a stunning 4.037-second, 312.35-mph run in the Valvoline NextGEN Dodge Charger R/T before about 4,000 at Palm Beach International Raceway.

It was the quickest run ever for Beckman.

Beckman's run was against teammate and reigning NHRA Funny Car champion Matt Hagan, whose Aaron's Dream Machine lost traction early in the race.

"My job is to not screw up Rahn's tune-up," said Beckman, who was runner-up to Hagan in last year's NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series standings.

"If I do everything right the number that comes up on the scoreboard is a Tobler number not a Beckman number.

"But there's always a little pride and ego in this sport, and you always remember a career best."

What impressed Tobler more than the 4.037 were Friday's earlier test runs when the Dodge performed consistently in warm afternoon conditions similar to what the team will often season when the 2012 season opens Feb. 9-12 at Pomona, Calif.

"I'm happier with how we've run in the daytime," Tobler said. "But it's all good.

"Putting a good number like that on the board is what this sport's all about.

"It was great for the crew guys and everyone back at the shop who haven't stopped working since the last race at Pomona."

The PRO Winter Warm-Up on Friday featured some to unique match-ups for bragging rights when DSR teams return early next week to their headquarters in Brownsburg, Ind.

Including Beckman facing Hagan, the opening session of Top Fuel pitted DSR teammates Spencer Massey in the FRAM dragster against Antron Brown in the Aaron's Dream Machine/Matco Tools rail.

Massey and Brown produced the best race of the night. Massey left the line first and won in 3.812 seconds (322.27 mph) and barely held off the hard-charging Brown's 3.815 (324.20 mph) run.

But in the second session, Brown and crew chiefs Mark Oswald and Brian Corradi produced the night's quickest Top Fuel effort with a time of 3.794 seconds at 323.27 mph

That gave DSR the quickest runs of the night in Top Fuel and Funny Car.

"We did fairly well and we're sneaking up on it," Brown said. "We'll get after it a little stronger (Saturday night) and I think we can drop it down. I'm pretty stoked."

Brown said the team's performance was a nice reward for members of his team.

"It's very rewarding for the team guys. The whole Matco Tools/Aarons gang have worked really hard. Being out here this week has been like boot camp. We tested a lot of stuff, and that number was the fruit of their hard work."

Ron Capps' NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge added drama to the Warm-Up in the first session when his car veered over the centerline just before the finish line and clipped a foam timing block.

"We dropped a cylinder and it pulled hard to the left," Capps said. "It happens so fast. When you correct it and steer to the right it takes a while for the weight to shift back to the little front tires before it starts to turn."

Racing resumes Saturday with sessions at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

About Don Schumacher Racing

Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., consists of seven professional NHRA teams: in Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher, the FRAM/Prestone dragster of Spencer Massey and the Matco Tools dragster of Antron Brown; and in Funny Car, 2011 NHRA Funny Car champion Matt Hagan in the Aaron's Dream Machine/Mopar Dodge Charger R/T, Valvoline NextGen Dodge piloted by Jack Beckman, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Service Central Dodge of Johnny Gray. DSR has won 174 NHRA national event titles and nine world championships.

PRO WINTER WARM-UP RESULTS

Palm Beach International Raceway

Jupiter, Fla.

Friday Night's Results

Teams were paired by position in final 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series standings, and were randomly paired for the second session.

Racing Saturday begins at 5 p.m. with the second session scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Don Schumacher drivers are indicated in bold/italic.

FIRST SESSION

TOP FUEL DRAGSTER

W-Clay Millican                                                                          3.985 sec., 302.01 mph 

Terry McMillen                                                                           4.187 sec., 220.98 mph

W-Bob Vandergriff Jr.                                                               3.825 sec., 322.04 mph

Doug Kalitta                                                                              3.844 sec., 318.99 mph

David Grubnic                                                                           13.882 sec., 36.99 mph

W-Tony Schumacher, U.S. Army                                              3.810 sec., 322.88 mph

Antron Brown, Aaron's/Matco Tools                                         3.815 sec., 322.27 mph

W-Spencer Massey, FRAM                                                        3.812 sec., 324.20 mph

Hillary Will (bye run)                                                                   5.465 sec., 118.27 mph

FUNNY CAR

Courtney Force (bye run)                                                           4.341 sec., 265.06 mph

Alexis De Joria                                                                          10.576 sec., 73.25 mph

W - Johnny Gray, Service Central Dodge Charger R/T            4.270 sec., 303.50 mph

W - Tim Wilkerson                                                                     4.184 sec., 251.53 mph

John Force                                                                               9.574 sec., 68.96 mph

Jeff Arend                                                                                4.126 sec., 68.09 mph

Robert Tasca III                                                                         10.18 sec., 68.09 mph

Ron Capps, NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T                4.302 sec., 226.35 mph

W- Mike Neff                                                                               4.385 sec., 215.75 mph

W-Robert Hight                                                                         4.062 sec., 315.85 mph

Cruz Pedregon                                                                          4.068 sec., 310.05 mph

W - Jack Beckman, Valvoline NextGEN Dodge Charger R/T            4.037 sec., 312.35 mph

Matt Hagan, Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge Charger R/T         9.300 sec., 73.40 mph

SECOND SESSION

TOP FUEL DRAGSTER

David Grubnic                                                                           9.08.sec., mph           

W-Terry McMillian                                                                      4.129 sec., 220.98 mph

Clay Millican                                                                              9.467 sec., 73.36 mph

W-Doug Kalitta                                                                          3.970 sec.,277.54 mph

W-Antron Brown, Aaron's Dream Machine/Matco Tools            3.794 sec., 323.27 mph

Spencer Massey, FRAM                                                            3.813 sec., 323.19 mph

Tony Schumacher, U.S. Army                                                  8.851 sec., 78.31 mph

W-Bob Vandergriff Jr.                                                               3.836 sec., 319.37 mph

Hillary Will (bye run)                                                                   4.339 sec., 197.88 mph

FUNNY CAR

Ron Capps, NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T                9.780 sec., 72.65 mph

W-Johnny Gray, Service Central Dodge Charger R/T                8.815 sec., 80.37mph

W-Alexis DeJoria                                                                       9.168 sec., 77.63 mph

Bob Tasca III                                                                             5.531 sec., 127.25 mph

John Force                                                                               4.580 sec., 239.40 mph

W-Matt Hagan, Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge Charger R/T    4.062 sec., 315.71 mph

W-Mike Neff                                                                              4.088 sec.,310.34 mph

Courtney Force                                                                         9.309 sec.,55.79 mph

Robert Hight                                                                             4.056 sec., 306.33 mph

Jack Beckman, Valvoline NextGEN Dodge Charger R/T            4.389 sec.,204.11 mph

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