Jack Beckman Speeds to Victory in Chicago

Jack Beckman joined the list of Funny Car winners by putting a win-less streak to the end that dated back to last season.  The Infinite Hero Dodge driver beat Ron Capps in the final  with a 3.95 second pass at 324.05 miles per hour. Capps lost his grip at the start of the run and lifted his rear end and the race was over before it began.

Jack Beckman has had the hot-rod to beat since Sonoma last season but failed to turn the impressive power into wins. The veteran has had four number one qualifiers entering this weekend, and three final rounds but no victories. That all came to an end on Sunday. The dragster commented on his first win of 2016.

“I thought we had so much momentum last year, and then we go to the Countdown and watch Del win the first two,” Jack Beckman explained. “We come back at Maple Grove and win that one and set the national record – and then we haven’t seen a winner’s circle since then. Even though we had been to three final rounds this year, we really didn’t have our car. We never made it more than 200 feet in any of those final rounds, and we were struggling. We set the national record this year, qualified No. 1 four times this year, but we just couldn’t put it together.”

Antron Brown sped to his third NHRA Top Fuel triumph of the season Sunday at the K&N Filters Route 66 Nationals. As a result, he vaulted into the series points lead over his competitor Doug Kalitta. Brown claimed his third Chicago win and 57th career victory.

The 2015 Champion raced to a final round performance of 3.777 seconds at 321.19 miles per hour in his Matco Tools dragster. Brown held off J.R. Todd, whose SealMaster hot-rod fell behind with a 3.798 seconds at 322.11 miles per hour run.

“We’re starting to go in the right direction and peaking at the right time,” Brown said. “The car responds to everything that our Matco crew does to it. We’ve got to keep on going strong with the routine. We really wanted to be great here with a lot of sponsors, friends and family here. We made all the right calls and made all the right moves and now we have to focus on getting better, better and better.”

The Pro Stock division was more of the same on Sunday at the Route 66 Nationals in Illinois. Speedster Greg Anderson earned his sixth victory of the 2016 NHRA season., He defeated Bo Butner in the final heat to cement KB Racing’s dominance again. Anderson scored his 84th NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series win.

Greg Anderson charged his in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro to a final round performance of 6.644 seconds at 209.01 miles per hour. Bo Butner trailed with a 6.667 second run at 209.17 miles per hour in his Jim Butner Auto Sales Camaro.  Anderson and teammate Jason Line have now won 13 straight events. That ties the  NHRA record for most consecutive victories by a  drag racing team. The achievement equals their team winning streak in 2004.

The victor raced in his gaudy eighth consecutive final round appearance. Greg Anderson and his teammate Jason Line have already sealed their spots in the NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series playoffs. The overpowering racer gave all the credit to his amazing team.

“Rob Downing and the crew did a great job,” said Anderson, who also beat Dave River, Allen Johnson and No. 1 qualifier Shane Gray in earlier rounds. “We basically out raced them today and we just flat found a way to win each round. That’s what it’s all about. Couldn’t be more proud of the guys. It is certainly our hardest-fought win of the season. I am looking forward to the battle that’s coming. This Western Swing should be a real battle.”

Current Point Standings in the 2016 NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series: