Mopar® Dodge//SRT® NHRA Drag Racing Notes & Quotes: Brainerd, MN
6 years ago Racing
Jack Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car – No. 14 Qualifier – 4.029 ET
“Everyone is saying we can’t lose, because a Doug Chandler/Terry Chandler car is in the final round – but we can lose, because we’re the Infinite Hero car, and we want to win! Nobody goes into a final round thinking, ‘If we don’t win, we don’t win.’ It’s a big deal. You don’t know if your last win is your last win. We have struggled, it’s no secret. We haven’t had the car we had early in the season. We changed chassis, clutches, we faced the track prep reduction and we had a tough time. I feel a heck of a lot better today than I felt yesterday.
“I don’t think one race can make or break you. I feel like if nothing else were to change this weekend but leaving with the trophy, it changes the psychology of everyone on the team. Yeah, you know you’re capable of winning, but the last time was at Gainesville. To put it back in the winner’s circle again just reaffirms that we are coming up on the Countdown and we have a contending car. I like the way that we didn’t start (this weekend) phenomenally, but we picked away at it and got better, and got significantly better each time down the track today.”
Tommy Johnson Jr., Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car – No. 5 Qualifier – 4.003 ET
“It was a great weekend for our team, we made huge progress. You could see it coming the last few races, so super excited with how we’re running going into Indy and the Countdown. It broke a throttle air switch in the final round. After such a great day, to have something small like that break in the final is disappointing, but still, all in all, a great day. The car is running really well. I look forward to testing this week and let’s see if we can get that Wally in Indy.”
Matt Hagan, Mopar® Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT® Hellcat Funny Car – No. 3 Qualifier – 3.990 ET
“Right now, we are working to get this new body dialed in. It’s changed the whole dynamic of our racecar; the weight transfer is different, and this thing is making a lot more downforce on the nose. The car is going to be better, the numbers show it. We just have to figure out what this thing is asking for, and what adjustments we need to make. If anybody can figure it out, (crew chief) Dickie (Venables) can. It’s going to be really, really important for us to test at Indy and make those two or three days there really count.”
Leah Pritchett, Mopar Dodge Top Fuel Dragster – No. 8 Qualifier – 3.818 ET
“Scott Palmer – I say it before I race him and after – you misstep ever so slightly, they’re there and they get you. We need to qualify a little better – we seem to have track record of doing better when we qualify better. Coming away from Brainerd, it’s just a little blip in the momentum, just like it was a little blip on the track today. I caught traction and we were able to hook up, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do in Indy.”
Ron Capps, NAPA Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car – No. 2 Qualifier – 3.969 ET
“I’ve been driving 22 years and a first-round loss like that hurts just as bad as it did during my rookie year in Funny Car. After you’ve gone through Friday and Saturday and feel how good your car is running underneath you, you really feel like you have a great chance at standing up there in the winner’s circle at the end of the day. I’m lucky I can jump back in the car this Thursday during our Indy test session. After a letdown here in Brainerd, I’m looking forward to getting right back in the car a few days later. It’s extra exciting this year because we’re going to test out some new aerodynamic things with Dodge.”
Tony Schumacher, U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster – No. 7 Qualifier – 3.818 ET
“The first round, it was a long tree. The second round, it was a quick tree and it caught me off guard. There’s no excuse, no other reason, the fact is the dude left before I did on the start line and it cost us the race with our great U.S. Army racecar that we should’ve won the race with. We’ll go to the next one, we’ll forget that happened, and we’ll get it done.”
Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA
“The win today by Jack Beckman in an all-Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car final round once again proves that the combination of Mopar power and Dodge//SRT is tough to beat. Congratulations to Jack and his Infinite Hero Dodge team on their performance today at Brainerd.”
Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Cars, Dodge//SRT, Chrysler and FIAT®, FCA North America
“The victory today by Jack Beckman reinforces that Dodge is America’s performance brand not only on the street, but also at the drag strip. The success this year of Jack and Don Schumacher Racing adds fuel for the enthusiasts who are passionate about our brand and the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.”
Up Next: NHRA U.S. Nationals
Mopar Dodge//SRT racers will travel next to the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Indiana. Six days of racing will take place August 29–September 3, with elimination rounds set for Labor Day. The NHRA Dodge HEMI® Challenge will return for the 18th year, and the first with the Dodge brand as title sponsor, August 30-31, during the U.S. Nationals.
2018 NHRA Championship – Point Standings After Round 17 of 24 (Season Wins in Parentheses)
NHRA Funny Car
- Courtney Force – 1372
- Ron Capps, Dodge Charger R/T (2) – 1177
- Robert Hight – 1154
- Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger R/T (2) – 1110
- Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat (2) – 1102
- Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger R/T – 987
- J.R. Todd – 987
- John Force – 855
- Shawn Langdon – 791
- Tim Wilkerson – 747
NHRA Top Fuel
- Steve Torrence – 1332
- Tony Schumacher, Mopar Dodge HEMI (1) – 1145
- Clay Millican – 1144
- Leah Pritchett, Mopar Dodge HEMI (2) – 1118
- Doug Kalitta – 1027
- Antron Brown – 1026
- Terry McMillen – 791
- Brittany Force – 787
- Scott Palmer – 701
- Mike Salinas – 694
