Beckman in Funny Car, Massey in Top Fuel hold provisional poles as DSR opens SpringNationals near Houston with four track records
BAYTOWN, TX – Don Schumacher Racing was not deterred by a couple brief rain delays Friday on the opening day 
of the NHRA SpringNationals near Houston as the team left with provisional poles in Top Fuel and Funny Car along with track elapsed time and speed records in both categories.
Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero 2015 Dodge Charger R/T team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock made the most noise when they recorded the first sub 4-second run in the 28-year history of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event with an elapsed time of 3.988 seconds at 318.17 mph.
Then Spencer Massey shattered track time (3.734) and speed (330.01) records to earn the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot with the Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher/Sandvik Coromant team led by crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler.
The final afternoon qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1 and 4 p.m. (ET) on Saturday leading to Sunday’s championship eliminations that begin at 11 a.m. with three hours scheduled to air live beginning at 2 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2.
Despite the delays during the afternoon and early evening, loyal fans might have listened to Beckman urging them to wait it out knowing that the cooler evening air could brew something special, and it did.
“I told everyone to stick around and we made it worthwhile,” said Beckman, the 2012 NHRA Funny Car world champion for Don Schumacher Racing.
It puts Beckman, who won the Four-Wide Nationals title on March 29 that ended a 29-month spell of missing a trip to a winner’s circle, in position to earn the 11th pole of his career and first in 36 events dating to August 2013.
The other three DSR Dodges also did well in the last session with all sitting in the top-eight. Ron Capps (NAPA AUTO PARTS) is third with a time of 4.038 at a track-record speed of 319.67, reigning Funny Car world champion and points leader Matt Hagan (Rocky Boots/Mopar) is sixth (4.051) and Tommy Johnson Jr. with a 4.064 (310.05) that ended just past the finish line with a flash of fire that did severe damage to the Make-A-Wish Dodge carbon fiber body.
“That was intense,” said Johnson, who will likely need a new body when he starts Saturday in the No. 8 spot. “Just as I got off the throttle and pulled the chutes it went kaboom. It was weird. That one hurt.”
Massey experienced intensity of a different kind.
The native Texan who lives in Fort Worth when not traveling to races in his motorhome, became the first driver to reach 330-mph on the 1,000-foot track.
“I’ve never been No. 1 in my home state and never won in Texas, and both of those are on my bucket list,” since Massey, whose began driving professionally in Top Fuel dragster in 2008 at Houston.
But he never had a run like he did Friday night.
“I stood on it and it was straight as an arrow,” said Massey, who has one of his 18 career wins this season.
“These race cars have a mind of their own. We had to listen to it before that last run and Todd and Phil made all the right calls.”
Right behind Spencer is teammate Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army) in the No. 2 spot. Current points leader and defending event champion Antron Brown (Matco Tools/U.S. Army) is qualified No. 8 putting the three DSR dragsters in the top eight.
