DSR Team Reports: Brown optimistic about Matco Tools championship chances

BRAINERD, MN – It isn’t the way Antron Brown wanted to leave Brainerd International Raceway Sunday, but at least the driver of Don Schumacher Racing’s Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster knows he will get a chance to defend the world championship he won with his team last season.

Brown, who won two of this year’s first seven events, lost in the first round of championship eliminations Sunday in the Lucas Oil Nationals but by qualifying sixth he locked into one of 10 driver spots for the six-event NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff that begins Sept. 13 near Charlotte.

He was upset by the lower seeded Doug Kalitta to start the day. That marked the ninth time through 17 NHRA Mello Yello Series events this year that he did not advance past the opening round.

“We lost, but we’ve still got a smile on our face because we’ve got our racecar back,” Brown said. “We were just a little too aggressive (against Kalitta). I went up there and the car marched right down the track, we were just a little too aggressive for the track condition.

“We’re learning with this new combination. We’re just happy that the car did the same thing off the starting line three times in a row. It was great to the 60 foot. So we’re definitely making progress…

“We would have liked to get that round win and continue collecting data, but now our deal is to go to Indy testing and gain more information.”

Brown, who dropped two positions in the Mello Yello Series standings to sixth, will join other DSR teams for testing sessions this week at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis to prepare for the Aug. 28-Sept. 2 U.S. Nationals at the track.

“We learned in the race Sunday the edge where the car was running really well. We were trying to run like a 3.78 or 3.79 and the car was running better than that. Our 60-foot times are back to where we want them to be so we’re on to something.

“The car is doing what we want it to do. That’s the good part about it. Now, we’re going to go test and get some more laps under our belt.”

Beckman loses to teammate in second round after earning pole at Brainerd, but gets help qualifying for $100,000 Traxxas Shootout

Beckman, who was the No. 1 qualifier for the second consecutive Mello Yello Series event, clinched one of eight spots in the $100,000 Traxxas Nitro Shootout that will be contested on Sept. 1 during the U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis.

“On Sunday, you have to run better each time,” said Beckman, who continues to seek his team’s first title of the year.

“Our Achilles’ heel right now is consistency. Last year when we told the car what to run more often than not it did. This year it will do it for a while but then it throws us a little curveball. We hope changes we’ve made has us back on track for that.

“Qualifying No. 1, in theory, gives you a better chance in the first round but in reality it only gets you bragging rights. But how hard our crew has worked to get this car here … they deserve bragging rights.

“You can keep all the No. 1 qualifiers … we just want to win a race.”

Beckman along with crew chief Todd Smith and assistant Terry Snyder would have preferred to earn their way into the Shootout by winning Sunday’s title. They had a great chance this weekend despite arriving at Brainerd with a brand new DSR-built chassis.

“Our timing was right with bringing the new car out now. It gives us this race, testing next week (near Indianapolis) and then the U.S. Nationals to get ready for the Countdown. By that time, we should have great data on this chassis.”

The first seven drivers to have won event titles were assured spots in the Shootout with the eighth selection based on a fan vote.

Although DSR teammate Ron Capps defeated Beckman in the second round Sunday, it was Capps’ victory over Tim Wilkerson in the semifinals that ensured Beckman that he will join his other six DSR teammates in the Shootouts for Funny Car and Top Fuel.

Next on Beckman’s shopping list is one of the last four spots in the Countdown to the Championship, and he hopes that happens in two weeks at the U.S. Nationals. He currently ranks seventh.

The following are Beckman’s results and other notes from Brainerd International Raceway.  

Hagan, Rocky Boots/Mopar team race to another final round at Brainerd, extend lead in Mello Yello standings heading to prestigious U.S. Nationals

– Matt Hagan’s remarkable rejuvenation from one year ago continued Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway in central Minnesota as the 30-year-old angus cattle farmer sped to his seventh final round appearance of the season.

Even though the 2011 NHRA Funny Car world champ fell in a close final-round battle with DSR teammate Ron Capps by one-thousandth of a second, Hagan virtually secured the No. 1 seed in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship six-race playoff that begins on Sept. 13 near Charlotte.

“It was pretty much a great day,” Hagan said after his 21st career final round appearance. “You can’t be upset about the result. We ran good, but just didn’t have enough in the final. It’s all good. We move on to Indy and we’re looking forward to it. It’s time to dig a little deeper. We have a great team and Dickie (Venables) and this team are doing a fantastic job.”

Hagan and the Rocky Boots/Mopar team earned the provisional pole on Friday evening before finishing second in the qualifying order to DSR teammate and reigning Funny Car champion “Fast Jack” Beckman’s 4.038-second elapsed time.

Hagan, a seven-time NHRA Funny Car winner, made eight runs on the Brainerd strip between 4.044 and 4.122 seconds and the Rocky Boots flagship driver, arguably the best leaver in the flopper class, left first on all four opponents on Sunday. Hagan defeated Tony Pedregon, Courtney Force and DSR’s Johnny Gray, before the narrow loss to Capps.

After missing the Countdown to the Championship playoff last year – in a season that saw Hagan post four runners-up and zero pole positions – the fast-talking Virginian is almost a lock to lead the Funny Car top 10 into the playoffs.

“It’s huge to have that top spot,” Hagan said. “It’s from hard work. Nobody’s giving us anything out here. We’ll keep working hard starting at testing at Indy this Wednesday and hopefully we’ll keep doing what we need to do to keep going rounds and be in position to race for another championship.”

DSR Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars own the top three positions in the Mello Yello standings as Hagan leads Capps and four-time 2013 winner Gray. DSR’s Beckman ranks seventh in the standings.