Infinite Hero wins 4th race, jumps to second in Funny Car points; Schumacher extends Top Fuel lead in Mopar Mile-High Nationals
MORRISON, CO – The journey up the mountain often is better than the view once you get to the peak.
This best sums up this NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season for Jack Beckman and Don Schumacher Racing’s Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team with funding from Terry Chandler and crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham.
Consider that the first time the quartet worked together was this year’s opener at Pomona, Calif., when the team failed to qualify to race in championship eliminations.
Since then, the climb up has been steady and on Sunday at Bandimere Speedway near Denver for Beckman and the Infinite Hero team won for the fourth time in 14 races and moved to second in the Mello Yello standings.
The four wins is the most for Beckman in one season and 10 races remain.
And nothing tops beating the best.
“To go out there and beat the No. 1 qualifier, the winningest driver of all time and do it at the Mopar race at Bandimere … this is just a perfect weekend,” he said.
“Jimmy is just absolutely incredible, he’s bold. Here’s the deal, we know what Jimmy is capable of, we know John Medlen’s reputation. I hope that this starts to put Chris Cunningham on the map too because I wish you could see the way they interact up there. Chris is so much more than an assistant. (Chris) and Jimmy are bouncing ideas, and John has his own computer. The harmony there is perfect.”
Team owner Don Schumacher added, “A gratifying win. It was tremendous for Jack to go out there and win this race for Mopar, for DSR and to take that Force car out in the final with John driving it.”
The win was the 258th for DSR and nearly recorded the 50th time DSR won two events at a national event but Top Fuel points leader and reigning world champion Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team led by crew chief Mike Green and assistant Neal Strausbaugh came within one-thousandth of a second from winning for the fourth time this year and the 81st time in his career.
“That was a great, great race,” Schumacher said. “We’ve got a great racecar and it continues to be a great racecar and that’s how you win a championship. I felt like I just nailed the tree. Nailed it, I did, but it just died at the end. It put a hole out pretty early, about 300 feet.
“But this weekend is still all positive. We leave here with an 85-point lead and we have a car that’s running great. It’s not like we’re up by 85 and trying to hold on. We have a great racecar that’s capable of winning each and every race
The Mopar Mile-High Nationals is the first of three races in three weeks that comprise the Western Swing that will include Mello Yello races at Sonoma next weekend followed by a trip to Seattle the following week.
DON SCHUMACHER RECEIVES ‘MOPAR PRESIDENT’S AWARD’
NHRA hall-of-fame drag racer, Funny Car pioneer Don Schumacher was presented the “Mopar President’s Award,” a special honor to reward the outstanding contributions by a brand ambassador that upholds the qualities and values that add to Mopar’s legacy and reputation.
Ross McGinnis, Vice President Mopar Sales & Product Development, and Tricia Hecker, Head of Mopar Marketing, had the pleasure of presenting Don Schumacher the award on behalf of Mopar President and CEO Pietro Gorlier.
The Mopar President’s Award was created to recognize motorsport pioneers and legends who have been affiliated with Mopar throughout their career.
Previous recipients of the Mopar President’s Award include Allen and Roy Johnson (2013), the man regarded as the “Father of the HEMI,” Tom Hoover (2014), and drag racing legend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits (2015).
