U.S. Nationals doesn’t finish as good as it starts for DSR after taking both Mello Yello poles, winning Traxxas Shootout

BROWNSBURG, IN – Don Schumacher Racing started Monday’s championship eliminations of the NHRA U.S. Nationals after drivers Tony Schumacher and Matt Hagan earned their respective No. 1 qualifying positions.

Before that, Schumacher won the Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Top Fuel dragsters and Ron Capps won the title of the rain-delayed Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event that started two weeks ago at Brainerd, Minn., by beating John Force at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis on Saturday evening.

Unfortunately, the good news didn’t continue through Monday.

Schumacher and Capps were the only DSR drivers to advance to the semifinals and none left with an NHRA Wally trophy from the 60th anniversary of drag racing’s biggest event.

The biggest disappointed for the seven-team DSR organization when Jack Beckman missed qualifying for the Countdown to the Championship for the first time since its inception in 2007. He finished 10 points shy of the 10th and final berth in the six-race Countdown.

The Countdown opens in two weeks at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte on Sept. 12.