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2012 NHRA: Jack Beckman Pomona II Qualifying Report: No 3
Jack Beckman has said for several years that his goals at the start of each season is to win three event titles and go into the last race of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season with a chance to win the world championship.
He's covered the three event titles this year in his Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car led by crew chief Todd Smith and assistant Terry Snyder.
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And heading to Sunday's final day of the season at Pomona, Calif., Beckman will start championship eliminations with not only a chance to win his first professional world championship but also as the points leader.
Beckman will start the elimination rounds of the Auto Club NHRA Finals with a two-point lead over Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps, who earned the pole with a run of 4.007 seconds and 319.29 mph on his last run Saturday evening.
Beckman's best time was recorded on Friday and the 4.025 earned him the No. 3 seed.
The Valvoline Dodge fell short of reaching that time on its two runs Saturday but the team's intention was to dip below the 4-second barrier.
"We had it loaded for bear. We wanted to make the Valvoline NextGen car quicker at the step," Beckman said of its performance at the hit of the throttle. "We can back it down from that.
"But my hat's off to the NAPA team and (crew chief) Rahn Tobler. Their last run was stunning. Going from 16th to first is what happens when you have someone of his caliber but our (crew chief) Todd Smith and our Valvoline team are ready for tomorrow too."
If Beckman and Capps lose in the same round, the championship will go to Beckman. Capps can only win the championship by advancing one round farther than Beckman.
And if Beckman and Capps win their first three rounds Sunday, the championship would come down to the final run of the year.
Mike Neff of John Force Racing is a longshot to win the championship. If Beckman and Capps lose in the first round, Neff would need to win the event title and set an NHRA national elapsed time record in the process.
The following are Beckman's qualifying results heading to Sunday's championship eliminations on Sunday at Pomona's Auto Club Raceway:
FUNNY CAR
No. 1 qualifier: Ron Capps (DSR) 4.007, 319.29
Jack Beckman, Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 3
First-round opponent: Alexis DeJoria
THURSDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 4.117 sec., 273.00 mph
FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 2: 4.025 sec., 319.75 mph
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 4.292, 219.72
Session 4: 5.653, 121.44
NHRA FULL THROTTLE STANDINGS
Championship Contenders
(Through Nov. 10, 2012; DSR drivers in CAPS)
FUNNY CAR
1. JACK BECKMAN 2,570 --
2. RON CAPPS 2,568 -2
3. Mike Neff 2,477 -93
CALCULATING POINTS
Here's how pro drivers can earn points on Sunday:
During championship eliminations, each of the 16 qualifiers are assured 20 points, then each round winner gets 20 points so the event winner will receive 100 points;
There also is a 20-point bonus for a driver who sets and leaves an event with an NHRA national elapsed-time record. (No bonus points are offered for a national speed record.)
PENALTIES. A driver can lose points as the result of a malfunction that results in fluid being deposited on the racing surface and requires NHRA Safety Safari to clean the track resulting in an event delay.
48TH ANNUAL AUTO CLUB NHRA FINALS AT POMONA, CALIF. SCHEDULE
Sunday: 11 a.m., championship eliminations
WEATHER.COM FORECAST
(As of 5 p.m. Friday)
Sunday: High 69, 0 percent of rain
ON ESPN2
Sunday: 6-9 p.m. (EST), championship eliminations
PaddockTalk Perspective
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