Beckman Runs 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T to Quickest Pass in Funny Car History at NHRA Northwest Nationals

August 8, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  Jack Beckman made history in his 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car for the second straight weekend, unleashing the quickest Funny Car pass ever and claiming the No. 1 qualifying spot for Sunday at the NHRA Northwest Nationals. Beckman will chase even more history as he opens Sunday eliminations at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington, against Terry Haddock — he’ll attempt to become just the second Funny Car driver ever to sweep the NHRA Western Swing.
 
Beckman claimed victory in the first leg of the Western Swing on July 26 at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, triumphed in the second leg at the NHRA event in Sonoma, California, and can notch the third and final leg on Sunday. The pole was also the second consecutive for Beckman, his third of the year and 13th of his career.
 
Beckman unleashed a sub-four-second run in the second qualifying session on Friday with a track-record 3.997-second elapsed time (ET) at 314.17 mph to seize the provisional pole. He was also quickest in the first session on Saturday, earning another three bonus points with a 4.002 run. But Beckman was far from done. His final attempt yielded the quickest Funny Car pass ever of 3.912, paired with a track-record speed of 322.88 mph.
 
The 2012 NHRA Funny Car World Champion can certify the performance as a national record by posting another elapsed time within one percent of the 3.912 during the remainder of the weekend. Beckman set the national record last weekend in Sonoma at 3.921 seconds.
 
“It’s just a wonderful feeling,” said Beckman, who could also become just the eighth driver overall to sweep the Western Swing. “When you are a kid you dream for that moment of greatness but the reality is very few get to do it at the top level. I’ve had a lot of success in my career and a lot of phenomenal crew chiefs.”
 
Beckman’s DSR teammate Tommy Johnson Jr., runner-up to Beckman at the recent NHRA Sonoma race, claimed the fifth spot with a 4.014 mark and meets another Dodge driver, Paul Lee, in the opening round. Another pair of DSR teammates will also square off in their 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T machines. Points leader and Mopar Express Lane driver Matt Hagan (4.059, No. 9) and Ron Capps (4.025, No. 8) will open their day in an all-Mopar duel. John Hale (6.170, 15th) will look to get his Dodge past Del Worsham.
 
In NHRA Pro Stock, Allen Johnson tied his quickest pass of the weekend in his final qualifying attempt with a 6.508-second run in his “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart. The 20-year Team Mopar veteran will start sixth on Sunday with the opportunity to dish out a little payback — he’ll line-up against Larry Morgan, who won a close final-round battle against Johnson last month in Denver after a dramatic staging duel.
 
Mopar-powered Dodge Dart pilot V. Gaines (6.552) starts 13th and will meet Greg Anderson to kickoff Sunday eliminations. Deric Kramer (6.559, 14th) squares off against Jonathan Gray.
 
Three hours of eliminations coverage from the NHRA Northwest Nationals will air on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD on Sunday, August 9, starting at 9 p.m. ET.

 
Mopar
Mopar is the global name for Stellantis genuine parts and authentic accessories.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over more than 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar  expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

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