FUNNY CAR STAR JACK BECKMAN ZEROES IN ON TURNAROUND AT PRESTIGIOUS NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS AT ZMAX DRAGWAY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Simply put, Funny Car driver Jack Beckman is ready for a turnaround and he would be perfectly fine with it coming at one of the most prestigious events on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit.

Following a disappointing performance at the most recent event in Las Vegas, Beckman’s winless streak stretched to 31 races, by far the longest of the 2012 world champion’s career. While the struggles have tested the resolve of Beckman’s naturally upbeat attitude, he remains confident that better fortunes are coming soon.

It could be as soon as this weekend when Beckman and his 8,000-horsepower Valvoline Max Life/MTS Dodge Charger compete in one of the most unique and thrilling spectacles in motorsports, the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. With nitro cars rocketing down all four lanes, the 30,000-plus horsepower adrenaline rush grabs the attention of the entire motorsports world, also giving Beckman the perfect opportunity to end his winless drought in grand fashion.

“I’m telling you, once this car starts responding in a manner that’s predictable to us we’re going to be deadly consistent,” Beckman said. “We’re not far off right now. With the way we’re headed we’re going to be creating our own luck pretty soon.”

The world’s top racers will compete this weekend at zMAX Dragway, home to the only four-lane, all-concrete dragstrip and site of the fifth of 24 events during the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (PSM) were last year’s winners of the Four-Wide Nationals that will once again be televised on ESPN2.

While Beckman has lauded the work of new crew chief Rob Flynn and his team, the disappointment for the 15-time event winner is hard to ignore. After losing in the first round to Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. at the season-opening race in Pomona, Beckman has lost in the second round in each of the last three races, including two straight to DSR teammate Ron Capps.

It has Beckman, who qualified an uncharacteristic 14th in Las Vegas, ninth in points. It’s not cause for panic, but it’s always not the direction Beckman wants to be headed, even if it is early in the season.

"We’re not going to hang our heads, but we can’t keep going only to the second round,” Beckman said. “If we want to be running for the championship, we’ve got to start going deep on race day. For whatever reason, we have a parts malfunction or we’re just off on this tune-up.”

Of course, the winless drought is also a frequent topic of conversation. That stretches back to September of 2012 when Beckman won in St. Louis en route to his world championship. Beckman didn’t return to the winner’s circle in 2013 despite finishing third in points, though he did win the Traxxas Nitro Shootout.

It’s certainly a nod to the competitive ranks in Funny Car, as Four-Wide Nationals winner and former world champ Robert Hight takes the points lead into Charlotte and has posted three final round appearances in 2014. His teammate and defending world champion John Force is second and was the first Four-Wide winner in the class. Other top stars in the class include Alexis DeJoria, who won for the second time in 2014 at Las Vegas in a breakout season, Capps, defending event winner Hagan, Courtney Force and Del Worsham.

But no matter the quality of the class, Beckman has his own high expectations.

"The expectations for our new team were to look good from the outset and start looking great in a short period of time," Beckman said. "I see us headed in that direction. Rob Flynn strikes me as a chess player; he’s quiet, studious and digs his nose in the (data) books and goes over run after run. Not just our stuff, but he’s been getting some data from our other Schumacher Funny Car teams. I see what he’s doing. He’s educating himself about our cars to be able to make educated decisions at the racetrack.”

In Top Fuel, there’s been nobody better at the NHRA Four-Wide than Spencer Massey, who has won two straight years in his Battery Extender powered by Schumacher Electric Top Fuel dragster. He will face tough competition from the likes of points leader Doug Kalitta, who has three final round appearances in four events, teammate Tony Schumacher, who picked up his first victory in 2014 at Las Vegas, defending Top Fuel world champ Shawn Langdon, 2012 champ Antron Brown, Steve Torrence, Khalid alBalooshi and Brittany Force.

With defending event champ Edwards taking a break from competition and local favorite and two-time winner Greg Anderson still recovering from heart surgery, the Pro Stock field will be loaded with drivers trying to race to their first four-wide win. Points leader Erica Enders-Stevens comes to Charlotte on the heels of a memorable weekend in Las Vegas of winning the K & N Challenge as well as the event. Other top competitors include Allen Johnson, reigning world champion Jeg Coughlin, Jason Line, V Gaines, Shane Gray, Vincent Nobile, Dave Connolly and Jimmy Alund.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, the top names in the two-wheeled class will be stacked across all four lanes and Arana Jr. will face tough competition in his quest to repeat at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Everyone is currently chasing points leader Steven Johnson and reigning world champ Matt Smith won the event in 2010. The likes of Eddie Krawiec, Andrew Hines, Michael Ray, John Hall and more of the two-wheel contingent will also try to add their names to the winner’s list.

As always, fans will have the chance to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and enjoy cherished face time with their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

Mello Yello Series qualifying begins Friday, April 11, with sessions at 1:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, April 12, at 1:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for noon on Sunday, April 13.

Be a part of the action all weekend with a 3-Day Pass to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals starting at $99. Tickets for children 13 and under are free with any paid adult ticket; to purchase general admission or reserved seats please visit www.zMAXDragway.com or call the box office at (800) 455-FANS (3267). For more information about NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.

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NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: Fifth annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, the fifth of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Drivers in four categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – earn points leading to 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: zMAX Dragway- Track is located on Hwy 29 off I-85 at exit 49 (Speedway Blvd.) in the Concord, N.C. area.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, April 11-13

FORMAT: Qualifying sessions and elimination rounds will be conducted using four lanes in all Mello Yello Series classes; Lanes will be identified from left to right facing downtrack as 1-4; The standard Friday qualifying procedure of a top 12 format will not be in use; Two Christmas trees will be in use, one between each two lanes; The Compulink Autostart system will continue to be utilized and it will not activate until all four vehicles are pre-staged and one vehicle has staged; The ladder structure will feature Race A: qualifiers 1, 8, 9, 16, Race B: qualifiers 4, 5, 12, 13, Race C: qualifiers 2, 7, 10, 15, and Race D: qualifiers 3, 6, 11, 14; Race A and Race B will be on one side of the ladder, while Race C and Race D will be on the other; Lane choice for eliminations goes to the driver with the quickest E.T., then the second-quickest, and so on; The first two drivers in each elimination round to cross the finish line advance to the second round and final; In the final round, teams will finish in the order they cross the finish line (barring any red-light starts), with winner, runner-up and two semifinalists in that order.

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, April 11 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 1:15 and 4:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, April 12 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 1:15 and 4:15 p.m.

SUNDAY, April 13 – Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at noon

TELEVISION:

Saturday, April 12, ESPN2HD will televise an hour of qualifying coverage at 9 p.m. (ET).

Sunday, April 13, ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 8 p.m. (ET).

SATELLITE (Digital HD feed):

Friday, April 11, 7 – 7:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 22C

Saturday, April 12, 7:30 – 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 22C

Sunday, April 13, 6:30 – 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 22C

(4140 MHz, vertical; Data Rate: 40.46147055 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)

Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.

2013 EVENT WINNERS: Spencer Massey, Top Fuel; Matt Hagan, Funny Car; Mike Edwards, Pro Stock: Hector Arana Jr., Pro Stock Motorcycle.

MOST VICTORIES: Spencer Massey, 2, TF; Greg Anderson, 2, PS; Mike Edwards, 2, PS.

TRACK RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.749 seconds by Tony Schumacher, Sept. ’12; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12.

Funny Car – 3.980 seconds by Cruz Pedregon, Sept. ’13; 322.27 mph by Matt Hagan, Sept. ’11.

Pro Stock – 6.471 sec. by Mike Edwards, April ’13; 213.91 mph by Jason Line, April ’12.

Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.810 sec. by Eddie Krawiec, Sept. ’11; 196.79 mph by Krawiec, Sept. ’11.

NATIONAL RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. ‘12, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.

Funny Car – 3.965 sec. by John Force, Feb. ’14, Pomona, Calif.; 324.12 mph by J. Force, Feb. ’14, Pomona, Calif.

Pro Stock – 6.471 sec. by Mike Edwards, April ‘13, Charlotte, N.C.; 214.69 mph by Erica Enders-Stevens, March. ’14, Gainesville, Fla.

PS Motorcycle – 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 199.26 mph by Eddie Krawiec, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.

TICKETS: Order tickets by phone at (800) 455-FANS. Tickets also are available online at www.zmaxdragway.com.

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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES POINTS STANDINGS

GLENDORA, Calif. — Point standings (top 10) following the fourth of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel: 1. Doug Kalitta, 412; 2. Antron Brown, 339; 3. Steve Torrence, 314; 4. Tony Schumacher, 262; 5. Spencer Massey, 236; 6. Khalid alBalooshi, 229; 7. Shawn Langdon, 223; 8. Brittany Force, 191; 9. Richie Crampton, 157; 10. Bob Vandergriff, 150.

Funny Car: 1. Robert Hight, 367; 2. John Force, 358; 3. Alexis DeJoria, 299; 4. Ron Capps, 241; 5. Del Worsham, 224; 6. Courtney Force, 207; 7. Tommy Johnson Jr., 205; 8. Matt Hagan, 204; 9. Jack Beckman, 202; 10. Bob Tasca III, 194.

Pro Stock: 1. Erica Enders-Stevens, 344; 2. Jason Line, 329; 3. Allen Johnson, 317; 4. V. Gaines, 276; 5. (tie) Dave Connolly, 267; Vincent Nobile, 267; 7. Shane Gray, 237; 8. Jeg Coughlin, 214; 9. Chris McGaha, 191; 10. Jimmy Alund, 169.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Steve Johnson, 114; 2. Scotty Pollacheck, 93; 3. Hector Arana Jr, 81; 4. John Hall, 75; 5. Michael Ray, 63; 6. Andrew Hines, 62; 7. Matt Smith, 60; 8. Eddie Krawiec, 56; 9. (tie) Hector Arana, 32; Adam Arana, 32; Shawn Gann, 32; Katie Sullivan, 32.