Beckman comments on four-wide racing in concord (1 Viewer)

[ProNitro Pete]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, [email protected]

BECKMAN COMMENTS ON FOUR-WIDE RACING IN CONCORD

CONCORD, N.C. (March 26, 2010) - After two qualifying sessions for the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, Jack Beckman, driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Funny Car, sits No. 3, having posted a 4.040/310.48 in the second round. His first attempt produced a 4.103/304.25.

"Hoo-wee," he said of racing four-wide for the first time. "For all that we've griped about it, and I'm still not a fan of doing it in a points race, all I have to say is that at the top end of the race track we are all chatting like 12-year-old schoolgirls up there. Everybody is having a blast with this thing.

"It's like bragging about who caught what when you went fishing. Everybody compares notes at the end of the track, and I've never seen that when it's two cars racing, to this extent. We're having fun right now.

"Sunday might be a whole different deal."

Two more rounds of qualifying on Saturday will set the 16-car field for Sunday's eliminations.

 

[ProNitro Pete]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAPPS NO. 2 IN FRIDAY FOUR-WIDE QUALIFYING

CONCORD, N.C. (March 26, 2010) - Driving the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger Funny Car at the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, Ron Capps relinquished the No. 1 spot he earned in today's first qualifying session (4.062/307.09) to Robert Hight's 4.024/314.24. He came close, but settled for second after improving in the second session with a 4.039/310.34.

"There's been so much hoopla about this four-wide racing," he said, "but to be honest with you, we rolled up for the first run and I felt like a little kid again. There's so many variables up in the air. You're so used to just going up and doing your thing with the car next to you that now to worry about everything else, the staging lights, and all that, brought a whole new level to our sport, as far as something fun and different goes.

"It was a great run to put us No. 1 in the first session, but the No. 2 run tonight, the .03, almost didn't happen. We had a starter bracket that broke (at the starting line) and we had help from the FRAM guys and a lot of the other guys who helped get it started.

"I thought we were going to have to give up the run, not even start the car, and we turned out to be No. 2 qualifier."

Two more qualifying sessions will be held on Saturday to determine the 16-car field for Sunday's eliminations."

 

[ProNitro Pete]

MCCLENATHAN SECURES PROVISIONAL POLE GOING FOUR-WIDE IN CONCORD

CONCORD, N.C. (March 26, 2010) - Driving the FRAM Top Fuel dragster, Cory McClenathan secured the provisional pole position for the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals tonight running against Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta and Larry Dixon in the final match-up.

McClenathan posted a track-record-setting 3.790-second elapsed time at 315.93 mph, and if this holds through two more qualifying sessions on Saturday, McClenathan will have collected his second No. 1 of the season and the 35th of his career. His first lap today was a 3.855/315.34.

"FRAM just likes Charlotte, that's all there is to it," said McClenathan, the defending Top Fuel event champion. "Last time we were here we did well. Todd (Okuhara, co-crew chief with Phil Shuler), right when we started, said again, 'We're pushing it, we're going to push it and see what it will hold.' And we knew the right-hand lane was really good. They've all been fantastic all day long. There were a couple of spots that we were trying to negotiate, so we came on the inside of that lane a little bit.

"We're going to see how everything stacks up on Sunday. I'd love to go three rounds here and win this this again. Two years in a row for us would be great.

"Any time you go somewhere and you have a good weekend you want to keep going back there. This is one of those places.

"We kind of understood the staging process and everybody's really good about it. I knew the cars that we were running against and I know all the drivers very well. I was very comfortable with that. Once I kind of figured out the light thing, [it was] not a big deal. Watching a couple of cars run before us helped. Crew chiefs were thinking low E.T. all the time. That's the kind of mode they were in."

 

[big guy]

Sounds like most everybody is having fun with the 4 wide.Thats good to hear.Good luck to all.

 

[Pinocchio]

I guess it's easy to be happy about 4 wide when there's only 16 cars on the property. I wonder how the drivers would feel if there were 18 entries, when 2 cars would run and the rest as 4 car passes?

 

[none]

I guess it's easy to be happy about 4 wide when there's only 16 cars on the property. I wonder how the drivers would feel if there were 18 entries, when 2 cars would run and the rest as 4 car passes?

Rich......... Could you explain to me how it would effect what the car would run by the number of lanes being used?

 

[Huge]

Sounds like the track is in great shape and their having a blast. History making event and great numbers on the board. Maybe this will be the weekend that a FC runs in the 3s. We thought about going and then decided not too. We probably will regret that decision.

 

[Pinocchio]

Paul, it seems pretty simple to me.
If only 2 lanes are running, the 2 drivers and crews are doing everything as they have been doing for 50+ years.
When there are 4 cars staging at the same time, I have to believe that the circumstances are different enough to effect the drivers mental timing and concentration of at least one or more of the four.
In my mind, that puts those cars in the 4 wide laps, potentially at a dissadvantage.

 

[Gary H]

Yeah,but.... do they get a choice between all 4 lanes? Everyone should be able to make a pass in each lane. This is going to favor the multi car teams a lot.