You know you’re doing something right, even if you’re not quite sure what it is, when you finish with the slowest time in a drag racing final-elimination event and still get the victory.
↵That’s precisely what happened to Don Schumacher Racing’s Jack Beckham on Sunday in the NHRA Summernationals funny car final at Heartland Park in Topeka. Beckham’s teammate Ron Capps had the faster car, but Beckman averted a near critical mistake at the start line that could have cost him the race and managed to cross the finish line .041 seconds ahead of his finals’ oppone opponent.
↵It was Beckham’s first win of the season in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and 13th of his career.
↵Cruz Pedregon, who set a Heartland Park track record in the Friday qualifying run for funny car, finished eighth.
Last year’s winner at Topeka in top fuel, Spencer Massey, made the finals again this time, but was beaten on Sunday by David Grubnic, who ended a six-year winless drought.
Allen Johnson defeated points-leader Greg Anderson in the pro-stock final elimination race.