BECKMAN WEIGHS IN
Tue, 2007-10-09 23:45
Jack Beckman can testify regarding the emotional complexities surrounding the
NHRA’s first year of the Countdown to the Championship format. He was eliminated
from championship contention after the semi-final round in Richmond.
“We came in here [Richmond] and it was like a story book,” Beckman said. “Capps and Scelzi both got in and that’s exactly what we wanted. We really would have liked to have seen both cars in. You never root against your teammates unless they are in the other lane. We all three got past the first round and we needed to beat Bartone. We had lane choice and didn’t get the job done.
“It’s one thing if we went out and knocked the belt off of it or kicked the rods out, then that becomes a mechanical issue. The thing made a big move towards the wall and I needed to wrestle it back over and didn’t get it done. It hit the rev-limiter and spun.
“I don’t know what cost us the race. It stinks. So we had a chance? Now we had to sit and watch, but the question then begins, who do you cheer for?”
“The only time I ever bet against Capps or Scelzi is when they are in the other lane. You want them to win, but you know if they make the final round it will knock you out. It’s devastating. It’s not just me because there are ten other guys whose livelihood to make that car run as good as possible. They have given me a great a car and great momentum. There are eleven disappointed guys out there including me. You always want to control your destiny and to sit and watch it unfold for two rounds. It’s tough to put a good spin on this right now.” Jack Beckman can testify regarding the emotional complexities surrounding the NHRA’s first year of the Countdown to the Championship format. He was eliminated from championship contention after the semi-final round in Richmond.
“We came in here and it was like a story book,” Beckman said. “Capps and Scelzi both got in and that’s exactly what we wanted. We really would have liked to have seen both cars in. You never root against your teammates unless they are in the other lane. We all three got past the first round and we needed to beat Bartone. We had lane choice and didn’t get the job done.
“It’s one thing if we went out and knocked the belt off of it or kicked the rods out, then that becomes a mechanical issue. The thing made a big move towards the wall and I needed to wrestle it back over and didn’t get it done. It hit the rev-limiter and spun.
“I don’t know what cost us the race. It stinks. So we had a chance? Now we had to sit and watch, but the question then begins, who do you cheer for?”
“The only time I ever bet against Capps or Scelzi is when they are in the other lane. You want them to win, but you know if they make the final round it will knock you out. It’s devastating. It’s not just me because there are ten other guys whose livelihood to make that car run as good as possible. They have given me a great a car and great momentum. There are eleven disappointed guys out there including me. You always want to control your destiny and to sit and watch it unfold for two rounds. It’s tough to put a good spin on this right now.”
Beckman entered the day with two national event victories to his credit this season including a triumph at the $100K Skoal Showdown at Indianapolis. Despite his shortcoming today, Beckman said the program has its plusses and minuses.
“We have kept the excitement level high until the end of the season, which has been perfect for the NHRA and that was their goal,” Beckman said. “Wally was behind this deal and it will be exciting all the way down to Pomona.
“Ron Capps came within two-tenths of a second of not making it in the Countdown and he was the most successful driver all year long. My idea is if a guy wins the first seventeen races that they can take a weekend and go to the Bahamas and paint the No. 1 on their car. Maybe we make it an eight or ten car shootout for six races. Then it becomes an incidental thing where oil may get dropped on the track and not seen or a blower belt breaks. You don’t want to see those kinds of things decide a title.”
“We came in here [Richmond] and it was like a story book,” Beckman said. “Capps and Scelzi both got in and that’s exactly what we wanted. We really would have liked to have seen both cars in. You never root against your teammates unless they are in the other lane. We all three got past the first round and we needed to beat Bartone. We had lane choice and didn’t get the job done.
“It’s one thing if we went out and knocked the belt off of it or kicked the rods out, then that becomes a mechanical issue. The thing made a big move towards the wall and I needed to wrestle it back over and didn’t get it done. It hit the rev-limiter and spun.
“I don’t know what cost us the race. It stinks. So we had a chance? Now we had to sit and watch, but the question then begins, who do you cheer for?”
“The only time I ever bet against Capps or Scelzi is when they are in the other lane. You want them to win, but you know if they make the final round it will knock you out. It’s devastating. It’s not just me because there are ten other guys whose livelihood to make that car run as good as possible. They have given me a great a car and great momentum. There are eleven disappointed guys out there including me. You always want to control your destiny and to sit and watch it unfold for two rounds. It’s tough to put a good spin on this right now.” Jack Beckman can testify regarding the emotional complexities surrounding the NHRA’s first year of the Countdown to the Championship format. He was eliminated from championship contention after the semi-final round in Richmond.
“We came in here and it was like a story book,” Beckman said. “Capps and Scelzi both got in and that’s exactly what we wanted. We really would have liked to have seen both cars in. You never root against your teammates unless they are in the other lane. We all three got past the first round and we needed to beat Bartone. We had lane choice and didn’t get the job done.
“It’s one thing if we went out and knocked the belt off of it or kicked the rods out, then that becomes a mechanical issue. The thing made a big move towards the wall and I needed to wrestle it back over and didn’t get it done. It hit the rev-limiter and spun.
“I don’t know what cost us the race. It stinks. So we had a chance? Now we had to sit and watch, but the question then begins, who do you cheer for?”
“The only time I ever bet against Capps or Scelzi is when they are in the other lane. You want them to win, but you know if they make the final round it will knock you out. It’s devastating. It’s not just me because there are ten other guys whose livelihood to make that car run as good as possible. They have given me a great a car and great momentum. There are eleven disappointed guys out there including me. You always want to control your destiny and to sit and watch it unfold for two rounds. It’s tough to put a good spin on this right now.”
Beckman entered the day with two national event victories to his credit this season including a triumph at the $100K Skoal Showdown at Indianapolis. Despite his shortcoming today, Beckman said the program has its plusses and minuses.
“We have kept the excitement level high until the end of the season, which has been perfect for the NHRA and that was their goal,” Beckman said. “Wally was behind this deal and it will be exciting all the way down to Pomona.
“Ron Capps came within two-tenths of a second of not making it in the Countdown and he was the most successful driver all year long. My idea is if a guy wins the first seventeen races that they can take a weekend and go to the Bahamas and paint the No. 1 on their car. Maybe we make it an eight or ten car shootout for six races. Then it becomes an incidental thing where oil may get dropped on the track and not seen or a blower belt breaks. You don’t want to see those kinds of things decide a title.”
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