As weather conditions went from good to better to best, Jack Beckman and a gaggle of other drivers watched in amazement as the Pro Stock ranks ripped through the air to quicker and quicker times. When it came his turn, Beckman turned up the wick to claim the pole spot in the NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.

The bar was already high, thanks to Matt Hagan's third round neck choking 4.051 seconds, 309.49 mile per hour pass. Beckman answered the call with his own lung evacuating 4.044 second pass right after team mate Ron Capps went 4.046. When Tim Wilkerson couldn't deliver an 04 and Ashley Force Hood fell short with an 06, the top three spots were occupied by Beckman, Capps and Hagan – all three Schumacher Racing drivers.

"That’s just awesome," Beckman said of the DSR one-two-three. "I think that (Hagan's crew chief) Tommy DeLago can take a bow for helping us run that number because he showed us what the track was capable of (in the third session). It's interesting that a a lot of times the advantage of running later in the session is just to see what the race track is capable of.

"And when people go out there and run a 4.09, you think, OK, if we can hit a home run we can run a 4.08. Well, Matt goes out there and runs a 4.05 in the third session. So, I think Tommy D. showed us what the bar was set at. So, we knew the track was going to give low 4s if we could hit the tune-up right.

'We knew we could turn the screws up on our car and do that. We saw Capps run the 4.04 but it was in the other lane. We weren't sure that right lane was quite as good, and it was. (Crew chief) Johnny West, (DSR team manager) Lee Beard and (assistant crew chief) John Collins made absolutely the right call."

It was like a perfect storm of conditions, not just for the drivers but also for the fans. If he could have Beckman would have given up his seat in the race car just to watch the runs.

"Great conditions," said Beckman, from the top end. "I'm a little bit sad we're not coming back to Virginia next year (VMP is not on NHRA's 2010 schedule). "These conditions are unbelievable and this race track has rapidly turned into one of, if not the, fastest tracks on the tour.

"As a drag race fan when I was strapped in that Funny Car and we were towing up and I'm watching all these 4.0 (-second) runs in front of me, I said, Oh my God, I don't know if I've seen a session this good maybe since Pomona a couple of years ago.

"There was some great quality cars behind us, but that was a stout number. I knew that we didn't leave a whole lot on the table in that run, so it was going to be pretty good. They were going to have to be darn near perfect for them to get around us.

"It's always interesting watching the television monitor down there and watching all these cars, flames roof high, [going] right down the middle of the lane, charging. And, in your mind, [you see] that it looks like it's going to be pretty close to us. And a lot of them came close after we ran.”

Now that he has the pole, going rounds on Sunday is of paramount performance.

“We have to make the final round,” admitted Beckman. “Right now because of this new qualifying bonus point system we are no going to be four rounds behind Ashley (Force Hood) and Robert (Hight), just because of the way they have consistently picking away and taking those bonus points. So, we have to win five more rounds than them with 12 rounds left. The problem is, if we had eight races left we could bank our on track performance to overtake them. Now we have to bank on not only that but them faltering.

“Regardless of what either of them do we have to make a final round. They can outlast us by making semi's at the next three races.”

Despite the odds, Beckman is putting his game face on and not giving up.

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