Beckman pleased with quick, predictable Valvoline MaxLife Funny Car after No. 6 qualifying effort at Wild Horse Pass near Phoenix

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 22, 2014) - Experimenting with a 10,000-horsepower Funny Car sounds dangerous, but it is exactly what crew chief Rob Flynn did with Jack Beckman's Valvoline MaxLife Funny Car in the fourth and final qualifying session at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

The Dodge Charger R/T started the weekend with a respectable 4.107-second pass that earned them a bonus point for being the third quickest of the first qualifying session. They followed that effort with a 4.055-second lap in the second session late Friday afternoon, leading all DSR Funny Cars.

To start Saturday's qualifying, the Flynn-tuned machine posted a 4.057-second lap, the best of the session and worth three points. After three solid qualifying laps, the Valvoline MaxLife team decided to put it to the max for the fourth session and the Goodyear tires didn't hold traction.

"That's the luxury of getting in on Friday," Jack said. "You can try stuff that you think should work well on Saturday. Some of them do, like our third qualifying run, and it just kept getting better.

"So we thought 'why not?' and we stood on it for the fourth qualifying pass. And that's OK, we went a little further. Sometimes the ones where you miss it, teach you more than the ones where it goes all the way down the racetrack."

Flynn and assistant Terry Snyder will take what they've learned throughout their four qualifying runs and apply it to their first-round pairing against Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan on Sunday.

"I'm very optimistic about race day tomorrow," Jack said. "I'm very happy. I think we have a great, quick, consistent, predictable hot rod."

JACK BECKMAN, Valvoline MaxLife Dodge Charger R/T  Qualified: No. 6  SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS  First round: BECKMAN vs. Matt Hagan  QUALIFYING  FRIDAY: 4.107 sec., 307.16, (Session 1); 4.055, 314.09, (Session 2); SATURDAY: 4.057, 312.13, (Session 3); 7.506, 80.88 (Session 4).

Dusty Brandel

President of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association, Inc. Worked with Mike Hollander since Tapsis, Compuserve, etc. and has posted to the website since the beginning. First Female photo-journalist to be given a garage and pit pass for the NASCAR garage, 1972 at Ontario Motor Speedway. One of first seven female writers, photographers given access to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage and pits in 1971. Past President of Greater Los Angeles Press Club, 1992-96, and first female editor of the 8-Ball publication for the Press Club

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Volume 2014, Issue 2, Posted 7:21 PM, 02.23.2014