Humorous Automobile’s Jack Beckman picked up his first victory since taking on for legendary driver John Pressure, defeating Ron Capps within the last spherical of the thirteenth annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, additionally successful his first race in practically 4 years on Sunday at World Broad Know-how Raceway.
Tony Schumacher (High Gas), Dallas Glenn (Professional Inventory) and Gaige Herrera (Professional Inventory Bike) additionally gained the seventeenth of 20 races throughout the 2024 NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Collection season and the third of six races within the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Beckman went 3.856s at 315.86mph in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS, holding off Capps’ 3.882s at 329.42mph to document his thirty fourth profession win and first since 2020. Beckman was named the substitute driver for Pressure following Pressure’s crash in June, accumulating factors for the 16-time champ as Beckman makes an attempt to win one other title for the long-lasting Pressure.
To succeed in the ultimate spherical, Beckman defeated J.R. Todd, Daniel Wilkerson, and factors chief and teammate Austin Prock, snapping Prock’s streak of 14 straight spherical wins. Beckman moved into second in factors and heads into the ultimate three races trailing Prock by 105 factors.
“[Our] guys simply saved making the suitable name,” Beckman mentioned. “You may have all the boldness in your crew that no matter they need to do, we are able to go drag that factor again up there and it’s going to go down the racetrack. We made a monster lap within the last spherical. That was implausible to see our guys flip the screws up and get extra aggressive with it as a result of that comes from confidence.
“There may be potential stress however it’s an entire honor to drive this automobile. John Pressure has accomplished all the things and we might not have seen the final of him but. He’s by all metrics the best of all time and he’s additionally a buddy of mine. He’s additionally John Pressure. He’s his personal persona. I’m completely wonderful with having an asterisk subsequent to John Pressure’s seventeenth title on the market, however we’ve got Mount Austin and Jimmy (Prock) to proceed to attempt to shut that hole on.”
Capps, now fourth in factors, reached the ultimate spherical for the fourth time this season and the 151st time in his profession after defeating Buddy Hull, Bobby Bode and Blake Alexander.
In High Gas, Tony Schumacher and his staff seem like hitting their stride at a super time, as Schumacher gained for the second time this season with a run of three.718s at 329.42mph in his Leatherwood Distillery/Waltrip Brewing Co. dragster to defeat Steve Torrence within the championship spherical. Remarkably, it’s Schumacher’s first victory within the Countdown to the Championship since 2014 (Studying), which was additionally the 12 months of the latest of the standout’s eight world championships.
To repeat that, Schumacher, who now has 88 profession wins, should keep red-hot to trace down Antron Brown, however he’s 103 factors behind in sixth with three races remaining. On Sunday, Schumacher obtained by Julie Nataas, who was making her High Gas debut, after which recorded a large second-round win in opposition to Brown. He defeated Shawn Reed to achieve the ultimate spherical, rapidly chasing down Torrence to choose up the memorable victory in St. Louis.
“It was an incredible day,” Schumacher mentioned. “Operating Antron Brown second spherical, we needed to go after it. You look again on moments like that and we made the selection to go after these things and run nicely. I’m pleased with the blokes.
“I haven’t appeared on the factors, I don’t know the way far again we’re. We harm ourselves early on, however on the finish of the day, that’s racing. We gained the race, we did an incredible job, we get factors, we’re nearer than we had been the second we began this morning. Whether or not we win a championship or not, we did a heck of a job going on the market. Is there time to win a championship? I don’t know. Is there time to win a couple of extra races and be nice and do what we’re anticipated to do by our sponsors? Positively.”
Torrence reached the ultimate spherical for the third time in 2024 and ninetieth time in his profession after defeating Ida Zetterstrom, No. 1 qualifier T.J. Zizzo and Justin Ashley, who remained second in factors. Ashley is 34 factors behind Brown, whereas Shawn Langdon is 60 factors again in third.
The Professional Inventory last featured one other thrilling duel between Dallas Glenn and Aaron Stanfield, and Glenn obtained the higher of Stanfield for the second straight race, going 6.577s at 207.82mph in his RAD Torque Techniques Chevrolet Camaro to get previous Stanfield’s 6.586s at 206.01mph. It strengthens Glenn’s factors lead over Stanfield, as he now leads by 31 factors as each younger standouts try and win their first Professional Inventory world championships, and in addition handed the 2021 NHRA Rookie of the 12 months his fifth victory.
It’s his second straight playoff victory as nicely, as Glenn obtained the higher of Camrie Caruso, Mason McGaha and KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson to achieve the championship spherical. Glenn adopted with a sterling 0.010s response time and rolled to the wire-to-wire victory in opposition to Stanfield, choosing up his thirteenth profession victory within the course of.
“Wins within the Countdown are more durable than wins throughout the common season,” Glenn mentioned. “All people steps up their recreation, the factors matter extra, all people brings their finest stuff. Every little thing simply will get tighter and harder. Taking a look at it, I’ve two wins and a semi within the Countdown and I barely have a spherical and a half lead. It’s undoubtedly so much tighter than I would love proper now, however Aaron does a implausible job. He’s an incredible driver, and I’m positive he’s going to be actual robust for the rest of the Countdown.
“Coming into this weekend I used to be considering, St. Louis is often the place stuff begins taking place. The primary two races, the who’s who of the Countdown begins to be established. Then the massive strikes actually begin being made, form of just like the deciding race as to who is admittedly going to be within the Countdown chase and who’s probably not begins in St. Louis. There are solely three races left, and there simply isn’t a variety of time to realize factors, particularly when you’ve the identical 4 drivers within the semis the primary three races in a row. It’s actually onerous to realize factors on any individual after they’re proper with you the entire means.”
To succeed in the ultimate spherical for the ninth time this season and twenty fourth time in his profession, Stanfield obtained previous David Cuadra, Matt Hartford and Erica Enders. Enders remained third in factors and now trails Glenn by 90 factors.
After failing to win within the first two Professional Inventory Bike playoff races, defending world champ Gaige Herrera obtained again on monitor on Sunday, shifting again into the factors lead and taking his eighth victory of the season after a run of 6.805s at 198.12mph on his RevZilla/Mission Meals/Vance & Hines Suzuki to defeat Chase Van Sant’s 6.868s. It was a powerful bounce again weekend for Herrera, who certified No. 1 and ran between 6.797s and 6.813s throughout all 4 elimination rounds to win for the nineteenth time in his profession and the second straight season in St. Louis.
To get there, Herrera cruised previous John Corridor and Studying winner Hector Arana Jr., organising a rematch of the Seattle last spherical. Van Sant gained that, snapping Herrera’s streak of 11 straight victories, however Herrera rode previous Van Sant on Sunday. Again within the factors lead, Herrera leads Matt Smith, who misplaced within the second spherical, by 34 factors.
“This implies so much. St. Louis is the midway level within the Countdown, and to depart right here with the factors lead and get the win simply provides me and the entire staff an enormous increase going into Dallas and the remainder of the races,” Herrera mentioned. “In case you don’t do nicely right here, it units you again and places you in a special mindset.
“We’re leaving with a variety of confidence. I’m glad to say my bike’s again, particularly after the final couple of races. I had a purple gentle and in Charlotte had a malfunction and misplaced a good quantity of factors to Matt and he obtained the factors lead. I’m glad to get that again. It brings me a variety of confidence and I’m trying ahead to going to Dallas. It’s all the time a enjoyable race. I’m glad I get to win in St. Louis, I’m not removed from right here and it’s an attractive facility. I’m glad the rain was solely Friday. It was day of racing.”
Van Sant knocked off Chris Bostick, Richard Gadson and Geno Scali to advance to the finals for the third time in 2024. Gadson is third in factors, 65 behind his teammate.
The NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Collection returns to motion Oct. 9-13 with the thirty ninth annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex in Dallas.
