Every year, the race at Norwalk, Ohio, showcases a fireworks display on Friday night but on Sunday afternoon, Terry Chandler’s Infinite Hero Foundation Funny Car team with Jack Beckman set off its own pyrotechnics moments after winning the title in the 11th annual NHRA Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio.

(Jack Beckman used consistency to win at NHRA Norwalk – his 26th career FC victory)

Beckman crossed the finish line in the final round in 4.073 seconds 311.85 mph as the car exploded. He exited safely and got the win over Robert Hight.

“I don’t know that we’re going to spend a whole lot of time soul searching about why we struggled here, because we left with the trophy,” Beckman said who has won three times at Norwalk.

Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champ, and his crew chief trio of Dean Antonelli, John Medlen and Neal Strausbaugh advanced to their third straight final round in which they’ve now won two.

The Infinite Hero car may not have ran the quickest of the 16-car field but it was definitely consist. Beckman ran times of 4.06, 4.07, 4.07, 4.07 throughout the day.

Beckman qualified ninth and defeated Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan and Tommy Johnson Jr. before reaching his third final round of the season. Hight reached his second final round of the season after defeating Jim Campbell, Alexis DeJoria and Bob Tasca III.

(The FC runner-up was Robert Hight – he set top speed at 334.65 mph)

“What happens when you start running consistent is the other cars know that they have to step up a little and I think that we just enjoyed a little bit of that for the last couple weekends. We weren’t spectacular, but our car went to the finish line pretty consistently and folks knew they had to step up.

“When I say we weren’t spectacular, recognize I’m talking about a tenth of a second off of where we’d like to be. Which is not even a blink of an eye, but we need to pick that up and I have every confidence we will pick that up.

“If it doesn’t happen tomorrow we’re going to keep testing this thing. We want to win some more races and we want to win the championship, which means by Indy we have to have a combination that listens to us. But between now and then they’re giving a trophy away every weekend.”

Matt Hagan was the #1 qualifier at Norwalk – hitting a track record 3,865 secs for low ET of the race.

This weekend’s event in Norwalk closed out the “June Swing,” consisting of four races throughout the month. Norwalk was the team’s third final round in a row and second win in two weeks.

Event Essentials:   NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals (June 22-25th, 2017) 

A shocking development at NHRA Norwalk – was the DNQ by Courtney Force

(Chicagoland independent Dale Creasy raced at Norwalk — he qualified #14 at 4.076)

Posted with files by Jeff Wolf and Bruce Biegler

Photos by Dave DeAngelis, Steve Embling & Brennan Shortall

To view more FC racing images from Norwalk – visit our event photo gallery : HERE