Beard Doubles-Up: Wins 2nd World Championship and Spring Nitro Jam

Rockingham, N.C. - Duck Tape Racing's Michael Beard won his second IHRA Stock World Championship by defeating an all-star cast in the long-postponed IHRA Tournament of Champions, held Friday at Rockingham Dragway. The 2009 IHRA World Championships were left up in the air last fall when the World Finals suffered through day after day of inclement weather, leading to the postponement of the all-important shootout to April 30, 2010. Beard bested three other former World Champions en route to a final round showdown with stick-shift driver Brent Darroch. Beard forced Darroch into a breakout with a worthy .016-initiated dead-on 11.186 to pick up the hefty World Championship Ironman trophy. Beard's other title came in his 2003 rookie season in IHRA, behind the wheel of Terry Knott's Dart Sport. The achievement makes Beard the first to capture both a Bracket Finals Championship and World Championship in the same year.

Beard qualified for the 2009 Tournament of Champions by winning the IHRA Spring Nationals last year, and put an exclamation point on the weekend by successfully defending his title by winning Stock on Sunday at the renamed IHRA Spring Nitro Jam, for a landmark 150th career victory. It was not only his second major victory in the course of three days, but also his second Nitro Jam win of the season, which effectively eliminates one potential competitor from the 2010 Tournament of Champions, to be held at Virginia Motorsports Park in October.

Television coverage from this weekend's Spring Nitro Jam win will air on Sunday, June 6 at 4pm EST, on SPEED Channel.

World Champion stories & photos:
http://www.ihra.com/article/6101.html

World Champion photos, IHRA.com:
http://www.ihra.com/article/6109.html

Photo in the K&N Spring Fling 20's coverage on DragRacingOnline.com:
http://www.dragracingonline.com/raceresults/2010/xii_4-springfling_bristol-4.html
Beard thanked his supporters Duck Tape brand duct tape, Mickey Thompson, CAM2 Blue Blood Racing Oil, K&N Filters, Bearden Oil - Sunoco, Bradley Auto Parts, BottomBulbRacers.com, FINISHED, Sloan Racing Engines, Macy Motorsports, Billy Nees Race Cars, Staging Light Graphics, Stephen Beard, Matt Zapp, Terry Knott, and his wife Jill.