Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery
BROWNSBURG, Ind (Sept. 17, 2025) – Jack Beckman’s three victories at zMax Dragway, including the Fall race in 2008, provides the veteran driver with the confidence needed to pull into winner’s circle again at the conclusion of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals, April 19-21.
Beckman follows only teammate Austin Prock in the 2025 NHRA Funny Car point standings after the first of the six Countdown to the Championship events in the rearview mirror. While 25 behind Prock, he’s four ahead of Ron Capps, 10 ahead of Paul Lee and 30 ahead of Matt Hagan in fifth.
Notes
Quotes
You’ve been very successful at zMax Dragway over the years so talk about what it will be like competing there in the Countdown?
“This likely will be the first and last time that we race a 4-Wide in the Countdown. It’s kind of a two-for-one in the final round: in other words, there’s going to be a first, second, third, and fourth in the final round. Two of those cars will get what you would normally call semifinal points. Another will get points as if they won that round. But the first car in the final round basically gets a 40-point round instead of 20. It’s an interesting format but, at the end of the day, it just doesn’t matter. Our goal is to leave with the trophy, and the points fix themselves if you keep leaving with the trophy.”
Talk about the new car you brought to Maple Grove Raceway last weekend.
“We’re now nine runs into the new PEAK Chevy, including the testing we did after Indy. What I like is it didn’t throw us any curveballs. Sometimes, you’ve got one that gives you a little bit more speed early or vice versa and you have to compensate for that. To this point, we haven’t had to do that. We’re in that time of year where, at any given racetrack, you could have both that hero run if you get cool overcast conditions or you can have those summer runs where you’re running in the heat of the day. When we started the year with the other car, I thought we had an excellent car in the cool conditions and maybe the best car in hot conditions, so I think it’s going to take that sort of versatility.
What are your thoughts on running the first half of the Countdown in just three weekends?
“I’ve just chosen to accept the philosophy that it is what it is. That’s what the schedule is and there’s no changing that, so I am absolutely comfortable with whether we do four in a row or skip a week. Half of our Countdown will be over in three weeks, and I think that’s why it’s so important to stay on top of the little things. Our guys serviced the car at Maple Grove, and they’ll take it straight down to Charlotte, and I would strongly suspect after Charlotte they’ve got the flexibility of going back to Indy because the St. Louis race is so close.”
zMax Dragway Fall Race Statistics
Number starts: 13
No. 1 qualifier: 1
Final rounds: 3
Victories: 1
Won-Lost Record: 19-12
Track & TV Schedules (all times Eastern)
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will feature two qualifying rounds at 4 and 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 19, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10 a.m. ET and then live coverage eliminations at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 21.
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BROWNSBURG, Ind (Sept. 17, 2025) – Jack Beckman’s three victories at zMax Dragway, including the Fall race in 2008, provides the veteran driver with the confidence needed to pull into winner’s circle again at the conclusion of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals, April 19-21.
Beckman follows only teammate Austin Prock in the 2025 NHRA Funny Car point standings after the first of the six Countdown to the Championship events in the rearview mirror. While 25 behind Prock, he’s four ahead of Ron Capps, 10 ahead of Paul Lee and 30 ahead of Matt Hagan in fifth.
Notes
- The 2012 NHRA Funny Car Champion tested a new car at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park the day after the U.S. Nationals. The original plan was to shake the car down and use it as a backup, but the PEAK SQUAD thought enough of the car’s initial performance that they made it the primary.
- Beckman’s other two zMax Dragway victories came in the spring races in 2011 and 2015.
- In 22 NHRA races contested in the four-wide format, JFR drivers have won 11 times, three times in Top Fuel and eight times in Funny Car. Of those wins, nine have come at ZMax Dragway.
Quotes
You’ve been very successful at zMax Dragway over the years so talk about what it will be like competing there in the Countdown?
“This likely will be the first and last time that we race a 4-Wide in the Countdown. It’s kind of a two-for-one in the final round: in other words, there’s going to be a first, second, third, and fourth in the final round. Two of those cars will get what you would normally call semifinal points. Another will get points as if they won that round. But the first car in the final round basically gets a 40-point round instead of 20. It’s an interesting format but, at the end of the day, it just doesn’t matter. Our goal is to leave with the trophy, and the points fix themselves if you keep leaving with the trophy.”
Talk about the new car you brought to Maple Grove Raceway last weekend.
“We’re now nine runs into the new PEAK Chevy, including the testing we did after Indy. What I like is it didn’t throw us any curveballs. Sometimes, you’ve got one that gives you a little bit more speed early or vice versa and you have to compensate for that. To this point, we haven’t had to do that. We’re in that time of year where, at any given racetrack, you could have both that hero run if you get cool overcast conditions or you can have those summer runs where you’re running in the heat of the day. When we started the year with the other car, I thought we had an excellent car in the cool conditions and maybe the best car in hot conditions, so I think it’s going to take that sort of versatility.
What are your thoughts on running the first half of the Countdown in just three weekends?
“I’ve just chosen to accept the philosophy that it is what it is. That’s what the schedule is and there’s no changing that, so I am absolutely comfortable with whether we do four in a row or skip a week. Half of our Countdown will be over in three weeks, and I think that’s why it’s so important to stay on top of the little things. Our guys serviced the car at Maple Grove, and they’ll take it straight down to Charlotte, and I would strongly suspect after Charlotte they’ve got the flexibility of going back to Indy because the St. Louis race is so close.”
zMax Dragway Fall Race Statistics
| Jack Beckman | Race Result | Qualified | Event Round Record |
| 2008 | Winner | 11th | 4-0 |
| 2009 | 2nd round | 8th | 5-1 |
| 2010 | Runner-Up | 7th | 8-2 |
| 2011 | Semi-finals | 4th | 10-3 |
| 2012 | Semi-finals | 2nd | 12-4 |
| 2013 | Semi-finals | 11th | 14-5 |
| 2014 | 1st round | 6th | 14-6 |
| 2015 | 1st round | 8th | 14-7 |
| 2016 | 1st round | 5th | 14-8 |
| 2017 | 1st round | 4th | 14-9 |
| 2018 | 1st round | 10th | 14-10 |
| 2019 | Runner-up | 1st | 17-11 |
| 2020 | DNC | DNC | DNC |
| 2021 | DNC | DNC | DNC |
| 2022 | DNC | DNC | DNC |
| 2023 | DNC | DNC | DNC |
| 2024 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 19-12 |
Number starts: 13
No. 1 qualifier: 1
Final rounds: 3
Victories: 1
Won-Lost Record: 19-12
Track & TV Schedules (all times Eastern)
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will feature two qualifying rounds at 4 and 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 19, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10 a.m. ET and then live coverage eliminations at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 21.
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