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NORTH HILLS, Calif. (March 25, 2008) - Jack Beckman couldn't be happier with his status right now after three national events in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car. He's coming off a victory in Phoenix, a second season quarterfinal finish in Gainesville, Fla., and he trails first place in the standings by just six markers as he heads to the NHRA Spring Nationals this weekend at Houston Raceway Park.
"It's so funny," said Beckman, as he waxed philosophical on his position this early in the season. "People will get themselves so worked up and call it superstition, karma, mojo, whatever you want to call it, about not saying certain things, not getting too cocky, and not wanting to get down about things. You can drive yourself crazy worrying about what could happen. But, I am going to say that we have a pretty strong hot rod right now. I feel pretty good rolling into Houston.
"There's a good likelihood that by the end of the year, just like last year, every nitro Funny Car team is going to have a DNQ on its ledger. Of course, we hope that that's not going to happen. We're going to have races like Phoenix and Gainesville, where the weather is going to play a big factor in qualifying (both Friday qualifying sessions at those events were rained out). In Houston that certainly could be an issue. And Houston might be the first track where NHRA's new qualifying format for only 12 cars getting in on Friday gets tested.
"But the reality is none of that matters," he remarked. "If we get two sessions, it means everybody else gets two sessions. If the Friday qualifying impacts us, it's going to impact several other teams out there.
"The way I'm choosing to look at this is I'm living a dream, racing a Funny Car for Don Schumacher, Valvoline and Mail Terminal Services, we're second in points right now, we've already got one win, and we want to click off another one pretty soon. I can't wait to get there."
As for his history at Houston Raceway Park, "I've got a lot of people coming to this event," said Beckman, an instructor at the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School. "My father Bob lives in the Dallas area, and a lot of his friends and people I've met over the years through him are coming. I've been to Houston as a racer once (last year in his first full professional season driving for Don Schumacher Racing), but I've been there with the Hawley school a couple of other times.
"The early scouting reports are that the race track is in good shape," added Beckman, who lost first round to his teammate Ron Capps in 2007. "NHRA has proved that at every race this year, no matter what conditions they're faced with, they'll make it equal. I don't think the race track is going to be an issue here."
Mail Terminal Services will continue its "Mail from Home" program in 2008. Fans at each NHRA national event will have the opportunity to sign special cards at the DSR hospitality area and at the U.S. Army Racing Zone in the midway area, which MTS will then ship, free of charge, to the troops in war zones overseas.
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* Second in 2008 Funny Car points after three events (one victory). Trails Robert Hight by six points
* Finished 2007 season fifth in point standings
* Qualified No. 14 at 2007 NHRA Spring Nationals, lost first round to Ron Capps
* Was bumped out of the 2007 Countdown to Four playoffs standings at the Richmond, Va., event, after his teammates Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps reached the semifinal round.
* Had back-to-back 2007 season victories in Denver and Seattle, in three final rounds
* Also in 2007 had three semifinal finishes, seven quarterfinal finishes and two DNQs, and a round win-loss record of 24-19
* In his 43 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won four times in six final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 42-37
* Set national elapsed-time record of 4.662 seconds and national speed record of 333.66 mph at final 2006 event in Pomona, Calif. The ET record has since been eclipsed. Beckman still holds the speed record
* As a Funny Car rookie in the last five races of 2006, he qualified No. 1 once (Pomona 2), reached two final rounds (Las Vegas 2 and Pomona 2), won once (Vegas), and set both ends of the national record (Pomona 2)
* Residence: North Hills, Calif.
* Hometown: Granada Hills, Calif.
* Date of birth: June 28, 1966
* Married, Jenna (wedding date 11/7/06), son Jason Russell (3/8/07)
* Height/weight: 6'0", 185 lbs.
* Serves as instructor at Frank Hawley's NHRA Championship Drag Racing School; former Sergeant in U.S. Air Force (1984-88); cancer survivor; licensed in nine different NHRA categories
* First Start in TF: Las Vegas 1 2005
* First Start in FC: , Dallas, Texas, 2006
* Competed in only 12 TF events in 2005, ended season 15th in points
* Career-best FC elapsed time: 4.662 seconds (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best FC speed: 333.66 mph (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best TF elapsed time: 4.563 seconds (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* Career-best TF speed: 324.28 mph (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* In 2003 won Super Comp world championship in Lucas Oil Series and Division 7 Super Comp championship
* Has a round-winning record against 14-time NHRA champion John Force: 4-3
SCHEDULE: Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 2 and 5 p.m. on Friday, March 28. Qualifying continues at 11:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 and final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 30.
ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise qualifying highlights at 4:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, March 29. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, March 30. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise the race beginning at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, March 30.
ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at NHRA.com.
BECKMAN HAPPY WITH HIS STATUS HEADING INTO HOUSTON
NORTH HILLS, Calif. (March 25, 2008) - Jack Beckman couldn't be happier with his status right now after three national events in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car. He's coming off a victory in Phoenix, a second season quarterfinal finish in Gainesville, Fla., and he trails first place in the standings by just six markers as he heads to the NHRA Spring Nationals this weekend at Houston Raceway Park.
"It's so funny," said Beckman, as he waxed philosophical on his position this early in the season. "People will get themselves so worked up and call it superstition, karma, mojo, whatever you want to call it, about not saying certain things, not getting too cocky, and not wanting to get down about things. You can drive yourself crazy worrying about what could happen. But, I am going to say that we have a pretty strong hot rod right now. I feel pretty good rolling into Houston.
"There's a good likelihood that by the end of the year, just like last year, every nitro Funny Car team is going to have a DNQ on its ledger. Of course, we hope that that's not going to happen. We're going to have races like Phoenix and Gainesville, where the weather is going to play a big factor in qualifying (both Friday qualifying sessions at those events were rained out). In Houston that certainly could be an issue. And Houston might be the first track where NHRA's new qualifying format for only 12 cars getting in on Friday gets tested.
"But the reality is none of that matters," he remarked. "If we get two sessions, it means everybody else gets two sessions. If the Friday qualifying impacts us, it's going to impact several other teams out there.
"The way I'm choosing to look at this is I'm living a dream, racing a Funny Car for Don Schumacher, Valvoline and Mail Terminal Services, we're second in points right now, we've already got one win, and we want to click off another one pretty soon. I can't wait to get there."
As for his history at Houston Raceway Park, "I've got a lot of people coming to this event," said Beckman, an instructor at the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School. "My father Bob lives in the Dallas area, and a lot of his friends and people I've met over the years through him are coming. I've been to Houston as a racer once (last year in his first full professional season driving for Don Schumacher Racing), but I've been there with the Hawley school a couple of other times.
"The early scouting reports are that the race track is in good shape," added Beckman, who lost first round to his teammate Ron Capps in 2007. "NHRA has proved that at every race this year, no matter what conditions they're faced with, they'll make it equal. I don't think the race track is going to be an issue here."
Mail Terminal Services will continue its "Mail from Home" program in 2008. Fans at each NHRA national event will have the opportunity to sign special cards at the DSR hospitality area and at the U.S. Army Racing Zone in the midway area, which MTS will then ship, free of charge, to the troops in war zones overseas.
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* Second in 2008 Funny Car points after three events (one victory). Trails Robert Hight by six points
* Finished 2007 season fifth in point standings
* Qualified No. 14 at 2007 NHRA Spring Nationals, lost first round to Ron Capps
* Was bumped out of the 2007 Countdown to Four playoffs standings at the Richmond, Va., event, after his teammates Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps reached the semifinal round.
* Had back-to-back 2007 season victories in Denver and Seattle, in three final rounds
* Also in 2007 had three semifinal finishes, seven quarterfinal finishes and two DNQs, and a round win-loss record of 24-19
* In his 43 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won four times in six final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 42-37
* Set national elapsed-time record of 4.662 seconds and national speed record of 333.66 mph at final 2006 event in Pomona, Calif. The ET record has since been eclipsed. Beckman still holds the speed record
* As a Funny Car rookie in the last five races of 2006, he qualified No. 1 once (Pomona 2), reached two final rounds (Las Vegas 2 and Pomona 2), won once (Vegas), and set both ends of the national record (Pomona 2)
* Residence: North Hills, Calif.
* Hometown: Granada Hills, Calif.
* Date of birth: June 28, 1966
* Married, Jenna (wedding date 11/7/06), son Jason Russell (3/8/07)
* Height/weight: 6'0", 185 lbs.
* Serves as instructor at Frank Hawley's NHRA Championship Drag Racing School; former Sergeant in U.S. Air Force (1984-88); cancer survivor; licensed in nine different NHRA categories
* First Start in TF: Las Vegas 1 2005
* First Start in FC: , Dallas, Texas, 2006
* Competed in only 12 TF events in 2005, ended season 15th in points
* Career-best FC elapsed time: 4.662 seconds (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best FC speed: 333.66 mph (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best TF elapsed time: 4.563 seconds (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* Career-best TF speed: 324.28 mph (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* In 2003 won Super Comp world championship in Lucas Oil Series and Division 7 Super Comp championship
* Has a round-winning record against 14-time NHRA champion John Force: 4-3
SCHEDULE: Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 2 and 5 p.m. on Friday, March 28. Qualifying continues at 11:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 and final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 30.
ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise qualifying highlights at 4:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, March 29. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, March 30. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise the race beginning at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, March 30.
ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at NHRA.com.
