[coverattach=1]BECKMAN TO RACE FREIGHTLINER TRUCKS DODGE FUNNY CAR IN BRAINERD
NORCO, Calif. (Aug. 9, 2010) - Freightliner Trucks will be featured on the Dodge Charger Funny Car that Jack Beckman will race at the 29th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway this weekend, the final event of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series "regular" season. The Countdown to 1 playoffs kick off for the top 10 in points in the final six races of the year, beginning with the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
Freightliner Trucks, a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, has been a Don Schumacher Racing associate sponsor for six years and DSR has used Freightliner tractors since 2004. The team currently counts eight Freightliner tractors among its fleet.
“Freightliner is excited to have Fast Jack Beckman representing us in the upcoming race in Brainerd,” said David Hames, General Manager, Marketing & Strategy, Daimler Trucks North America. “Don Schumacher Racing has been a longtime valued partner of Freightliner and showcases our trucks and equipment to a nationwide group of loyal NHRA fans.”
Said team owner Don Schumacher: "Freightliner has been supplying us with outstanding equipment for six years now. Featuring Freightliner Trucks on the Funny Car that Jack Beckman will drive in Brainerd is our way of showing our appreciation to them for being such a solid and longtime supporter of our teams."
"It's an honor to be representing Freightliner Trucks in Brainerd," said Beckman, who primarily races the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger in the series. "They've been a large supporter of motorsports for many years and they know all about teamwork and trying to achieve success."
Fourth in the point standings, the California native has already clinched a spot in the Countdown, but hopes to close out the "regular" season with his second win of the year.
"It looks to me like John Force and Robert Hight have locked up the first two spots and it's between them battling for first," said Beckman, who was runner-up in Brainerd in 2008. "And it looks like the Schumacher cars (Matt Hagan, Beckman and Ron Capps) are battling for third, fourth and fifth.
"No matter what, we've had a good initial part of the season. We’re going to be a top-five car going into the Countdown, we're solid, we've been in multiple finals (three in 2010), we've got a race win. Everybody wants that championship and I think throughout the first part of the year the top six or seven cars have kind of stood out.
"I have no reason to think that we can't close the regular season with a win. If we can accomplish that, we can go into Indy - with the points reset - in third place, and well within striking distance of the championship.
"I'm very confident that (crew chief) Rahn Tobler and (assistant crew chief) John Collins have enough data to make us quick right out of the box in Brainerd."
Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 4-8 trucks and is a Daimler company, the world's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. Freightliner Trucks received the highest overall ranking for vocational products in the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates Heavy Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study(SM). For more information, go to Freightliner Trucks, New Freightliner, New Freightliner Trucks <http://www.freightlinertrucks.com/> .
Mail Terminal Services will continue to send boxes of post cards of support and encouragement, along with hand-out cards of DSR drivers, National Dragster and Drag Racing Action magazines to soldiers overseas. This year the program expands the opportunity to participate beyond just the NHRA fans and are including schools and service organizations. If a school or organization would like to write post cards of encouragement to the U.S. troops, the request should be sent to [email protected]. MTS will be pleased to send post cards for the project and signed handout cards from Funny Car driver Jack Beckman and a Certificate of Service for the school or organization.
To find out more about Mail Terminal Services go to MTS - Mail Terminals Services <http://www.mailterminals.com> <http://www.mailterminals.com/> <http://www.mailterminals.com/> .
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 4 in 2010 Funny Car points after 16 events: including five semifinal finishes, a victory in Phoenix and two runner-ups (St. Louis and Sonoma)
* Was 2008 runner-up in Brainerd
* Qualified No. 16 in 2009 Brainerd, lost semis to Tony Pedregon
* Has 25-15 round-win record for 2010
* Ended 2009 No. 5 in point standings, winning two events in five final rounds (Atlanta; Norwalk, Ohio)
* Entered 2009 Countdown to 1 in fifth place
* His 2009 round win-loss record is 29-22
* No. 3 in 2008 Funny Car point standings, with three victories - Phoenix, Reading, Concord - in seven final rounds
* 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. Ended the season No. 5 in points
* In his 104 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won nine times in 20 final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 123-90
* Is the 2007 U.S. Smokeless Showdown winner ($100,000 bonus event held at U.S. Nationals)
* Set national elapsed-time record of 4.662 seconds and national speed record of 333.66 mph (on quarter-mile) 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 2), and set both ends of the national record (Pomona 2)
* Residence: Norco, 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.
* Former instructor and current consultant 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 elapsed time racing to 1000 feet is 4.040 seconds (Concord 1 '09)
* Career-best speed racing to 1000 feet is 314.61 mph (Chicago '10)
* Career-best FC (quarter-mile) elapsed time: 4.662 seconds (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best FC (quarter-mile) speed: 333.66 mph (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best TF (quarter-mile) elapsed time: 4.563 seconds (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* Career-best (quarter-mile) 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
* Leads 14-time champion John Force in head-to-head round wins: 12-6 (2-1 in final rounds) - DOES NOT INCLUDE CONCORD FOUR-WIDE EVENT
***
NORCO, Calif. (Aug. 9, 2010) - Freightliner Trucks will be featured on the Dodge Charger Funny Car that Jack Beckman will race at the 29th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway this weekend, the final event of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series "regular" season. The Countdown to 1 playoffs kick off for the top 10 in points in the final six races of the year, beginning with the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
Freightliner Trucks, a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, has been a Don Schumacher Racing associate sponsor for six years and DSR has used Freightliner tractors since 2004. The team currently counts eight Freightliner tractors among its fleet.
“Freightliner is excited to have Fast Jack Beckman representing us in the upcoming race in Brainerd,” said David Hames, General Manager, Marketing & Strategy, Daimler Trucks North America. “Don Schumacher Racing has been a longtime valued partner of Freightliner and showcases our trucks and equipment to a nationwide group of loyal NHRA fans.”
Said team owner Don Schumacher: "Freightliner has been supplying us with outstanding equipment for six years now. Featuring Freightliner Trucks on the Funny Car that Jack Beckman will drive in Brainerd is our way of showing our appreciation to them for being such a solid and longtime supporter of our teams."
"It's an honor to be representing Freightliner Trucks in Brainerd," said Beckman, who primarily races the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger in the series. "They've been a large supporter of motorsports for many years and they know all about teamwork and trying to achieve success."
Fourth in the point standings, the California native has already clinched a spot in the Countdown, but hopes to close out the "regular" season with his second win of the year.
"It looks to me like John Force and Robert Hight have locked up the first two spots and it's between them battling for first," said Beckman, who was runner-up in Brainerd in 2008. "And it looks like the Schumacher cars (Matt Hagan, Beckman and Ron Capps) are battling for third, fourth and fifth.
"No matter what, we've had a good initial part of the season. We’re going to be a top-five car going into the Countdown, we're solid, we've been in multiple finals (three in 2010), we've got a race win. Everybody wants that championship and I think throughout the first part of the year the top six or seven cars have kind of stood out.
"I have no reason to think that we can't close the regular season with a win. If we can accomplish that, we can go into Indy - with the points reset - in third place, and well within striking distance of the championship.
"I'm very confident that (crew chief) Rahn Tobler and (assistant crew chief) John Collins have enough data to make us quick right out of the box in Brainerd."
Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 4-8 trucks and is a Daimler company, the world's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. Freightliner Trucks received the highest overall ranking for vocational products in the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates Heavy Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study(SM). For more information, go to Freightliner Trucks, New Freightliner, New Freightliner Trucks <http://www.freightlinertrucks.com/> .
Mail Terminal Services will continue to send boxes of post cards of support and encouragement, along with hand-out cards of DSR drivers, National Dragster and Drag Racing Action magazines to soldiers overseas. This year the program expands the opportunity to participate beyond just the NHRA fans and are including schools and service organizations. If a school or organization would like to write post cards of encouragement to the U.S. troops, the request should be sent to [email protected]. MTS will be pleased to send post cards for the project and signed handout cards from Funny Car driver Jack Beckman and a Certificate of Service for the school or organization.
To find out more about Mail Terminal Services go to MTS - Mail Terminals Services <http://www.mailterminals.com> <http://www.mailterminals.com/> <http://www.mailterminals.com/> .
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 4 in 2010 Funny Car points after 16 events: including five semifinal finishes, a victory in Phoenix and two runner-ups (St. Louis and Sonoma)
* Was 2008 runner-up in Brainerd
* Qualified No. 16 in 2009 Brainerd, lost semis to Tony Pedregon
* Has 25-15 round-win record for 2010
* Ended 2009 No. 5 in point standings, winning two events in five final rounds (Atlanta; Norwalk, Ohio)
* Entered 2009 Countdown to 1 in fifth place
* His 2009 round win-loss record is 29-22
* No. 3 in 2008 Funny Car point standings, with three victories - Phoenix, Reading, Concord - in seven final rounds
* 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. Ended the season No. 5 in points
* In his 104 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won nine times in 20 final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 123-90
* Is the 2007 U.S. Smokeless Showdown winner ($100,000 bonus event held at U.S. Nationals)
* Set national elapsed-time record of 4.662 seconds and national speed record of 333.66 mph (on quarter-mile) 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 2), and set both ends of the national record (Pomona 2)
* Residence: Norco, 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.
* Former instructor and current consultant 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 elapsed time racing to 1000 feet is 4.040 seconds (Concord 1 '09)
* Career-best speed racing to 1000 feet is 314.61 mph (Chicago '10)
* Career-best FC (quarter-mile) elapsed time: 4.662 seconds (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best FC (quarter-mile) speed: 333.66 mph (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best TF (quarter-mile) elapsed time: 4.563 seconds (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* Career-best (quarter-mile) 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
* Leads 14-time champion John Force in head-to-head round wins: 12-6 (2-1 in final rounds) - DOES NOT INCLUDE CONCORD FOUR-WIDE EVENT
***
