DEFENDING DENVER CHAMP BECKMAN READY FOR CHANGES
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NORTH HILLS, Calif. (July 7, 2008) - Defending Mopar-Mile High NHRA Nationals Funny Car champion Jack Beckman is ready for this weekend's 2008 edition at beautiful Bandimere Speedway outside of Denver as the nitro teams prepare to compete for the first time to the 1000-ft. mark instead of the standard 1320-ft. finish line of a quarter-mile dragstrip.
Beckman, who drives the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T for Don Schumacher Racing, defeated his teammate Ron Capps in last year's event, then won the next race in Seattle to collect his two victories of the 2007 season.
"All I want to do is as well as we did last year," said Beckman, who is 13th in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings this season aiming to be in the top 10 for the Countdown to the Championship, which begins after the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend. "It's interesting, because a lot of people said to me, 'Ah, man you do great in Denver and on the Western Swing.' Well the reality is we have a different car, different crew this time. The only thing that hasn't changed on the team is the driver, and I don't know if that counts for anything.
"I would definitely say there's a comfort level going back as defending champion and I don't feel any extra pressure. I might get my name mentioned a couple of extra times on the p.a., and I think that's great."
As for the new interim step by the NHRA to shorten the race tracks, "My initial reaction was I was shocked," said Beckman. "It's an enormous change, but I think before anybody starts over-reacting they need to look at what NHRA's purpose is. NHRA has been defined by the quarter-mile since 1951, so this is probably one of the last alterations NHRA wanted to make. So you know that they've done a lot of soul searching and consideration and realize it's a good thing.
"The more I've thought about it, I realize it's probably the most prudent decision that they can make with the status of what we know today, with Scott Kalitta’s (fatal) accident (in Englishtown, N.J.) and some other issues. It's still going to be good racing, it'll probably cut down on some of the engine explosions, and you'll still see 300-mph race cars at just about every single race track.
"I imagine it's going to cut 15 mph off of the cars, but combine that with the fact that you have an extra 320 feet of shutdown area, it's really like having another 500-700 feet to slow these race cars down.”
So what can the fans expect in Denver? "They'll see the first Funny Car run in the 4.20s, that's for sure,” said Beckman, “and the first 3-second Top Fuel car is not too far away, either. It's going to be interesting. You have to remember that most of NHRA's fans are very hardcore people and they judge things on the score card that they're used to and that is quarter-mile ET and speed, so it's going to be an enormous adjustment for them and I'm sure you're going to hear some grumbling from the fans. It would be like we switched to the metric system overnight. But I think once you go to a few races you'll realize what's a good pass speed- and ET-wise and then it will be more of an apples-to-apples comparison.
"My hat is off to NHRA for making this big of a change and potentially affecting their image short term. The Pro Stock cars and everybody else are still going to be running to the quarter-mile; the nitro cars won't. Honestly, it's not going to make any difference appeal-wise to the fans. They'll still see 300 mph, they'll still see side-by-side racing, they're going to sound the same, they're going to smell the same. What you're losing is the last seven tenths of a second of the run. Don't blink, I tell you. And we thought these races were close before."
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 13 in 2008 Funny Car points after 12 events (one victory-Phoenix)
* No. 2 qualifier in Denver in 2007, won event over 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 52 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 42-43
* 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 2), 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
* Is tied in round wins against 14-time NHRA champion John Force: 4-4
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/j_beckman_222014.jpg" alt="j_beckman_222014" align="left"borders="0"/>
NORTH HILLS, Calif. (July 7, 2008) - Defending Mopar-Mile High NHRA Nationals Funny Car champion Jack Beckman is ready for this weekend's 2008 edition at beautiful Bandimere Speedway outside of Denver as the nitro teams prepare to compete for the first time to the 1000-ft. mark instead of the standard 1320-ft. finish line of a quarter-mile dragstrip.
Beckman, who drives the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T for Don Schumacher Racing, defeated his teammate Ron Capps in last year's event, then won the next race in Seattle to collect his two victories of the 2007 season.
"All I want to do is as well as we did last year," said Beckman, who is 13th in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings this season aiming to be in the top 10 for the Countdown to the Championship, which begins after the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend. "It's interesting, because a lot of people said to me, 'Ah, man you do great in Denver and on the Western Swing.' Well the reality is we have a different car, different crew this time. The only thing that hasn't changed on the team is the driver, and I don't know if that counts for anything.
"I would definitely say there's a comfort level going back as defending champion and I don't feel any extra pressure. I might get my name mentioned a couple of extra times on the p.a., and I think that's great."
As for the new interim step by the NHRA to shorten the race tracks, "My initial reaction was I was shocked," said Beckman. "It's an enormous change, but I think before anybody starts over-reacting they need to look at what NHRA's purpose is. NHRA has been defined by the quarter-mile since 1951, so this is probably one of the last alterations NHRA wanted to make. So you know that they've done a lot of soul searching and consideration and realize it's a good thing.
"The more I've thought about it, I realize it's probably the most prudent decision that they can make with the status of what we know today, with Scott Kalitta’s (fatal) accident (in Englishtown, N.J.) and some other issues. It's still going to be good racing, it'll probably cut down on some of the engine explosions, and you'll still see 300-mph race cars at just about every single race track.
"I imagine it's going to cut 15 mph off of the cars, but combine that with the fact that you have an extra 320 feet of shutdown area, it's really like having another 500-700 feet to slow these race cars down.”
So what can the fans expect in Denver? "They'll see the first Funny Car run in the 4.20s, that's for sure,” said Beckman, “and the first 3-second Top Fuel car is not too far away, either. It's going to be interesting. You have to remember that most of NHRA's fans are very hardcore people and they judge things on the score card that they're used to and that is quarter-mile ET and speed, so it's going to be an enormous adjustment for them and I'm sure you're going to hear some grumbling from the fans. It would be like we switched to the metric system overnight. But I think once you go to a few races you'll realize what's a good pass speed- and ET-wise and then it will be more of an apples-to-apples comparison.
"My hat is off to NHRA for making this big of a change and potentially affecting their image short term. The Pro Stock cars and everybody else are still going to be running to the quarter-mile; the nitro cars won't. Honestly, it's not going to make any difference appeal-wise to the fans. They'll still see 300 mph, they'll still see side-by-side racing, they're going to sound the same, they're going to smell the same. What you're losing is the last seven tenths of a second of the run. Don't blink, I tell you. And we thought these races were close before."
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 13 in 2008 Funny Car points after 12 events (one victory-Phoenix)
* No. 2 qualifier in Denver in 2007, won event over 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 52 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 42-43
* 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 2), 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
* Is tied in round wins against 14-time NHRA champion John Force: 4-4
