[coverattach=1]NORTH HILLS, Calif. (March 10, 2009) - With two quarterfinal finishes scored in the first two events of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Jack Beckman is confident that the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Funny Car team is just one break away from winning its first race of the season, as the team heads to the 40th annual NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway this weekend.
"We're OK," said Beckman, whose six career victories do not include the Gatornationals in two full seasons of pro Funny Car competition. "If you get down at the end of the season and you look back at a review of all the winners in all 24 races, more often than not someone is going to tell you they had a break to get that win, whether it was something they found in qualifying or something in eliminations. And I think we're just one break away from winning our first race.
"We're not at the point quickness-wise where we ultimately want to be. We're pretty darned close consistency-wise to where we were last year, and that really was our strength." Beckman claimed three victories in seven final rounds in 2008 to earn No. 3 in the season point standings.
"But, I think that it is very plausible for us to walk out of Gainesville with the Wally (winner's trophy) and it might take one lucky break. I do think we're performing well enough right now that within the next three races we're going to see our first win of the season.
"Gainesville's got a lot of tradition," he added. "I think if you averaged out per-day attendance, Gainesville might be the best-attended race on the tour. It's almost always a sell-out there, it's the first taste of pro drag racing that fans get in the Southeast for the year, and they treat us really well there. I mean, there are so many hard-core fans there that it's impossible not to love going to that race."
Mail Terminal Services will continue its popular "Mail From Home" campaign in 2009, supporting the U.S. troops serving in the war zones. In the past two NHRA seasons the campaign has sent over 195,000 post cards overseas signed by fans and supporters at each NHRA national event with messages of support for the troops, along with numerous NHRA National Dragster issues and other automotive magazines. Photos of cars and drivers were also included.
In 2009 the "Mail From Home" program has been challenged to exceed the previous records of cards distributed to hit a 120,000-card record.
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 7 in 2009 Funny Car standings, after two quarterfinal finishes in two events
* His 2009 round win-loss record is 2-2
* No. 3 in 2008 Funny Car point standings, with three victories-Phoenix,
Reading, Concord-in seven final rounds
* His 2008 round win-loss record is 33-18
* Qualified No. 6 in Gainesville in '08. Lost second round to Tim Wilkerson
* 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 66 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won six times in 12 final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 71-55
* 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 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
* Leads 14-time champion John Force in head-to-head in round wins: 6-4
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, March 13 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, March 14 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, March 15 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Sunday, March 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of
qualifying highlights at 2 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, March 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will re-air 90 minutes of
qualifying highlights at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, March 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a
30-minute news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET)
Sunday, March 15, ESPN and ESPN HD will televise three hours of coverage
starting at 3 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE (Analog feed):
Friday, March 13, 9 - 9:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 8K (11860
MHz, horizontal)
Saturday, March 14, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 7K (11840
MHz, vertical)
Sunday, March 15, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 7K (11840
MHz, vertical)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners'
interviews on Sunday.
"We're OK," said Beckman, whose six career victories do not include the Gatornationals in two full seasons of pro Funny Car competition. "If you get down at the end of the season and you look back at a review of all the winners in all 24 races, more often than not someone is going to tell you they had a break to get that win, whether it was something they found in qualifying or something in eliminations. And I think we're just one break away from winning our first race.
"We're not at the point quickness-wise where we ultimately want to be. We're pretty darned close consistency-wise to where we were last year, and that really was our strength." Beckman claimed three victories in seven final rounds in 2008 to earn No. 3 in the season point standings.
"But, I think that it is very plausible for us to walk out of Gainesville with the Wally (winner's trophy) and it might take one lucky break. I do think we're performing well enough right now that within the next three races we're going to see our first win of the season.
"Gainesville's got a lot of tradition," he added. "I think if you averaged out per-day attendance, Gainesville might be the best-attended race on the tour. It's almost always a sell-out there, it's the first taste of pro drag racing that fans get in the Southeast for the year, and they treat us really well there. I mean, there are so many hard-core fans there that it's impossible not to love going to that race."
Mail Terminal Services will continue its popular "Mail From Home" campaign in 2009, supporting the U.S. troops serving in the war zones. In the past two NHRA seasons the campaign has sent over 195,000 post cards overseas signed by fans and supporters at each NHRA national event with messages of support for the troops, along with numerous NHRA National Dragster issues and other automotive magazines. Photos of cars and drivers were also included.
In 2009 the "Mail From Home" program has been challenged to exceed the previous records of cards distributed to hit a 120,000-card record.
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 7 in 2009 Funny Car standings, after two quarterfinal finishes in two events
* His 2009 round win-loss record is 2-2
* No. 3 in 2008 Funny Car point standings, with three victories-Phoenix,
Reading, Concord-in seven final rounds
* His 2008 round win-loss record is 33-18
* Qualified No. 6 in Gainesville in '08. Lost second round to Tim Wilkerson
* 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 66 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won six times in 12 final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 71-55
* 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 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
* Leads 14-time champion John Force in head-to-head in round wins: 6-4
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, March 13 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, March 14 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, March 15 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Sunday, March 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of
qualifying highlights at 2 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, March 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will re-air 90 minutes of
qualifying highlights at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, March 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a
30-minute news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET)
Sunday, March 15, ESPN and ESPN HD will televise three hours of coverage
starting at 3 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE (Analog feed):
Friday, March 13, 9 - 9:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 8K (11860
MHz, horizontal)
Saturday, March 14, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 7K (11840
MHz, vertical)
Sunday, March 15, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 7K (11840
MHz, vertical)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners'
interviews on Sunday.
