“Fast” Jack Beckman, who so far this season in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series has driven the Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to two victories in three final rounds and is third in the Countdown to Four championship playoffs, will be honored this Saturday in downtown Cumberland, Maryland.
En route to the Oct. 5-7 weekend’s final event of the Countdown to Four - the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals outside of Richmond, Va. - Beckman, with wife Jenna and son Jason Russell, will visit his father Bob’s hometown, where he is expected to receive a proclamation from Mayor Lee Fiedler. He will also be appointed an honorary citizen of Cumberland.
“‘Fast’ Jack Beckman Recognition Day” will be held at the City’s Town Center from 4-8 p.m. on Oct. 6 and will include a display of competition and specialty automotive vehicles.
“My uncle Ted (Beckman) must have been the hub in this whole thing,” said Beckman. “I think it was supposed to be a surprise initially, but because our travel plans had changed, he had to make sure that I would be available.
“It’s kind of humbling,” Beckman added, “but it’s exciting. My dad (Bob Beckman) grew up in Cumberland and he was a hot-rodder back in the day. He was in car clubs out there, and he actually had a used-car lot. He moved to California to get into the speed equipment industry. So, that’s kind of where the car-crazy part of me came from, my dad.
“It’s almost like coming back and getting some of my dad’s accolades. There’s a lot of people in the Cumberland area who build hot rods and there’s plenty of drag racers too. As a kid, when we’d go back and visit we’d go to all the hot rod shows out there.
“To switch positions and now be kind of the featured guest there, is pretty surprising. I am totally honored.”
Jack Beckman’s mother, Joanne, passed away in 1994.
Beckman joined Don Schumacher Racing for the last five events of 2006 and is in his first full season of Funny Car competition in 2007. In those final events of 2006, he set both speed and elapsed-time national records, qualified No. 1 once, and won once after reaching two final rounds. This season he’s in a strong position to qualify in the final four in the Countdown to Four playoffs system and vie for his first Funny Car championship in the final two events of the year.
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