This weekend’s 27th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway is an important stop for Jack Beckman, the driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car.
In only his second full season of pro Funny Car competition, Beckman is hanging by a thread to the No. 10 position in the point standings and only the top 10 will compete in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs which begin following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
With three events remaining before the playoffs kick in, he’s 53 markers short of ninth place (Mike Neff), 42 ahead of Bob Tasca III in 11th, and 44 in front of Del Worsham in 12th. It’s going to be an exciting and pivotal weekend for this stack of drivers scratching to hang onto or get into the top 10. Not to mention the other drivers surrounding this quartet in the rankings.
“I thought going into the last six races that we were going to win 10 or 11 rounds to have a shot at staying in the top 10,” said Beckman, who has won one national event this season. “We’ve won five rounds so far in the last three races. I still am kind of sticking to that concept. I think we’re going to need a minimum of 10 round wins.
“I think if we can win Brainerd we’ll put ourselves in pretty good shape to stay in the top 10.
“Maybe even more important, we won the second race of the year and then we went into a slump for seven or eight races. It seems like we’re coming out of that slump, but the reality is you’re never out of a slump until you win a race.
“If we can stay in the Countdown I think it would send a message to all the guys who have been busting their butts on the Valvoline/MTS Dodge team that we really can contend for this championship, we’re legitimate, we’re here and there isn’t any reason that we can’t be mixing it up to be No. 1 going into Pomona, Calif. (season finale Nov. 16).
“But, I really think that we’re going to need to win one of these next three. And I’d just as soon do it in Brainerd, and get it over with, and then we can work on the other two.”
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 10 in 2008 Funny Car points after 15 events (one victory-Phoenix, two final rounds)
* No. 5 qualifier in Brainerd in 2007, lost second round to Kenny Bernstein
* His 2008 round win-loss record is 11-11
* 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 55 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won four times in seven final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 47-46
* 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: 5-4
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