While most successful race-car drivers say they aim to repeat their past performances at certain tracks, assuming they are victories or at least high finishes, Jack Beckman says he’d rather not do that at this weekend’s NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill.
In only his third full season of Funny Car competition driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Funny Car, Beckman has the distinction of not having qualified at either of the two events he’s entered while driving for Don Schumacher Racing at this facility located over the bridge from St. Louis.
In his short career, Beckman has won seven national events in 14 final rounds, including his first season win at the last event in Atlanta, set national elapsed-time and top-speed records and has battled for a championship each season. But, he’s never been on the track on a Sunday at Gateway International Raceway.
“There’s nowhere to go but up,” said Beckman, who enters this weekend’s race second in the point standings. “It’s always nice getting back in the car after a win because even though it doesn’t make a difference mechanically, or to the race track, it’s a mental high psychologically for the crew. We all can’t wait to get back in there and try to continue our streak in St. Louis and break the so-called Gateway jinx.”
“It’s all good. It’s nothing but positive going in there. I talked to the guys in the DSR shop and everybody is still standing eight feel tall after getting that first win. That’s the first taste of blood for the year and you want it again and you want it quick.”
“If you’re going to make the analogy in sports, basketball is a pretty good one, because a team can go on a streak, build up a big lead and then it evaporates. So, if we’re going to stick with the basketball analogy, we’re just entering the second quarter.”
“It’s really too early to tell what’s going to happen and how the season is possibly going to be. It’s just gratifying from an emotional standpoint to have the first win checked off your list.”
“And now the goal is to win another race or two before the Countdown starts and we would like to remain in the top five. It would be awesome to go into the Countdown as the leading car, but I think that anywhere in the top five or six puts us well within striking distance.”
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 2 in 2009 Funny Car standings, after one victory, one first-round, three quarterfinal and one runner-up finish in six events
* His 2009 round win-loss record is 10-5
* No. 3 in 2008 Funny Car point standings, with three victories - Phoenix, Reading, Concord - in seven final rounds
* DNQ’d in St. Louis in 2008 and 2007
* 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 70 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won seven times in 14 final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 79-58
* 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 round wins: 7-4
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