As the Countdown to 1 playoffs point standings tighten up with four national events remaining in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, serious contender for the Funny Car championship Jack Beckman knows he and the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T team cannot afford a slip-up. This weekend’s 21st annual NHRA Mid-South Nationals in Memphis will demand stellar performances from every driver in the top 10.
Beckman is third in the standings, 29 markers behind first-place Tim Wilkerson, but with the way the points have see-sawed, even in one weekend, it is still anybody’s race. Beckman has won the most rounds (21) of any Countdown driver in the last eight events, has reached the final round at five of those races, winning twice, and is driving one of the hottest cars in the class.
“It’s crazy,” said Beckman, who lives in North Hills, Calif. “I can’t believe there’s only four races left in the season. You know, you’re plugging away all year long and it seems like there’s lots of time left, then some time goes by and you still think there’s lots of time left. And, suddenly, there’s not much time left.
“With the six-race Countdown format, I said it before, you can swallow one bad effort. And case in point was John Force’s DNQ in Charlotte and now he’s back in eighth. With four races left, however, you can’t. It’s mistake-free racing from this point on. And it’s going to be so exciting because you can go out there and go to the semifinals at every race and not even stay in the top three.
“I think there are six cars with a very legitimate shot at winning right now,” added Beckman, in only his second full season in Funny Car competition. “Anything can happen with the other four. But those six look to me like they’re kind of pulling away slightly. And I think it’s going to take a couple final-round efforts and no first-round losses to stay in contention for the championship.
“Qualifying is going to be big for us. We did a great job in Dallas and we ended up fifth. There were only two Countdown cars who out-qualified us, and we have to keep doing it. We have to be a top-half car and keep pace or gain those one or two qualifying points on the other Countdown cars. It’s going to be huge. There’s no unimportant runs right now. If you can haul butt on Friday night and qualify high, you will kind of have the luxury Saturday of working on the race-day tune-up. Friday night’s qualifying session is going to be so huge, because now it’s more than qualifying position, it’s points for the championship.”
Last year in Memphis, Beckman qualified fifth and made it to the final round, where he was defeated by his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Gary Scelzi.
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 3 in 2008 Funny Car points after 20 events (three victories-Phoenix, Reading, Concord-in six final rounds), and after two of six events in the Countdown to 1 playoffs
* Clinched a berth in the Countdown to 1 playoffs in Reading, Pa.
* His 2008 round win-loss record is 27-14
* Qualified No. 5 in Memphis in 2007, lost final round to Gary Scelzi
* 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 60 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won six times in 11 final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 63-49
* 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
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