BECKMAN WELCOMES RETURN TO THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS
NORTH HILLS, Calif. (April 8, 2008) - Jack Beckman, pilot of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing, welcomes the return to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for this weekend's fifth of 24 national events of the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Riding high in second place in the Funny Car point standings after one win, two quarterfinal finishes and a first-round loss, Beckman is ready to revel in the expected stellar track conditions at The Strip this weekend, the site of his first Funny Car win in 2006.
"I can't wait," said Beckman, who captured that victory in only his fourth national event in a Funny Car. "You know, it's funny. Initially, as a newer driver in a nitro Funny Car, which you can argue is one of the tougher cars to drive, I wanted every race track to be perfect and smooth, just like Las Vegas, because the cars are easier to drive on those surfaces.
"Then you get to some of the other tracks - and 'challenging' might be the right word to use when describing them," he said of many of the new tracks he raced on in his first full season on the NHRA pro circuit in 2007, winning three times. "So, now that I'm getting more experienced and feeling comfortable in the car, I'm kind of looking forward to some of the tracks that you might consider tricky because I think it gives you an opportunity to shine as a driver.
"That being said, we've spent several weekends at tricky race tracks this year, and I can't wait to get to Vegas. Except for when the dirt settles over the tunnel at half-track and the dip reappears, The Strip in my mind is probably the best in the country, the safest in the country with the long uphill shutdown area, and it really lets the crew chiefs shine. It has a wide predictable groove and you can usually get the race car down the track if you don't overpower it by trying to set the world on fire.
"I have had great success there, my first Funny Car win was there, and hopefully my next Funny Car win will be there."
Beckman, a cancer survivor, former Air Force sergeant and an instructor at Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School, has a Funny Car career record of four wins in six final rounds and still holds the top-speed national record of 333.66 mph set at the end of 2006.
At the 2007 spring event at The Strip, Beckman qualified 16th and lost to his teammate Ron Capps in the semifinal round.
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* Second in 2008 Funny Car points after four events (one victory). Trails Cruz Pedregon by 11 points
* Finished 2007 season fifth in point standings
* Qualified No. 16 at The Strip in the spring of 2007, lost semifinal round to Ron Capps
* 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 44 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won four times in six final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 42-38
* 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
* Is tied in round wins against 14-time NHRA champion John Force: 4-4
