BECKMAN ADDS ANOTHER NEW VENUE TO HIS HIT LIST
NORTH HILLS, Calif. (May 29, 2007) - Jack Beckman, driver of the Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing, will add Heartland Park Topeka to his hit list of venues at which he's never competed, as he gets set for this weekend's O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, the eighth round of the 23-event NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
"Never been there," said Beckman, who joined Don Schumacher Racing for the last five events of 2006 and is campaigning a full season in 2007, "so, again, I'll have the excitement of going to a facility that's new to me. And I just can't wait to get back out there."
The NHRA tour has been on a three-weekend unscheduled hiatus after the Bristol, Tenn., event was postponed, and Beckman, along with his fellow NHRA pro racers, is eager to get back on track.
They will now face a six-in-a-row stretch following back-to-back races in Topeka and Chicago and a weekend off. "This three-weekend 'vacation' was a chance to recharge our batteries," said Beckman. "And, I tell you, we're all going to need it. For the NHRA fans, I think what's going to happen this year with the summer swing now will probably be the most exciting season ever. There's never been anything like it before, from what I can tell. Racing six weekends in a row in the middle of summer is just going to be amazing.
"Kansas saw the first NHRA national event ever in 1955, so racing at Heartland Park is kind of a return NHRA's roots for me," added Beckman, who has notched one Funny Car victory in his short pro career, in Las Vegas last fall, in only his fourth-ever Funny Car race.
An abandoned airstrip located in the small, central Kansas town of Great Bend hosted the first NHRA national event in 1955, which attracted more than 200 competitors from across the nation.
"I'm driving such a good car that I think that we're just a win waiting to happen and this could be the weekend. There isn't any reason that the MTS Dodge can't win every weekend, which, of course, is unrealistic. But we have to start winning pretty soon, and this could be the weekend. I just want to start getting the momentum back."
MAIL TERMINAL SERVICES "MAIL FROM HOME" PROGRAM UPDATE:
Mail Terminal Services will be featuring Camp Mosul this weekend at the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals in its "Mail from Home" program. Postcards will be available to send to this war-zone camp at the Don Schumacher Racing hospitality area as well as at a kiosk in the U.S. Army "Racing Zone," the U.S. Army Interactive area located in Nitro Alley.
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* Twelfth in 2007 NHRA Funny Car point standings after seven events
* 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), 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 and has taught over 6,000 students since 1998; 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: Reading, Pa., 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
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, June 1 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, June 2 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
SUNDAY, June 3 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, June 2 ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 5:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 3 ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 3 ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations at 4 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, June 1, 10:30 — 11 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6 / Transponder 16K (12092.5 MHz, vertical)
Saturday, June 2, 8:30 — 9 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6 / Transponder 16K (12092.5 MHz, vertical)
Sunday, June 3, 7:30 — 8 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6 / Transponder 16K (12092.5 MHz, vertical)
