NORCO, Calif. (April 14, 2010) - Jack Beckman has already racked up one Funny Car victory in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and stands fifth in the point standings. So, it's a perfect time for the articulate, thoughtful driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing to wax philosophical about this weekend’s NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the rest of the season.
"Here's where I want to live up to what we've talked about," said Beckman, Las Vegas 2 winner in 2006, and LV2 runner-up last year. "We go to the semifinals and get a win in the first two races. We performed well in the four-wide race in Concord, N.C. - but I almost think of that as more of a distraction on the tour, because that race will never happen again this year - and then we go to Houston and we cannot find a handle on our race car.
"I'm not so sure they weren't doing different things with the Houston track preparation," added Beckman, who lost in the first round there after losing traction. "In all of Sunday's eliminations in the nitro category there are 60 passes between the Dragsters and the Funny Cars. I cannot remember a race in all my years of going to races where I've seen so many of those 60 runs be tire-smoking passes.
"With that being said, our teammate Matt Hagan - and I am so happy for the entire DieHard team - outperformed everybody and they got the win. So, even when conditions may not be ideal, somebody is going to win that day.
"We typically do have ideal conditions in Vegas. And here's where you can get out that home-run bat again and take a swing with it. And typically the track is consistently good all four runs on race day. The wrench that can be thrown into the works is that the weather in Vegas can change so radically over the course of a week or even a day. We're not even sure if we're going to have a cold or a hot race track.
"We have to, have to, get back on that horse right now. So, we are going to be collaborating with the NAPA team and add a couple of tweaks to our setup in Vegas. In qualifying, between our two teams, we're going to get eight runs of data on new parts. We know we need to step into that direction as we get into the warm-weather race tracks.
"We're going to try to accomplish two things in Vegas: get a better handle on what could be a warm race track with some new parts and get back deep into Sunday's eliminations program. It's OK to stumble a couple of times; it's going to happen to every nitro team out there. And with the Countdown format it's not nearly as critical as it was years ago in the early part of the season.
"But, when you realize why we do our jobs - that thrill of competition, setting the standard high, getting the trophy, representing our sponsors real well - all that dictates is that on Sunday we need to be around late in the day, and that's out goal again."
Mail Terminal Services will continue to send boxes of post cards of support and encouragement, along with hand-out cards of DSR drivers, National Dragster and Drag Racing Action magazines to soldiers overseas. This year the program expands the opportunity to participate beyond just the NHRA fans and are including schools and service organizations. If a school or organization would like to write post cards of encouragement to the U.S. troops, the request should be sent to mts.mfh@gmail.com. MTS will be pleased to send post cards for the project and signed handout cards from Funny Car driver Jack Beckman and a Certificate of Service for the school or organization.
To find out more about Mail Terminal Services go to www.mailterminals.com <http://www.mailterminals.com/> .
JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 5 in 2010 Funny Car points after five events: including a semifinal finish in season-opening Pomona, Calif., event, and a victory in Phoenix
* Las Vegas 2 winner in 2006, LV2 runner-up in 2009
* Qualified No. 13 at 2009 Las Vegas 1; lost second round to teammate Matt Hagan
* Ended 2009 No. 5 in point standings, winning two events in five final rounds (Atlanta, Norwalk, Ohio)
* Entered 2009 Countdown to 1 in fifth place
* His 2009 round win-loss record is 29-22
* No. 3 in 2008 Funny Car point standings, with three victories - Phoenix, Reading, Concord - in seven final rounds
* 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 93 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won nine times in 18 final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 105-79
* 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 (on quarter-mile) 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: Norco, 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.
* Former instructor and current consultant 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 elapsed time racing to 1000 feet is 4.040 seconds (Concord 1 '09)
* Career-best speed racing to 1000 feet is 313.66 mph (Concord 1 '10)
* Career-best FC (quarter-mile) elapsed time: 4.662 seconds (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best FC (quarter-mile) speed: 333.66 mph (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best TF (quarter-mile) elapsed time: 4.563 seconds (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* Career-best (quarter-mile) 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: 11-6 (2-1 in final rounds) - DOES NOT INCLUDE CONCORD FOUR-WIDE EVENT
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, April 16 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, April 17 – FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, April 18 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, April 17, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 18, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 18, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 7 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE: Friday, April 16, 9:30 - 10 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical) (Analog feed)
Saturday, April 17, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical)
Sunday, April 18, 10:30 - 11 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.
