No. 4 qualifier Beckman pumped after 330-mph run in Vegas qualifying

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 22 of 23
ACDELCO LAS VEGAS NHRA NATIONALS
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race Date: Oct. 27-29, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; 203-243-2438 cell;
jstropus@earthlink.net

NO. 4 QUALIFIER BECKMAN PUMPED AFTER CAREER-BEST SPEED IN VEGAS
QUALIFYING

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 28, 2006) - You don't get the nickname "Fast Jack" by
being slow, and Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger driver Jack
Beckman just upped his ante by running a career-best Funny Car speed of
330.39 mph in qualifying for the ACDelco NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las
Vegas Motor Speedway.

Beckman qualified No. 4, posting a 4.720-second lap at 330.39 mph in the
final qualifying session today, marking also the second quickest pass of
that session.

Two of his three prior attempts were also strong and included a 4.824/322.81
and a 4.770/328.46. His only hiccup was a tire-shaking 6.656/123.24 lap in
the third round.

"Those are milestone times," said Beckman, competing in only his fourth
Funny Car national event. "Going 325 is cool, but most people remember stuff
in increments of 10, and 330 is a magic number because of the rev
limiters on the cars. And the way they keep changing the rules to slow
these cars down, you're probably not going to see much more of that.

"Running a 330 puts you with an elite group of drivers (Beckman becomes
only the 11th Funny Car driver to reach that mark), and it is amazing to
do that in just my fourth race in a Funny Car. We went 269 to half-track,
and it wasn't too long ago that Don Garlits broke 270 in Gainesville (Fla.)
in 1986, and that was just unheard of for the quarter-mile. We're doing that
in a Funny Car to half-track now," he said.

"When these cars get hooked up, they really accelerate and they don't
try to move themselves as much as when you drop a cylinder and put a
hole (cylinder) out," offered Beckman, the 2003 NHRA Super Comp champion.

"We're No. 4. If we do what we are supposed to do, we'll race the No. 1
qualifier in the semifinals. There isn't any reason we shouldn't do
what we are supposed to do, but, that being said, I'm not overlooking
(Gary) Densham in the first round. The weather could equalize a lot of stuff
tomorrow.

"I've never felt so optimistic going into race day in my Nitro career. We
have a car that can go out and win on Sunday, and that's the goal,
obviously. You always say that, but now I know we have horsepower behind
that statement.

"It would be awesome to do well here for all the Matco Tools distributors
who support us."

Beckman matches up against No. 13 qualifier Gary Densham in the opening
round of eliminations.

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