Beckman heads to "home away from home" Texas?
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES Round 5 of 23 23rd Annual NHRA Spring Nationals Houston Raceway Park Baytown, Texas April 9-11, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438; jstropus@earthlink.net BECKMAN HEADS TO ŒHOME AWAY FROM HOME¹ TEXAS? NORCO, Calif. (April 6, 2010) - This may be reaching, but California native "Fast" Jack Beckman says he's looking forward to returning to what he's begun to consider his home away from home - Texas - and the 23rd annual NHRA Spring Nationals this weekend at Houston Raceway Park. "By proxy, I guess I'm part Texan right now, because my dad (Bob) lives there in Arlington," says Beckman, who drives the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. "So, I definitely have a lot of Texans on my side. My dad's been in Texas on and off for the last 25 years working there, and now he lives there. And he's got a huge contingent of buddies, friends and car fanatics, who always come to both of the Texas races. It's kind of of become a home away from home. "It's interesting,² adds Beckman, who was Funny Car runner-up in Houston in 2009. ³We started off the year with three very interesting races, with one win, a rain delay, and some interesting things happening. Then we go to Concord for the four-wide 'novelty' race (according to Tim Wilkerson). The first two runs in Houston are going to seem a little bit odd with only two cars out there. You won't have this big drama of trying to get four cars up to the starting line. "I think this is where we get back to business as usual and racing in conditions that we're used to. We're eager to prove that the way the Valvoline/MTS Dodge ran in Concord is the way that we're postured for the rest of the season," added Beckman, who is third in the point standings, following his No. 3 qualifying effort and a "semifinal" finish in Concord. "We were never far off, but we picked away at this thing a little bit since Pomona (season-opener). I do believe that we are now one of the top cars in terms of quickness, and we definitely are in terms of speed." Beckman set his career-best elapsed time (4.040 seconds) and speed (313.66 mph) racing to 1000 feet in Concord. "We can't wait to get to Houston and unload and prove that that quickness was no fluke and that we're still able to maintain that consistency that's been our hallmark for getting to the final round." 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. 3 in 2010 Funny Car points after four events: including a semifinal finish in season-opening Pomona, Calif., event, and a victory in Phoenix - * Houston runner-up in 2009 * Qualified No. 5 at 2009 Houston event; lost final round to Ashley Force Hood * 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 92 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 105-78 * 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 9 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 2:45 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. SATURDAY, April 10 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. SUNDAY, April 11 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m. TELEVISION: Saturday, April 10, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 10:30 p.m. (ET). Sunday, April 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 2:30 p.m. (ET). Sunday, April 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 8 p.m. (ET). SATELLITE: Friday, April 9, 9 - 9:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical) (Analog feed) Saturday, April 10, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical) Sunday, April 11, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical) Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners¹ interviews on Sunday. ***