Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Aug. 13, 2025) – This weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals marks the one-year anniversary of Jack Beckman’s return to NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Funny Car competition after nearly four years away from the sport and he can’t wait to get back to Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway.
The 37-time NHRA Funny Car national event winner assumed the driving duties of the John Force Racing Peak Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS Funny Car after team owner and 16-time champion John Force’s crash June 23, 2024, during the NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, Va.
The 2018 Brainerd winner qualified sixth for last year’s race, then defeated Bobby Bode in the first round of eliminations before falling to Blake Alexander in the second round. Over the final seven races of the season, Beckman earned two victories, Sept. 29 at World Wide Technology Raceway (defeating Ron Capps) and Nov. 11 in the season-finale at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip against John Force Racing teammate and 2024 Funny Car Champion Austin Prock.
In the other five race, he finished in the semifinals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (Sept. 2), runner-up to Prock at Maple Grove Raceway (Sept. 15), a semifinal showing against Prock at zMax Dragway (Sept. 22), a first-round loss to Chad Green at the Texas Motorplex (Oct. 13) and a semifinal showing against Paul Lee at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Nov. 4).
“Fast Jack” sits third in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Funny Car standings, four back from Matt Hagen in second place and 205 behind Prock. With two races remaining before the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, Beckman is 33 points ahead of Capps in fourth place and 80 ahead of Lee in fifth.
The 2012 Funny Car Champion has earned two national event wins in 2025, at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip (March 30) and Route 66 Raceway (May 19). The Daniel Hood/Chris Cunningham/Tim Fabrisi-led team has also earned No. 1 Qualifier spots at Gainesville Raceway (March 18), Route 66 Raceway (May 18), and Virginia Motorsports Park (June 21).
Jack Beckman Quotes
Last year at Brainerd was your first race in the Peak Chevrolet SS Funny Car for JFR … what are your memories of that weekend?
“Our goal is to win Brainerd but, for me, Brainerd represents 360 degrees. Last year was the first time I had raced in NHRA competition for 45 months. That was my official coming back to NHRA and the fans could not have treated me better. There was a little bit of concern that going in there, stepping into John Force’s car, how the fans would react, but it could not have been more positive. I can’t wait to get back.”
It had been three years since you drove competitively so what was it like from that standpoint? Were you able to get any seat time leading up to the race?
“So, what happened was when Robert (Hight) called, he said ‘hey, I’m not offering you the job. I’m asking if you want the job.’ I said yes I want the job. He said, ‘OK, now that I know that, let me go make sure that you can have the job.’ John was contracted to do the Norwalk Night under Fire so we were able to make that my licensing runs. So, before I came into Brainerd, I had two runs to the finish line to get my license current but had not run in the threes in 45 months.”
You won at Brainerd in 2018, have two other final-round appearances, 3 No. 1 qualifiers and a 22-13 Round record there … what is it about Brainerd that seems to suit you?
“I love statistics but a lot of them are superfluous, right: a left-handed pitcher with a runner on third base after 6 p.m. … sometimes you can just get so hung up in the minutiae. A lot of times we’ll race at Brainerd under overcast or cooler conditions, which gives us a better traction race track, which means you can throw a lot more power at it. But I don’t really have a preferable weather condition: hot and nasty cool, and fast, It doesn’t really matter to me.”
This season you have three two wins, a runner-up, three No. 1 qualifiers, and who knows what may have happened if the semis in Sonoma would have turned out differently. Have you found your comfort zone now that you’re a full season into your time with JFR?
“The day I rolled into Norwalk to re-up my license, there was an instant comfort zone with the crew. I’ve always been a friendly driver. I’ll always go over and wish the opposing crew good luck before a race so a lot of them I had known from running against them. One of my current crew chiefs, Chris Cunningham, was my crew chief for several years at Don Schumacher, so there was an instant comfort zone, but I think both statements can be true finding your comfort zone.
“But, at the same time, you never truly find your comfort zone a nitro funny car because, like at Sonoma, they can throw you curves. I have never, in over 2000 runs in a nitro funny car, had a car go out there spin the tires and drop three cylinders on the same side instantly. I’ve never experienced that and so that just goes to show you when you’re strapped in with a 12,000-horsepower engine in front of you, there’s not a complete comfort zone. That being said, I do my best to do my best and I understand that happens when you are as confident as you can be in the race car. I mean, cocky and confidence comes from as high a degree of comfort as you can have and that comes from practicing your butt off.”
Jack Beckman at Brainerd:
| Year | Qualify | Eliminations |
| 2007 | 5th | Rd. 1 – defeated Ronn Capps; Rd. 2 – lost to Kenny Bernstein |
| 2008 | 8th | Rd. 1 – defeated Gary Densham; Rd. 2 defeated Ron Capps; Semis – defeated Tim Wilkerson; Final – lost to Tony Pedregon |
| 2009 | 16th | Rd. 1 – defeated Mike Neff; Rd. 2 – defeated Del Worsham; Semis – lost to Tony Pedregon |
| 2010 | 6th | Rd. 1 – defeated Del Worsham; Rd. 2 – defeated Robert Hight; Semis – defeated Jim Head; Final – lost to Bob Bode |
| 2011 | 9th | Rd. 1 – lost to Melanie Troxel |
| 2012 | 1st | Rd. 1 – defeated Dale Creasy, Jr.; Rd. 2 – lost to Matt Hagen |
| 2013 | 1st | Rd. 1 – defeated Bill Bode; Rd. 2 – lost to Ron Capps |
| 2014 | 10th | Rd. 1 – defeated Cruz Pedregon; Rd. 2 – lost to Ron Capps |
| 2015 | 1st | Rd. 1 – defeated Bill Bode; Rd. 2 – defeated Matt Hagen; Semis – lost to Tommy Johnson, Jr. |
| 2016 | 4th | Rd. 1 – defeated Cruz Pedregon; Rd. 2 – lost to Ron Capps |
| 2017 | 6th | Rd. 1 – defeated Brian Stewart; Rd. 2 – lost to John Force |
| 2018 | 14th | Rd. 1 – defeated Matt Hagen; Rd. 2 – defeated Shawn Langdon; Semis – defeated Courtney Force; Final – defeated Tommy Johnson, Jr. |
| 2019 | 2nd | Rd. 1 – defeated Terry Haddock; Rd. 2 – lost to Ron Capps |
| 2024* | 6th | Rd. 1 – defeated Bobby Bode; Rd. 2 – lost to Blake Alexander |
*First year with John Force Racing
Quickest Time: 3.859 seconds (2016)
Fastest Speed: 333.25 mph (2017)
Starts: 14
No. 1 Qualifier: 3
Final Rounds: 3
Victories: 1
Won-Lost Record: 22-13
Track & TV Schedules
Nitro qualifying sessions are scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15, at 4:30 p.m. CT and 6:45 p.m. CT, with Funny Car sessions Saturday, Aug. 16, at 12:35 p.m. CT and 3:05 p.m. CT. Eliminations begin Sunday, Aug. 17, at 10:30 a.m. CT.
Friday’s qualifying show will air Friday, Aug. 15, from 10-11:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Saturday’s qualifying show will air Saturday, Aug. 16, from 7-8:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Sunday’s eliminations rounds will air Sunday, Aug. 17, from 3-6 p.m. ET on FOX.
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