BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 2, 2026) – Last week Jack Beckman helped unveil the John Force 1996 championship tribute paint scheme the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car will carry during the Sept. 4-7 Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals and this week at Indianapolis Raceway Park his goal is to maintain the paint scheme’s perfect race record.
Force won the 1996 NHRA Finals with the now iconic black-and-white flame job scheme to cap the greatest season in modern NHRA Funny Car competition, accumulating 13 event wins, 16 final-round appearances, 13 No. 1 Qualifier spots and 65 round wins in eliminations. Beckman wants to add another win with the paint scheme to maintain its perfect 2-0 record.
Beckman earned NHRA U.S. Nationals Funny Car titles in 2015 and 2020 and four of the Funny Car special races (2007, 2013, 2015, 2017) currently named the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Call Out.
The PEAK SQUAD is currently fifth in the Funny Car point standings heading into the regular season finale, 62 behind J.R. Todd in fourth and 84 to Matt Hagan in first. The Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals awards 30 points per eliminations round instead of the standard 20 point per round.
The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after 13 of 20 races are: 1. Matt Hagan, 938; 2. Jordan Vandergriff, 931; 3. Ron Capps, 926; 4. J.R. Todd, 916; 5. Jack Beckman, 864; 6. Austin Prock, 771; 7. Chad Green, 755; 8. Alexis DeJoria, 737; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 615; 10. Spencer Hyde, 610.
Quotes
What does it mean to you to be competing not only in the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, but during the NHRA’s 75th anniversary?
“When I was out from the end of 2020 through more than half of the 2024 season, it wasn’t lost on me that the NHRA 75th anniversary was coming up and I wasn’t going to be a part of it as a competitor. So, just to be a part of it is a huge deal for me. I still, even as an adult, have a lot of ‘pinch me’ moments. Standing in Monument Circle in Indy last week, rolling back the car cover with Brian Bohlander of PEAK to unveil the car that represents the most dominant season in modern Funny Car racing was one of them. We turned the time machine back 30 years to a car that was specifically painted to run one race to celebrate John Force’s sixth championship. Fast forward 30 years and PEAK has chosen this race to celebrate John’s history. The throwback scheme looks virtually identical to the 1996 car but this one says ‘John Force 16-time Champion’ down the side. To be standing next to John while the media is capturing this unveiling, that was a ‘pinch me’ moment. I’m going to roll out for Q1 while John’s standing behind the car watching me. I don’t think the term ‘pinch me’ even comes close to describing what that means to me.”
How special are your two Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals Funny Car titles (2015, 2020)?
“In 2015, I had one of the best weekends you can ever have in Funny Car. I won the Shootout and I won the U.S. Nationals. It just doesn’t get any better than that. In 2020, I got my second U.S. Nationals win driving the Infinite Hero car, like a was in 2015, a program that changed a lot of injured veterans’ lives. John Force Racing wasn’t there because they sat out the latter part of the truncated 2020 season due to COVID. It was still a damn tough field of Funny Cars. And then I didn’t have a ride in 2021 and thought that was it. So, if we can close the deal this year and put that car back in its second winner’s circle in just the second time that scheme’s ever been run would be a fairy tale weekend.”
How have you had such great success in the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals Funny Car special races, regardless of what they’re called?
“I’ve been super fortunate. I’ve won four of the shootout races in my career (2007, 2013, 2015, 2017). I’ve only been in six or seven of them but I’ve had really good success when I have. You could say we go in as the prohibitive favorite but really there are eight good cars competing. It’s going to be a little bit of strategy because two of the three rounds will be during qualifying. There are 23 Funny Cars showing up to qualify at Indy and we have got to get in the show. The perfect scenario is we’ll unload Friday night with probably the best track conditions we’ll have and put that PEAK tribute car on the pole. You can then cross off qualifying and focus on the Call Out. Our first goal is to win the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals and the first step for that is qualifying solid. Once we cross that off, our next goal is to win the Funny Car Call Out on Sunday.”
Weekend Appearances
On Sat., Sept. 5, Beckman will sign autographs from 10-10:30 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display and, at 11 a.m., will participate in the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Call Out event at the Top Eliminator Club. On Sun., Sept. 6, he will sign autographs from 9:30-10 a.m. at the Mission Foods midway display.
Track Schedule
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 4, two rounds at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 12 and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 7.
The first round of the Funny Car All-Star Callout takes place at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the semifinals at 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:40 p.m. A special broadcast of the Callout takes place on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.
TV Schedule
Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 3 and 10:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations at 12 p.m. on FS1 on Monday, shifting to FOX at 2 p.m.
Race Results
| Indianapolis | Race Result | Round by Round Results | Qualified | Event Record |
| 2005 (TF) | 1st round | Lost to Tony Schumacher | 16th | 0-1 |
| 2006 (FC) | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2007 (FC) | 2nd round | Beat Scott Kalitta; lost to Mike Ashley | 3rd | 1-2 |
| 2008 (FC) | Runner-up | Beat Ashely Force, Cruz Pedregon, Melanie Troxel; lost to Robert Hight | 10th | 4-3 |
| 2009 (FC) | 1st round | Lost to Mike Neff | 14th | 4-4 |
| 2010 (FC) | Semi-finals | Beat Tim Wilkerson, Melanie Troxel; lost to Ashley Force Hood | 7th | 6-5 |
| 2011 (FC) | 2nd round | Beat Paul Lee; lost to Matt Hagan | 5th | 7-6 |
| 2012 (FC) | 1st round | Lost to Todd Lesenko | 2nd | 7-7 |
| 2013 (FC) | Runner-up | Beat Chad Head, Jeff Arend, Tim Wilkerson; lost to Robert Hight | 8th | 10-8 |
| 2014 (FC) | 1st round | Lost to Blake Alexander | 2nd | 10-9 |
| 2015 (FC) | Winner | Beat Bob Bode, Ron Capps, Del Worsham, Robert Hight | 1st | 14-9 |
| 2016 (FC) | 1st round | Lost to Dave Richards | 2nd | 14-10 |
| 2017 (FC) | Semi-finals | Beat Tommy Johnson Jr, Del Worsham; lost to R. Capps | 5th | 16-11 |
| 2018 (FC) | 1st round | Lost to Courtney Force | 11th | 16-12 |
| 2019 (FC) | Runner-up | Beat Justin Schriefer, Bob Tasca, J.R. Todd; lost to J. Force | 1st | 19-13 |
| 2020 (FC) | Winner | Beat Cruz Pedregon, Ron Capps, Tim Wilkerson, J.R. Todd | 7th | 23-13 |
| 2021 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2022 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2023 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2024 (FC) | Semi-finals | Beat Dale Creasy Jr., Cruz Pedregon; lost to Ron Capps | 3rd | 25-14 |
| 2025 (FC) | Runner-up | Beat Justin Schriefer, Paul Lee, Alexis Dejoria; lost to Austin Prock | 1st | 28-15 |
Wins: 2 (2015 & 2020)
No. 1 Qualifiers: 3 (2015, 2019 & 2025)
Event Record: 28-15
2026 Results
| Event | Qualify | Round by Round | Round Record | Points Position |
| Gainesville | 9 | Lost to Jordan Vandergriff | 0-1 | 11 |
| Phoenix | 2 | Lost to Daniel Wilkerson | 0-2 | 10 |
| Pomona1 | 8 | Beat Jim Campbell; lost to J.R. Todd | 1-3 | 10 |
| Charlotte | 6 | Advanced Rounds 1 & 2; runner-up to Ron Capps | 3-4 | 8 |
| Valdosta | 11 | Lost to Matt Hagan | 3-5 | 8 |
| Chicago | 1 | Beat Chris King; lost to Matt Hagan | 4-6 | 8 |
| Maryland | 1 | Beat Joe Morrison, J.R. Todd, Jordan Vandergriff; lost to Austin Prock | 7-7 | 7 |
| Epping | 2 | Beat Phil Burkart Jr., Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, Jordán Vandergriff | 11-7 | 5 |
| Bristol | 3 | Beat Jeff Arend; lost to Daniel Wilkerson | 12-8 | 5 |
| Norwalk | 4 | Beat Spencer Hyde, Daniel Wilkerson, Austin Prock; lost to Ron Capps | 15-9 | 4 |
| Sonoma | 2 | Beat Jeff Arend, Cruz Pedregon; lost to Daniel Wilkerson | 17-10 | 3 |
| Seattle | 2 | Beat Tim Gibbons, Cruz Pedregon; lost to Austin Prock | 19-11 | 2 |
| Brainerd | 6 | Lost (DQ) to Chad Green | 19-12 | 5 |
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