- Born June 28, 1966
- Hometown: Granada Hills, CA
-
Career Best Elapse Time: 3.812 seconds
Career Best Speed: 336. 23 -
Career FC Wins: 35
Career Sportsman Wins: 2
- Jack is a former USAF Sgt and cancer survivor
- He made his first pass in 1986 in Lubbock, TX. He ran 93 MPH and still owns the 1968 El Camino he did it in
- Jack still works with Frank Hawley School where he has trained more than 7,000 students
- Awards: 2012 NHRA Funny Car World Champion, 2003 NHRA Super Comp World Champion




DID YOU KNOW:
Jack was a full-time instructor at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School for 11 years and still works today with Frank and his staff.
Among the more than 7,000 students to whom he taught the sport’s basics were Laurie Force and her daughters, Ashley, Brittany and Courtney.
Although he dropped out of school at 17, he ultimately earned his GED and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force from which he was honorably discharged as a sergeant at age 21.
In 2004, he battled non-Hodgkins lymphoma to a standoff, enduring six months of chemotherapy treatment while continuing to compete and teach others to do the same.
When he lost his ride at Don Schumacher Racing at the end of the 2020 season, he returned to Schindler Elevator and the elevator repair job he had left behind 22 years earlier.
He raced in 12 Top Fuel events in 2005 for Dexter Tuttle Racing, reaching the semifinals of the NHRA Supernationals at Englishtown, N.J. The following year, he got his first ride in a Funny Car and responded with an October victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 29, 2006).
FOR THE RECORD:
2012 NHRA Funny Car World Champion
2003 NHRA Super Comp World Champion
2017, 2015 and 2013 Traxxas Shootout Champion
2007 Skoal Shootout Champion
Winternationals Super Comp winner in 2003 and 1998
‘FAST JACK’ BACK ON TRACK
“Fast Jack” Beckman credits his four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force with providing the discipline and focus he lacked as a youngster, thereby paving the way for a drag racing career that this year sends him after the NHRA Mission Foods Funny Car championship at the wheel of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS.
Although he is a highly respected driving instructor, drag racing historian, master of ceremonies, restorer of classic Chevrolets, loving father and respected elevator repairman, first and foremost he is a drag racer who thought his pro career was over when the late Don Schumacher parked the race car he was driving at the end of the 2020 season, citing lack of sponsorship.
Nevertheless, when Hall of Fame driver and drag racing legend John Force was injured last year in a 300 mile per hour crash in Richmond, Va., Beckman’s name was at the very top of a short list of potential surrogates.
The 58-year-old Californian responded with a stellar eight-race stint as Force’s proxy, winning at St. Louis, Mo., and in the season-ending In-N-Out Burger Finals at Pomona, Calif., posting an 18-6 elimination record, putting up the best performance numbers of his career and lifting Force to a second place points finish behind JFR teammate Austin Prock.
That effort earned the 2012 Funny Car World Champ a full-time ride this year in a Chevy Camaro he spurred to a best time of 3.812 seconds and 336.23 miles per hour last November. Only three drivers have covered the now-standard 1,000-foot distance more quickly and two of them (Prock and Robert Hight) now are his teammates at JFR.
Like many successful race car drivers, Jack inherited the racing gene from his father Bob and mother JoAnne, both of whom were “car people.” By the time he was 17, he already had owned several cars that contributed to honing his mechanical skills.
He bought a 1968 Chevrolet El Camino from his dad and, once he passed his driving test in that car on his 16th birthday, started tinkering with its intake manifold, camshaft and other components. At 17, he dropped out of school and began working full time in a tool warehouse but, after earning his GED and passing the Armed Services test, he enlisted in the USAF.
“That was likely the best decision I ever made,” he now says. “It gave me direction, focus, job skills, and a renewed sense of self-worth.”
Upon his discharge, he began racing at local tracks in California. Ultimately licensed to compete in 12 different NHRA racing classes, he first raced to prominence in 1992 as the Super Comp runner-up at the NHRA national event in Sonoma, Calif. He was second best again the following year at Phoenix before winning the season-opening 1998 Winternationals at what today is In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
At the end of the 2003 season, after again winning the Winternationals and using that success as a springboard to the NHRA Super Comp World Championship, he began having health problems that were diagnosed as non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a cancer that had invaded his body from hip to neck.
Latest News
TEAM

Daniel Hood
Daniel Hood
Daniel grew up racing with his dad. He enjoys playing hockey and spending time with his wife and two little boys.

Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham
Chris’s hobbies include golf, going to the Caribbean, riding Harley Davidson’s and spending time with his wife Sheila and daughter Lacey.

Tim Fabrisi
Tim Fabrisi
Tim proudly served as a SGT in the US Marine Corps and started working on an Alcohol Dragster in 1997, Pro Mod in 2004 and nitro Funny Car in 2008 where he won a Championship with John Force in 2010. His hobbies are shooting, boating, camping and spending time with his family. He’s married to Alicia with 3 little girls (one is an angel watching over them, Skylar Grace) has two furry kids and is proud to work at JFR.

Mark Freidenfelt
Mark Freidenfelt
Mark started working for JFR on Courtney Force’s Funny Car her rookie season and has been here ever since. He enjoys building and riding Harley Davidson’s in his free time.

Jay Carter
Jay Carter
Jay has been involved in racing since he was 19 and has worked on various professional NHRA teams including Pedregon Racing, Terry McMillen Racing and Maroney Racing. In his spare time he enjoys hiking.

Trace Coe
Trace Coe
At age 15, Trace built and raced a 1988 Mustang that led to other cars upwards of 1,500 horsepower. He previously worked for Kalitta Motorsports and Cruz Pedregon Racing. Racing is life!

Dillon Elkins
Dillon Elkins
Dillon attended University of Northwestern Ohio and worked at Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week and on various NHRA race teams. His interests include engines, cars and dirt circle track racing.

Hunter Hagen
Hunter Hagen
Hunter got his start racing on a UNOH Motorsports team and has also worked on dirt UMP modifieds and CRA asphalt late models.

Caleb Mayer
Caleb Mayer
Caleb's previous race experience includes IMSA TCR and Indy NXT. In his free time he enjoys micro sprint racing, rock climbing and custom PC's.

Cody Swartwood
Cody Swartwood
He grew up racing with his family and previously worked at Terry McMillen Racing. In his spare time he likes fishing, camping and outdoor activities.

Sterling Van Dusen
Sterling Van Dusen
Sterling has been involved in drag racing on and off for most of his life. Growing up near Orange County International Raceway, racing was always a part of his life. In his spare time he enjoys reading.
SUPPORT STAFF

Lanny Miglizzi
Lanny Miglizzi
Lanny grew up racing with his dad who started L&T Clutches in 1980. Around 1982 he went drag racing full time as he needed to learn the race track in order to help their clutch customers. He’s still learning everyday.

Eric Frampton
Eric Frampton
Eric got his start in drag racing shortly after he got out of the Navy and worked on dirt modified cars for a few years while working evenings as a Diesel mechanic at the Kenworth shop in town. He met a guy who helped get him hired in drag racing doing the Mopar Performance tech trailer at the races which led into working with John Force and the team. He moved into the Castrol midway trailer in 2006 and then eventually moved to JFR Race Support. His hobbies include desert racing his dirt bike and driving his pro street car.

Jimmy Godfrey
Jimmy Godfrey
Jimmy was first introduced to racing by his grandfather at a young age. In his spare time, he enjoys car shows, and keeping up with the family's eight dogs.

Tyler Ross
Tyler Ross
Tyler grew up going to local dirt tracks in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky with his dad.
TEAM

Daniel Hood
Lisle, IL

Chris Cunningham
Hollywood FL

Tim Fabrisi
Naugatuck, CT

Mark Freidenfelt
Sacramento, Ca

Jay Carter
Dayton, OH

Trace Coe
Mineral Wells, TX

Dillon Elkins
Kalida, OH

Hunter Hagen
Broomes Island, MD

Caleb Mayer
Brownsburg, IN

Cody Swartwood
Lakewood, CO

Sterling Van Dusen
Irvine, CA
Support Staff

Lanny Miglizzi
San Dimas, CA

Eric Frampton
El Paso, TX

Jimmy Godfrey
Plainview, TX
