JACK BECKMAN

•DATE OF BIRTH: June 28, 1966

•HOMETOWN: Norco, Calif.

•SPONSOR/CAR: Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger

•CREW CHIEF: Rahn Tobler

•CAREER WINS: 14FC: 12 SPORTS: 2

•CAREER FINAL ROUNDS: 31FC: 27 SPORTS: 4

•CAREER BEST E.T.: 4.037

•CAREER BEST SPEED: 318.99

PERSONAL

•Married: Jenna

•Son: Jason Russell (3/8/2007) ; daughter: Layla May (7/12/11)

•Hobbies: Surfing, working out, riding motorcycle

•Serves as an instructor/consultant at Frank Hawley's NHRA Drag Racing School and has taught over 7,000 students since 1998

•Former sergeant in U.S. Air Force•Cancer survivor

•Licensed in 12 different NHRA categories

•Won Super Comp national championship in Lucas Oil Series and the Division 7 Super Comp championship 

Jack Beckman has accomplished many feats in his lifetime through combining his love for life and compassion for performing. He has spent most of his life aspiring to be a nitro Funny Car driver, never losing focus even during his four years as a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. 

Beckman returns to the Don Schumacher Racing team for his sixth full season in the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, driving the Dodge Funny Car sponsored by Valvoline.

Growing up in Southern California, Beckman witnessed the thunder of nitro race cars at Orange County International Raceway when his uncle took him to his first race. This experience at an early age planted the seed for a dream to compete in the NHRA's ultimate fuel category, one which has now come to fruition.  

Beckman began his drag-racing career at the Sportsman level, winning four local championships and accumulating more than 50 regional wins, including the 2003 NHRA Super Comp championship. In addition to his competitive drag racing career, Beckman has instructed some 7,000 students at Frank Hawley's NHRA Drag Racing School.

Despite his on-track successes, Beckman's biggest challenge came in 2004, just after claiming the Super Comp crown when he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer. Like everything else in his life, he tackled the disease head-on, enduring six months of chemotherapy treatments. And like the champion he is, Beckman never lost his passion for life and for drag racing. With his positive outlook and unrelenting strength, he was recognized as the NHRA Pacific Division Person of the Year in 2004.

In 2005, Beckman completed his recovery and transitioned to the professional ranks, driving a limited schedule in the Top Fuel class, competing in 12 of 23 events. 

While continuing as an instructor at Hawley's school in 2006, he set his sights on the Funny car class – the same one he dreamed of competing in as a 7-year-old fan. Amazingly, he got his break at the end of the season when he was hired to drive for Don Schumacher Racing.

Beckman took the Funny Class by storm during the last five races of the season in the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Funny Car. He won in Las Vegas, his fourth Funny Car race and then reached his second consecutive final round at the season-closing event in Pomona. He took runner-up against 15-time champion John Force in Pomona, but not before he qualified first for the event, setting two national records: a 4.662-second elapsed time and a 333.66-mph top speed, which still stands today.

In 2007, Beckman returned to DSR in the Mail Terminal Services Funny Car for another successful season as he won back-to-back races in Seattle and Denver during the grueling NHRA Western Swing. He also won the Skoal Showdown at the US Nationals and finished the season fifth in the point standings. 

His 2008 season, driving again for DSR, Valvoline and Mail Terminal Services, produced a third-place points finish after scoring three wins in seven final rounds, a season round-win loss record of 33-18. 
Beckman ended 2009 in fifth place in the standings, with two event wins in five final rounds and one No. 1 qualifier.

In 2010, Beckman finished fourth in the Funny Car Championship points race. His year included a win at Phoenix, four additional final rounds, six semi-final round appearances and a number-one qualifier at Sonoma. His round won-loss record in 2010 was 36-22.

2011 was Jack’s best year as a professional Funny Car Driver.  After winning 3 National events, he led the championship points during the countdown and lost by a very narrow margin to teammate Matt Hagan in the final race of the 2011 season.