CATCHING UP with Jack Beckman
Wow, do we have some catching up to do! I’m happy to say that since my
last column I’ve really got some exciting news to share. Let me quickly
get you up to date on my sportsman racing activities so we can get into
the Nitro news.I had a good time racing with the CIFCA association in Phoenix. I had not been to Speedworld’s track for almost nine years, and the intense heat and lack of traction made for some exciting runs. We made it to the semifinals and moved back into the top-four. The following weekend I was back in the “Blackbird” racing in Fontana at a SCEDA event. I gave back the stripe by .001 in the final Saturday, but I was fortunate enough to make it back into the money round Sunday. This time I took a “comfortable” margin and was able to turn on the win light. Then, something really special happened.
As you know, Rodger Comstock of MTS has been working tirelessly since the end of last year to place me into a competitive nitro ride. Many of our conversations involved Don Schumacher Racing (DSR)- working on both a Top Fuel and later a Funny Car ride. Don offered us the ability to upgrade my license during this season so that if a F/C ride did open, I would be ready. Phase one began with me flying out to Indy to make two short “squirts” in Whit Bazemore’s car during the PRO test session one week prior to the U.S. Nationals. I was able to make 330 and 660-foot runs and all went well.
However, there is really much more to the story. If you have followed the racing action, you may have seen Whit’s nasty fire during round-two of the Memphis race, which was delayed until Monday. Whit actually jumped from the burning car while it was still rolling, and there wasn’t much that was salvageable. The crew drove all night to get back to the shop in Indy to assemble a new car. I watched Whit make two half-track runs on Tuesday!
Wow, do we have some catching up to do! I’m happy to say that since my last column I’ve really got some exciting news to share. Let me quickly get you up to date on my sportsman racing activities so we can get into the Nitro news.
I had a good time racing with the CIFCA association in Phoenix. I had not been to Speedworld’s track for almost nine years, and the intense heat and lack of traction made for some exciting runs. We made it to the semifinals and moved back into the top-four. The following weekend I was back in the “Blackbird” racing in Fontana at a SCEDA event. I gave back the stripe by .001 in the final Saturday, but I was fortunate enough to make it back into the money round Sunday. This time I took a “comfortable” margin and was able to turn on the win light. Then, something really special happened.
As you know, Rodger Comstock of MTS has been working tirelessly since the end of last year to place me into a competitive nitro ride. Many of our conversations involved Don Schumacher Racing (DSR)- working on both a Top Fuel and later a Funny Car ride. Don offered us the ability to upgrade my license during this season so that if a F/C ride did open, I would be ready. Phase one began with me flying out to Indy to make two short “squirts” in Whit Bazemore’s car during the PRO test session one week prior to the U.S. Nationals. I was able to make 330 and 660-foot runs and all went well.
However, there is really much more to the story. If you have followed the racing action, you may have seen Whit’s nasty fire during round-two of the Memphis race, which was delayed until Monday. Whit actually jumped from the burning car while it was still rolling, and there wasn’t much that was salvageable. The crew drove all night to get back to the shop in Indy to assemble a new car. I watched Whit make two half-track runs on Tuesday!
My fun began the next day. Due to the damage done to the primary car, we were faced with a shortage of Charger bodies (all of the Schumacher cars have since switched to the Charger). Whit and I alternated two runs each on Wednesday-he in the last Matco Charger, and me in Gary Scelzi’s Oakley Stratus-before the crew called it a day. (I must say that it was pretty cool to make my first Funny Car runs with the number “1” on the side of the car-kinda spoils a guy!) More about the Matco Tools crew in a moment.
I flew home from the test feeling all kinds of emotions. On the 660-foot run I could really notice the clutch dust starting to encircle the cockpit, but at 260 mph it was time to lift, and the car still ran a 5.35!!! I was elated, but I tried to temper my enthusiasm. I was hoping to be able to finish my license after the Dallas national if time allowed, so I resumed my “normal” life back in Los Angeles. That’s when things really got interesting.
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Once home, I went back to work at the Frank Hawley NHRA Drag Racing School. The next Thursday Jenna and I left from Pomona with the Blackbird in tow to head up to Fallon, Nevada, for the next Lucas Oil Division 7 race. About one hour into our trip the phone rang. Think about this for a second. it’s Don Schumacher, and he says that if I can get out to Indy this weekend, he’d like me to finish licensing, and there may be some big announcements at DSR if I do well. I had to think about it (yeah, right) for about as long as it took to do a U-turn in the middle of Interstate 15 so I could get back to the airport! I told Jenna that I’d never been so excited to MISS a race in my life!
Friday……Indy…..DSR headquarters. The crew had already serviced the car after a runner-up effort at the U.S. Nationals and were already parked in the pits (the shop is about 4 miles from the track). Without drawing out the details too long, I was able to finish by Sunday morning even though the track was running a bracket race with more oildowns than most national events. I thanked all the track workers for going the extra mile for us, hopped on a plane, and headed back home. Monday morning I took my license form into NHRA (Whit and Tommy Johnson signed for me) and became official. All of this was great, but the biggest news was yet to come. On Tuesday Mr. Schumacher informed me that he would like me to compete the following weekend in Maple Grove…….actually in 3 more days!!!! My head is still swimming from all of this.
Rain, and lots of it, forced the postponement of the Toyo Nationals (and my debut). The crew now had to tear down everything and head to Dallas. The weekend after that we had to be back in Maple Grove, followed by Richmond the next weekend (which was postponed until the following weekend). If you’re having a tough time keeping up, it’s not you! The schedule, and reschedule, and reschedule was absolutely brutal.
Earlier I mentioned that I wasn’t done talking about the crew…….
If we were to start counting weekends at the racetrack, beginning with the big fire in Memphis, the Indy test, the U.S. Nationals, Indy licensing, and the rest of the races, these guys were on the road for nine straight weeks! Their driver, one of the best in the sport, was being replaced by a rookie, and it was announced that Matco was going Top Fuel racing with Whit Bazemore in 2007. To call this group of men amazing would be a huge understatement. I am so fortunate to be working with these guys, and they have gone above and beyond all expectations to make me feel comfortable. I’d like to personally thank Todd, Phil, Jim, Joe, Michael, “Stretch,” Tom, Rick, and Ben for giving me the chance to drive one of the baddest fuel coupes in the country. If you get the chance, please say hello to the guys - they are the best!
Oh yeah, I’m driving the Matco Tools Funny Car!! I’ve already been able to run next to Scelzi, Capps, Hight, Medlen, Worsham, and even a guy named Force. Ain’t that cool? I’m in a steep learning curve right now, and the three tracks that I’ve raced at are all considered “driver’s tracks” (the grooves are sometimes very tricky and can make it tough on the Funny Cars). We did manage to get my first round win in Richmond against Del, and I am very excited to be heading into Vegas next weekend. We hope to give Matco and all of their independent distributors something to cheer about, and would love to collect a “Wally” (or two!) before the end of the season.
And, as if all of this isn’t enough on my plate, I will be a married man by the time Pomona rolls around. Jenna and I will take our vows on Nov. 7th and have our reception at the Wally Parks NHRA Museum. How many other gals would look forward to eating wedding cake in front of 400 racers and dozens of race cars? Stay tuned!!!
