How many of us can remember sixth grade geography and having to memorize all 50 Capitals?

Richmond, Des Moines, Raleigh, Columbia, Tallahassee, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and the list goes on and on. Jack Beckman, driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Funny Car is going one step past memorizing the Capitals. Beckman, along with his wife, Jenna and two year old son Jason, is attempting to visit all fifty state Capitals and the nation's Capital, Washington, D.C.

To date the Beckman clan have visited 30 of the 50 Capitals, and one of them twice because they forgot they had been there previously.

How many of us can remember sixth grade geography and having to memorize all 50 Capitals?

Richmond, Des Moines, Raleigh, Columbia, Tallahassee, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and the list goes on and on. Jack Beckman, driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Funny Car is going one step past memorizing the Capitals. Beckman, along with his wife, Jenna and two year old son Jason, is attempting to visit all fifty state Capitals and the nation's Capital, Washington, D.C.

To date the Beckman clan have visited 30 of the 50 Capitals, and one of them twice because they forgot they had been there previously.

When it comes to Capitol buildings Beckman knows what he likes and doesn't like and it doesn't have to include history.

Well, it's not even history,” said Beckman when asked what he likes most about the buildings. “I'm not one for government wasting any money, but I want my Capitol buildings to look like they spent some money on them. You know, they need to be grand. Maybe not opulent, but elegant, regal; they need to represent that state. Missouri was great. I remember that as being an impressive one. And I loved the Maryland one, which may have been the most austere of the bunch, but it's from 1784. So when you say what's your favorite, there's different qualifications. Maryland rocks because it is the oldest and there's history. George Washington resigned from the continental army in that building. That made it cool. Some of the ones that aren't so grand but were built in the mid 1800's get bonus points from me because of the craftsmanship with the tools that they had to build them. I haven't seen any of the ones built after 1950 that I would have voted on.

In fact, two of the capitols he has visited are low on his list of recommendations.

“Oregon was at the bottom of the heap until we went to Hawaii, and it went to the bottom of the heap until we went to New Mexico. That one you can skip. And Hawaii looks like a 70's office building.”

Asked to name an absolute favorite, Beckman shied from picking a best and with a legitimate reason.

“You know, that's a tough question because that's like saying what's your favorite movie and a lot of times it's the movie you were in the best mood for that became your favorite movie. And to be honest, I think we're up to 27, I can't remember all of them. I do remember I was very impressed with Des Moines. Omaha, Nebraska was right up there,  Denver was great.

What Beckman does lack is a detailed plan of attack when he visits a capital building. Quite often there is no pre-planning involved. How much time he spends looking around depends on when he arrives and in what condition the structure happens to be in at the moment.

“It depends on if we have four hours or 12 minutes. We have literally walked in the Harrisburg, Penn one at 4:57 and they closed at 5:00, and the security guys were kind enough to let us stay for 15 minutes, but there's not a lot you could see. I went to Atlanta last year by myself and I wasn't planning on going, I had two press meetings and I found myself with time to kill, by the time I parked and ran to the capitol, I had 12 minutes. So I run up steps, take pictures, run down steps, take pictures. Jenna and I went back this year and spent a little more time, but... There's been ones we've spent three hours, there's been ones we've spent 12 minutes in.”

“We went to...I think it was Charleston, WV, last year, and it was closed for renovation but was completely unlocked. It was like going through an abandoned building. We went to Des Moines and we couldn't get in because it was under renovation. So there's ones that you'll go in that you'll get a long conversation with people, the information desk there, they're wonderful, and there's ones where it's a self serve deal, go do your own thing.”

One part of a capitol building Beckman has never visited is the space between the inner dome and the outer dome. He's tried, or so he says, but has been unsuccessful to date.

“Never got to go up in one. I mean, I tell them I'm Stan Creekmore, let me the hell up there, but it doesn't do any good.”

Aside from capitol buildings, the Beckman clan enjoy visiting places of historical importance. During the two full weekends off between the Dinwiddie event and the Las Vegas race, the route will take them to the colonial childhood of the United States – Delaware and Pennsylvania.

“We're going to Delaware, Jenn's family is there, we've already seen their capitol, then we're going to Maryland to visit my relatives, we've already seen their capitol.

“We've started looking at some of the New England states, but they're a pretty good hike from where we're going to be to get there. So if we can squeeze one or two in we might, and if we've got enough time when we go home I would love to go see Mount Rushmore again. I haven't seen it since I was like four years old. Maybe, it just depends on how much sight seeing we do on the East Coast.”

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