Preview
NHRA
Beckman returns with new DSR team
Jack Beckman is eager to earn the first Pomona trophy at NHRA Mello Yello event.
Published: Feb 3, 2014, 8:36 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Jack Beckman will start 2014 with a new different crew chief for the third straight season, but changes in leadership haven't slowed "Fast Jack."
Beckman will be guided by veteran crew chief Rob Flynn in 2014 while assistant Terry Snyder returns. Beckman and Snyder are the only returning members of the Valvoline MaxLife team at Don Schumacher Racing.
Jack Beckman
Photo by: Anne Proffit
The last time Beckman had a new crew chief was 2012 and the Valvoline team won three events and the Funny Car season championship in DSR's Dodge Charger R/T.
"Except for 2006 when I came into DSR, this is the most personnel change I've ever had," Beckman said. "
Out of the 10 people on our team last year, Terry Snyder and I are the only two that left Pomona in November on the Valvoline car.
"The downside is you develop a bond with all of these people and develop a chemistry and then there's these big changes. The upside is new faces come in and it's a chance to mold the team chemistry and I'm actually super excited. It's cool because I think everybody came here for all the right reasons.
"Most of the people on this team have never worked at DSR so they are thrilled to have an opportunity to work for a world class organization and a competitive team. I think they are just as excited as I am to be in it at the ground floor."
A fresh start might be what Beckman and his team needs after 2013 when he did not visit a winner's circle for the first season since joining DSR in 2006, but the his team finished the year ranked third in points and won the prestigious $100,000 Traxxas Nitro Shootout during the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day Weekend.
Beckman will start the new season seeking his first trophy from either of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events at Pomona, Calif., which is close to his home in Norco, Calif.
"The very first drag race I went to was at Orange County (International Raceway) not too far from Pomona. Having the opportunity to watch those cars and then walk through the pits and see these 8-foot tall people that got in these cars, as a 7-year-old child, it was really kind of a hero worship thing.
"I'm on the other side of the ropes now. But I never forgot the huge impact it had on me. A lot of times, as drivers, there are some relatively small gestures that we can do that can make a huge effect on a child and even on adults."
Don Schumacher Racing
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Toyota Motor Sales named official car of NHRA
Next article Defending Mello Yello Series world champion Langdon prepares for Top Fuel repeat at Pomona
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jack Beckman
Hight, Torrence are champions, Kalitta, Beckman take Pomona wins
NHRA
NHRA
Pomona II
Hight, Torrence are champions, Kalitta, Beckman take Pomona wins
Krawiec takes Pro Stock Motorcycle world title and No. 1 qualifier
NHRA
NHRA
Pomona II
Krawiec takes Pro Stock Motorcycle world title and No. 1 qualifier
B. Force, Beckman, Anderson and Ellis current No. 1 qualifiers at season ending NHRA finals
NHRA
NHRA
Pomona II
B. Force, Beckman, Anderson and Ellis current No. 1 qualifiers at season ending NHRA finals
Latest news
Toyota answers critics who doubted it could win in WEC’s competitive Hypercar era
WEC
WEC WEC
Barcelona
37 min
Toyota answers critics who doubted it could win in WEC’s competitive Hypercar era
Honda ADUO engine upgrade pegged driveability back near Spec 1 level
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
1 h
Honda ADUO engine upgrade pegged driveability back near Spec 1 level
Why Alex Marquez hasn't been able to replicate his 2025 MotoGP form
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP 2 h
Why Alex Marquez hasn't been able to replicate his 2025 MotoGP form
Williams has better cooling vests than anyone – Alex Albon
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 3 h
Williams has better cooling vests than anyone – Alex Albon
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe