Denver: Jack Beckman preview

BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY A NEW SITE FOR BECKMAN

NORTH HILLS, Calif. (July 10, 2007) - For the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car class "newbie" Jack Beckman, Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., holds strong memories for the man who is driving the Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T in his first full season in that category.

This weekend's Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals will be Beckman's first time behind the wheel of any race car on the mile-high quarter-mile and he's more than eager to begin a new adventure.

"When I was in the Air Force I went out to Denver in 1984, '85, '86 and '87 and I would drive 500 miles one way to see the race there," said the former Air Force sergeant. "I rode my motorcycle 1000 miles to see it when I was stationed in the Air Force in New Mexico.

"Loved that facility. I've never run there, but I've seen so many races there. This will be my first time actually competing. I went out there last year to spend a little time talking to some nitro teams, including Schumacher, and here I am driving his Funny Car now.

"It's going to be nasty hot there. It's going to be a tire-smoking deal, and It's going to be exciting.

"It used to be that you would say the Top Fuel dragsters with their variable wing angle had an advantage in Denver," said Beckman, who drove in 12 Top Fuel events in 2005, "but now that the NHRA has mandated maximum angle, we can adjust our spoilers on the Funny Cars a little bit, so we may actually have a little more tune-ability than the dragsters have. But, even so, that race track is going to be so hot. It's going to be a drivers' and tuners' race. The guys who have the hot weather setup will be one step ahead of the game, and the drivers are going to have to be prepared to save the run on a couple of them come Sunday."

Beckman is also in a tight battle among at least six drivers to earn the No. 8 spot in points to be eligible for the new Countdown to the Championship beginning at the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend. He's in that eighth position right now, but he has his eyes on Cruz Pedregon in seventh, 27 points ahead, and on his rear-view mirror watching Ashley Force, 20 points behind, as well as Tommy Johnson Jr., 35 markers back. Also lurking in No. 11 and 12 are Del Worsham, 55 points behind Beckman, and Tim Wilkerson, 61.

"The fans are going to be treated to an excellent battle for that No. 8 spot in the next five races before the Countdown comes into play," said Beckman.

Beckman's sponsor, Mail Terminal Services, will be featuring Camp Kandahar this weekend in Denver, in its "Mail from Home" program. Postcards will be available to send to this war-zone camp at the Don Schumacher Racing hospitality area as well as at a kiosk in the U.S. Army "Racing Zone," the U.S. Army Interactive area located in Nitro Alley.

-credit: dsr