Few drivers are happier than Jack Beckman to finally be exiting drag racing’s four-wide superhighway for a return to the traditional two-lane road on which this week’s 25th NHRA Route 66 Nationals will be contested.
After going zero-for-two in last month’s back-to-back four-wide events, the 58-year-old cancer survivor anticipates a return to form this week at Route 66 Raceway, a track on which he last raced in 2019 and last won in 2016.
“After two uncharacteristic first round losses, this race is one that can’t come soon enough for me,” said the 36-time pro tour winner and 2012 Funny Car World Champion.
Before four-wide events at Las Vegas and Charlotte, the 58-year-old driving instructor and drag racing historian was the Mission Foods point leader, had just won John Force Racing’s 300th Funny Car title and had established the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS as the tour’s most consistent nitro-burner.
Now, he sits fourth in points, looking for a return to form on a track on which his boss was runner-up at last year’s event. He and crew chiefs Daniel Hood, Chris Cunningham and Tim Fabrisi hope to take the PEAK-blue Chevy one step further this time out and they are looking forward to regaining the momentum generated prior to the four-wide fade.
“I have every reason to think our PEAK Squad will be back to the form that enabled us to win Pomona (Calif.) just three races ago,” Beckman said.
Achieving that goal is especially important insomuch as the Route 66 Nationals is Chicago-based PEAK’s home track, which means additional responsibilities for Beckman.
“We have a special employee-themed design on our Chevy SS this weekend and we’ll host about 200 folks from PEAK during the race,” said the U.S. Air Force veteran. “I’ll fly out early and spend time at PEAK headquarters and hopefully culminate our weekend with a ‘PEAK-packed’ winner’s circle!”
This will be Beckman’s 14th race for JFR since sliding into the cockpit of the PEAK Chevy in relief of Force, who has been sidelined since his crash last June at Richmond, Va. Racing on his boss’s behalf, Beckman closed out the 2024 season with a pair of Countdown victories that secured a second place points finish behind only teammate Austin Prock.
This story was originally published on May 14, 2025. 
