When Jack Beckman rolled into Brainerd International Raceway last summer, it marked the end of a 45-month absence from NHRA competition and the beginning of a new chapter in his storied Funny Car career. Now, one year later, “Fast Jack” returns to the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals with his sights set on adding another Brainerd trophy to the shelf – and with the confidence that comes from a year of battles in the John Force Racing Peak Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS Funny Car.
Beckman’s comeback began in the wake of John Force’s crash at the 2024 Virginia Nationals. Robert Hight called with the opportunity – but only to gauge interest at first. “Robert said, ‘Hey, I’m not offering you the job. I’m asking if you want the job.’ I said yes I want the job. He said, ‘OK, now that I know that, let me go make sure that you can have the job,’” Beckman recalled. That led to licensing runs during the Norwalk Night Under Fire exhibition, giving him just two full pulls to the finish line before Brainerd – and none in the three-second zone in nearly four years.
Any worries about stepping into Force’s car vanished as soon as he hit the pits. “Last year was the first time I had raced in NHRA competition for 45 months,” Beckman said. “There was a little bit of concern that going in there, stepping into John Force’s car, how the fans would react, but it could not have been more positive. I can’t wait to get back.”
Brainerd has been good to Beckman over the years. The 2012 Funny Car champion won there in 2018, has two additional final-round appearances, three No. 1 qualifiers, and a 22-13 round-win record at the facility. He’s quick to dismiss over-analyzing the numbers, though. “I love statistics but a lot of them are superfluous, right? Sometimes you can just get so hung up in the minutiae. A lot of times we’ll race at Brainerd under overcast or cooler conditions, which gives us a better traction race track, which means you can throw a lot more power at it. But I don’t really have a preferable weather condition: hot and nasty, cool and fast, it doesn’t really matter to me.”
Since his return, Beckman has made the most of his opportunities. In the final seven races of 2024, he claimed victories at World Wide Technology Raceway and the season finale in Pomona, finished runner-up at Maple Grove, and added multiple semifinal appearances. In 2025, he’s kept that pace, earning wins at Pomona and Route 66 Raceway, a runner-up, and three No. 1 qualifiers while climbing to third in the Funny Car standings.
Much of his comfort behind the wheel has come from the people around him. “The day I rolled into Norwalk to re-up my license, there was an instant comfort zone with the crew,” Beckman said. “One of my current crew chiefs, Chris Cunningham, was my crew chief for several years at Don Schumacher, so there was an instant comfort zone.” That familiarity has translated into on-track performance, but Beckman is quick to point out that the concept of a “comfort zone” in a 12,000-horsepower Funny Car is relative.
“At the same time, you never truly find your comfort zone in a nitro Funny Car because, like at Sonoma, they can throw you curves,” he explained. “I have never, in over 2000 runs, had a car go out there, spin the tires and drop three cylinders on the same side instantly. I’ve never experienced that. That just goes to show you, when you’re strapped in with a 12,000-horsepower engine in front of you, there’s not a complete comfort zone.”
That unpredictability is exactly why Beckman leans on preparation. “Cocky and confidence comes from as high a degree of comfort as you can have, and that comes from practicing your butt off,” he said. As the Countdown to the Championship looms, he sits just four points out of second place and 33 ahead of fourth, well within striking distance of moving up before the playoffs begin.
For Beckman, Brainerd is more than just another race on the calendar. It’s the scene of his modern-day rebirth as a driver – and an opportunity to add another memorable chapter. “Our goal is to win Brainerd,” he said simply. “It’s 360 degrees for me. Coming back there last year after so long away, the fans could not have treated me better. I can’t wait to get back.”
This story was originally published on August 14, 2025. 
