Beckman not taking JFR ride and NHRA championship chances for granted

Not that long ago, Jack Beckman thought his NHRA career was over. Beckman didn't retire, which he's quick to note for those who mistakenly think that is what happened. But it was the simple case, as it usually is in racing, that the money ran out, Beckman was laid off, and he wound up going from the high-speed world of driving nitro cars to repairing a much slower form of transportation in elevators.

It was a return to the field after a 22-year absence. Beckman worked 1,800 hours of overtime in 18 months with a two-hour drive to work in the morning and home at night.

Today, Beckman still repairs elevators during the week. On the weekends, however, he is a NHRA Funny Car driver and, for the second straight year, has the chance to add another world title to his mantel. (The first came in 2012.)

"Most of us stop driving because the money goes away, not because the desire goes away," Beckman told RACER at Rockingham Dragway, the site of the second race in the Countdown. "A lot of people might say that's too much to do and that poor guy, but the reality is I have two great jobs. I have a really rewarding weekday, and then I get to drive John Force's race car on the weekend.

"But I thought it was over. I'm not good at hustling money, and that really is what it takes to get back out here. Nobody ever wished upon John what happened to him … but somebody's phone was going to ring and get that job offer."

Force, the 16-time world champion and drag racing legend, suffered an expected career-ending injury in Virginia during the 2024 season. Fortunately, Force survived a traumatic brain injury, a fractured sternum, and an injured wrist, but it opened a seat at John Force Racing. Robert Hight called Beckman, who now jokes that the first two guys must not have answered and that he was third on the list.

In all seriousness, when Beckman saw the caller ID - while driving between jobs in his work van - he knew there was no other reason for the call. Beckman couldn't pick up and yell yes fast enough.

Beckman now sees it as extended play in his career.

"I got so much more than I ever dreamed I could get in the 14 years with Don Schumacher and I think I did a reasonably mature job of being OK with that," Beckman said. "But it stung a little bit. I'm a great fan because I love the sport, and I went to Pomona twice a year, but it's not quite the same. It's one thing if you decide to hang up the fire boots. It wasn't my decision to make, and it stung a little bit."

The interim tag didn't last long on Beckman. He finished the 2024 season for Force, winning at St. Louis and Pomona, and returned for a full season in 2025, his first full season since 2019. Beckman won twice more in '25, at the first Pomona event and Chicago, and finished third in the championship.

And with more time having passed, Force, who officially retired in 2025, has not only passed the torch to Beckman but has emphasized that it's his car. Force doesn't want to go into the lounge and still hasn't been convinced to warm the car up, although Beckman is hoping maybe next year during the 50th anniversary celebration season.

"He's made this so easy for me," said Beckman. "A lot of people would say it's a tough act to follow the great racer of all time into the cockpit. Well, the alternative is I could have said no and not taken the job. A lot of people also said, 'Oh, my God, there is so much pressure.' I said, 'Well, getting up at 4 a.m. Monday to go fix elevators can be a lot of pressure, too.

"Give me that pressure because this is what I enjoy doing. John and the team have been so incredibly understanding and welcoming, and we are a team. … As smoothly and unawkwardly as this transition could have been, that is what the guys and John have done for me."

It has given Beckman a much better perspective in this chapter of his career. Beckman acknowledges that sometimes when you're hiking a steep hill, you don't always turn around and look at the view every so often. He now sees much more clearly how fortunate he is to be racing.

"I look forward to Fridays," he said. "I look forward to every time I get to get in the car."

In this second season and the championship fight, Beckman is third in the Countdown points after the first race, with a 54-point gap to erase behind teammate Jordan Vandergriff, who sits ahead of him, and leader Matt Hagan. Beckman again has two wins in his pocket from Epping and Indianapolis.

"Let me handicap this as an objective outsider assessing the situation," Beckman said. "I think that Peak car is the best Funny Car out there. I truly do, and I think anybody who analyzes statistics wouldn't disagree with me. The question is: will I drive the thing well enough that we'll get enough points to win the championship? And then factor in the fate, fortune, luck."