GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – One year ago, Jack Beckman was looking forward to beginning his first full season as the driver of the PEAK Chevrolet SS but 2026 finds the 2012 NHRA Funny Car Champion as John Force Racing’s most tenured driver and just as motivated, if not more so, to earn victory in this weekend’s AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.
Beckman finished third in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing point standings on the strength of two victories. It was his first full season of competition since taking over for the injured John Force midway through 2024 and not racing at all the previous three seasons.
The California native and drag racing historian knows how to get it done at the Gatornationals, winning the 2018 Funny Car title and earning No. 1 Qualifier spots in 2016, 2018 and last season. But this season’s Funny Car field is as strong as ever, including John Force Racing newcomers Alexis DeJoria and Jordan Vandergriff.
Beckman may have suddenly found himself as the senior representative of John Force Racing’s driver lineup this season, an unexpected but greatly appreciated turnaround from where he was just two years previous, and he and the PEAK SQUAD have every reason in the world to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Quotes
How is knowing you are now the senior member of the John Force Racing driver lineup?
When I came over in 2024, the other drivers didn’t need any driving tips. Jordan Vandergrift’s doing just fine. I’m pitted right next to him and we can certainly bounce things off of each other. With Alexis, I think it’s just making her feel warm and welcome at JFR after coming from a completely different environment. And similar for Josh Hart who is going from being a team owner and calling all the shots to being a hired gun. So, hopefully, I can make that transition smooth for everybody there.
What are your initial thoughts about the season-opener at Gainesville?
I’m still wrapping my head around, Gainesville being the season opener. Ss a West Coast guy, Pomona always was the first race on the tour, and this is my second time leading off the season at Gainesville, which is which is still very odd to me. But there are some great things that go along with coming to Gainesville, including the International Drag Race Hall of Fame inductions this Thursday. I’m getting to be a part of that again as a presenter, where I’ll be inducting legendary announcer Bob Frey who has become a very close friend of mine. He’s an icon of the sport and somebody of I’ve admired for more than 30 years.
As an historian of the sport, what does it mean to you to be able to do such things, to do induct and emcee different events like you’ve told me about?
I was in Long Beach, California, last Sunday emceeing a celebration of life for Ed Iskendarian, who lived to be 104 years old and truly was the last one of the first generation of drag racers. Don Garlitz and Don Prudhomme were speakers on that panel so I got to spend time with the people that were 10 feet tall when I was a kid and have done as much to this sport as anybody that’s ever put a helmet on. And I drive for John Force so I have tons of these ‘pinch me’ moments. I just got invited to participate in the nitro school Friday with Kenny Bernstein so, just when I think I have everything I’ve ever wished for, a bunch more cool things happen, and I’m enjoying the ride thoroughly.
How do you feel about the PEAK SQUAD going into this season kickoff?
We made between preseason testing, which was a week and a half ago and pre-race testing, which we just elected to do one day and only needed to make two runs. The PEAK SQUAD made 13 test runs at Gainesville in the last month. I am super comfortable because we truly treated it like a test. We checked our backup parts. We checked new parts, we changed some things in the fuel system. We truly tested parts that should make us a better car, and we’ve made eight runs between 3.86 and 3.93 seconds. I am about as confident as somebody can be rolling into the first race of the year. There is no rust. I’ve been able to stand on the throttle 13 times in the last two weeks.
| Jack Beckman | Race Result | Qualified | Event Round Record |
| 2005 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2006 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2007 (FC) | DNQ | 21st | 0-0 |
| 2008 (FC) | 2nd round | 6th | 1-1 |
| 2009 (FC) | 1st round | 9th | 1-2 |
| 2010 (FC) | 1st round | 10th | 1-3 |
| 2011 (FC) | Semi-finals | 2nd | 3-4 |
| 2012 (FC) | Semi-finals | 2nd | 5-5 |
| 2013 (FC) | Semi-finals | 11th | 7-6 |
| 2014 (FC) | 2nd round | 3rd | 8-7 |
| 2015 (FC) | 2nd round | 5th | 9-8 |
| 2016 (FC) | Semi-finals | 1st | 11-9 |
| 2017 (FC) | 2nd round | 8th | 12-10 |
| 2018 (FC) | Winner | 1st | 16-10 |
| 2019 (FC) | Semi-finals | 6th | 18-11 |
| 2020(FC) | 2nd round | 9th | 19-12 |
| 2021 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2022 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2023 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2024 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2025 (FC) | 2nd round | 1st | 20-13 |
Number starts: 15
Wins: 1 (2018)
No. 1 qualifier: 3 (2016, 2018, 2025)
Final rounds: 1 (2021)
Event Round Record: 20-13
Track & TV Schedules
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.
FROM SIDELINES TO SENIORITY JUST FINE WITH BECKMAN
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – One year ago, Jack Beckman was looking forward to beginning his first full season as the driver of the PEAK Chevrolet SS but 2026 finds the 2012 NHRA Funny Car Champion as John Force Racing’s most tenured driver and just as motivated, if not more so, to earn victory in this weekend’s AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.
Beckman finished third in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing point standings on the strength of two victories. It was his first full season of competition since taking over for the injured John Force midway through 2024 and not racing at all the previous three seasons.
The California native and drag racing historian knows how to get it done at the Gatornationals, winning the 2018 Funny Car title and earning No. 1 Qualifier spots in 2016, 2018 and last season. But this season’s Funny Car field is as strong as ever, including John Force Racing newcomers Alexis DeJoria and Jordan Vandergriff.
Beckman may have suddenly found himself as the senior representative of John Force Racing’s driver lineup this season, an unexpected but greatly appreciated turnaround from where he was just two years previous, and he and the PEAK SQUAD have every reason in the world to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Quotes
How is knowing you are now the senior member of the John Force Racing driver lineup?
When I came over in 2024, the other drivers didn’t need any driving tips. Jordan Vandergrift’s doing just fine. I’m pitted right next to him and we can certainly bounce things off of each other. With Alexis, I think it’s just making her feel warm and welcome at JFR after coming from a completely different environment. And similar for Josh Hart who is going from being a team owner and calling all the shots to being a hired gun. So, hopefully, I can make that transition smooth for everybody there.
What are your initial thoughts about the season-opener at Gainesville?
I’m still wrapping my head around, Gainesville being the season opener. Ss a West Coast guy, Pomona always was the first race on the tour, and this is my second time leading off the season at Gainesville, which is which is still very odd to me. But there are some great things that go along with coming to Gainesville, including the International Drag Race Hall of Fame inductions this Thursday. I’m getting to be a part of that again as a presenter, where I’ll be inducting legendary announcer Bob Frey who has become a very close friend of mine. He’s an icon of the sport and somebody of I’ve admired for more than 30 years.
As an historian of the sport, what does it mean to you to be able to do such things, to do induct and emcee different events like you’ve told me about?
I was in Long Beach, California, last Sunday emceeing a celebration of life for Ed Iskendarian, who lived to be 104 years old and truly was the last one of the first generation of drag racers. Don Garlitz and Don Prudhomme were speakers on that panel so I got to spend time with the people that were 10 feet tall when I was a kid and have done as much to this sport as anybody that’s ever put a helmet on. And I drive for John Force so I have tons of these ‘pinch me’ moments. I just got invited to participate in the nitro school Friday with Kenny Bernstein so, just when I think I have everything I’ve ever wished for, a bunch more cool things happen, and I’m enjoying the ride thoroughly.
How do you feel about the PEAK SQUAD going into this season kickoff?
We made between preseason testing, which was a week and a half ago and pre-race testing, which we just elected to do one day and only needed to make two runs. The PEAK SQUAD made 13 test runs at Gainesville in the last month. I am super comfortable because we truly treated it like a test. We checked our backup parts. We checked new parts, we changed some things in the fuel system. We truly tested parts that should make us a better car, and we’ve made eight runs between 3.86 and 3.93 seconds. I am about as confident as somebody can be rolling into the first race of the year. There is no rust. I’ve been able to stand on the throttle 13 times in the last two weeks.
| Jack Beckman | Race Result | Qualified | Event Round Record |
| 2005 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2006 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2007 (FC) | DNQ | 21st | 0-0 |
| 2008 (FC) | 2nd round | 6th | 1-1 |
| 2009 (FC) | 1st round | 9th | 1-2 |
| 2010 (FC) | 1st round | 10th | 1-3 |
| 2011 (FC) | Semi-finals | 2nd | 3-4 |
| 2012 (FC) | Semi-finals | 2nd | 5-5 |
| 2013 (FC) | Semi-finals | 11th | 7-6 |
| 2014 (FC) | 2nd round | 3rd | 8-7 |
| 2015 (FC) | 2nd round | 5th | 9-8 |
| 2016 (FC) | Semi-finals | 1st | 11-9 |
| 2017 (FC) | 2nd round | 8th | 12-10 |
| 2018 (FC) | Winner | 1st | 16-10 |
| 2019 (FC) | Semi-finals | 6th | 18-11 |
| 2020(FC) | 2nd round | 9th | 19-12 |
| 2021 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2022 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2023 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2024 | Did Not Compete | N/A | N/A |
| 2025 (FC) | 2nd round | 1st | 20-13 |
Number starts: 15
Wins: 1 (2018)
No. 1 qualifier: 3 (2016, 2018, 2025)
Final rounds: 1 (2021)
Event Round Record: 20-13
Track & TV Schedules
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.
The first round of the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, with the semifinals slated for 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will also air at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.