In only his third full season competing in the Funny Car category driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge for Don Schumacher Racing, Beckman's eight national-event wins in 15 final rounds do not include a victory here. He has, however, won here in the Sportsman category, in which he claimed the 2003 Super Comp world championship.

"As a Sportsman I raced a lot in Sonoma," said Beckman, who stands fourth in the Funny Car class points rankings. "It's got a lot of meaning for me, not just for that but we're going to take part in the Eric Medlen Tribute dinner tonight and meet all his friends and family form Oakdale, his hometown. That's always sad, but it will be a warm evening as a tribute to a lost friend.

"I've won at Sonoma in my Sportsman car several times. My last divisional win there was in 2004 over 'Hot Rod' Fuller in the final round in Super Comp. That was while I was going through my chemotherapy," added Beckman, who survived his battle with cancer and is in remission.

"What always gave us fits in Sportsman in Sonoma in trying to dial our cars in was the way the wind direction changed and the way the micro-currents would come in. So, you'd get cool and warm pockets of air coming in, which I'm sure is going to give similar trouble to the nitro cars. The difference is, in a Sportsman car we had to try to dial a time in, in a nitro car you have to try to dial the horsepower to the track. They're two different challenges from a similar cause.

"In Denver (where he reached the semifinals in the first race of the Western Swing, which includes Denver, Seattle and Sonoma), we had a great tune-up, but we knew it wouldn't necessarily translate to sea level. We changed some things around with our horsepower in Seattle and we could just never back it down enough. So, we think that we've got a baseline now very similar to what we started the weekend with in Norwalk (Ohio) (where he won). We just hope we have the same results."

Mail Terminal Services continues its popular "Mail From Home" campaign in 2009, supporting the U.S. troops serving in the war zones. In the past two NHRA seasons the campaign has sent over 195,000 post cards overseas signed by fans and supporters at each NHRA national event with messages of support for the troops, along with numerous NHRA National Dragster issues and other automotive magazines. Photos of cars and drivers were also included.

In 2009 the "Mail From Home" program has been challenged to exceed the previous records of cards distributed to hit a 120,000-card record for one season.

JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 4 in 2009 Funny Car standings, after two victories (Atlanta; Norwalk, Ohio), one runner-up, two semifinal, five quarterfinal and four first-rounds in 14 events
* His 2009 round win-loss record is 20-12
* Qualified No. 13 in 2008 Sonoma, lost second round to Gary Densham
* No. 3 in 2008 Funny Car point standings, with three victories - Phoenix, Reading, Concord - in seven final rounds
* Was bumped out of the 2007 Countdown to Four playoffs standings at the Richmond, Va., event, after his teammates Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps reached the semifinal round. Ended the season No. 5 in points
* In his 78 national events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, he has won eight times in 15 final rounds (all in Funny Car), and has a career round win-loss record of 89-65
* Is the 2007 U.S. Smokeless Showdown winner ($100,000 bonus event held at U.S. Nationals)
* Set national elapsed-time record of 4.662 seconds and national speed record of 333.66 mph at final 2006 event in Pomona, Calif. The ET record has since been eclipsed. Beckman still holds the speed record
* As a Funny Car rookie in the last five races of 2006, he qualified No. 1 once (Pomona 2), reached two final rounds (Las Vegas 2 and Pomona 2), won once (Vegas 2), and set both ends of the national record (Pomona 2)
* Residence: North Hills, Calif.
* Hometown: Granada Hills, Calif.
* Date of birth: June 28, 1966
* Married, Jenna (wedding date 11/7/06), son Jason Russell (3/8/07)
* Height/weight: 6'0", 185 lbs.
* Former instructor and current consultant at Frank Hawley's NHRA Championship Drag Racing School; former Sergeant in U.S. Air Force (1984-88); cancer survivor; licensed in nine different NHRA categories
* First Start in TF: Las Vegas 1 2005
* First Start in FC: , Dallas, Texas, 2006
* Competed in only 12 TF events in 2005, ended season 15th in points
* Career-best FC (quarter-mile) elapsed time: 4.662 seconds (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best FC (quarter-mile) speed: 333.66 mph (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best TF (quarter-mile) elapsed time: 4.563 seconds (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* Career-best (quarter-mile) TF speed: 324.28 mph (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* In 2003 won Super Comp world championship in Lucas Oil Series and Division 7 Super Comp championship
* Leads 14-time champion John Force in head-to-head round wins: 9-5

SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, July 24 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 4 and 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, July 25 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.
SUNDAY, July 26 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:
Saturday, July 25, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final round eliminations at 9 p.m. (ET).

Courtesy of Judy Stropus