:::MoparMax::: Mopar Memos

Jack Beckman to be honored at MoparMax.com Night at Irwindale

Jack Beckman won the funny Car class at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals. We’ll have complete event coverage in the August issue of Mopar Max. (Ron Lewis photo)

Champion drag racer Jack Beckman will be the guest of honor on Thursday night, August 9, at Irwindale (Calif.) Dragstrip. The NHRA Mopar driver, who was born in Granada Hills and makes his home in nearby Norco, pilots the Valvoline NextGen Nitro Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing in championship drag racing events across the country.

“We plan on giving Jack the ‘Key to the ‘Strip on August 9,” said Irwindale facilities manager, Bob Klein. “This guy is one of our true local heroes, everyone loves Jack. He’s a real winner in all of our books, and this chance to tell him that right here at our little strip is a big deal for all of us.

“We’ll hold up our on-track racing action for a few minutes at about 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and get Jack out to the starting line for a quick presentation of the ‘key’ to the Dragstrip,” said Klein. The inscription will not only recognize Beckman as a great racer, but as an even greater human being. A cancer survivor, Beckman has become a highly respected spokesperson in the fight against the deadly disease.

Alex Rogeo (right) got a win earlier this year at the PSCA race in Las Vegas. (file photo)

But Beckman won’t be at the Irwindale Event Center ‘Strip just for the glory. MoparMax.com is putting him to work as Thursday night’s crew chief on their Maulin’ Magnum race car, driven by young drag racing phenom and MoparMax.com Contributing Editor, Alex Rogeo. Jack has instructed over 7,000 at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School since 1998 and he’ll be giving Alex instruction and advice which she’ll share with her readers in an upcoming MoparMax.com issue.

According to Ms. Rogeo, “Jack is one of the good guys and MoparMax is proud to be associated with this event at Irwindale Drag Strip. Jack served his country as a sergeant in the Air Force. When he got out he worked overtime and used vacation days to campaign his Super Comp dragster, ultimately winning the world championship. Like my own mother, Jack is a cancer survivor, and he uses his fame and high profile to benefit causes for veterans and cancer patients. And of course he’s an awesome nitro funny car driver. I’m honored and excited to be his driver for a night. It’s going to be a fun night.”

Irwindale Dragstrip is an NHRA-sanctioned 1/8-mile dragstrip located at the Irwindale Event Center in Irwindale, Calif. Opened in 2001, the street legal ‘Strip has been the site of hundreds of ‘Thursday Night Thunder’ test ’n’ tune events, along with numerous individual racing events like HotVWs, Mooneyes, the Antique Nationals and regular Summit Series events throughout the year. [7/26/2012]

Mopar Memos

Volume VII, Issue 7 - July 26, 2012 - Page 1 of 1

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Comments (30)

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#30 By Wesley Young in Kettering Ohio on 12/17/2012 at 17:51

To Randy Lindamood- only class I know of might be the Super Stock GT classes. Hey aren't you Roger's son? Met you one time at Mickey D's in Dayton.

#29 By Richard Kratz in Santa Clarita, CA on 12/07/2012 at 15:53

Now actually! See out story about the new Mopar Performance Calibration program: http://www.moparmax.com/features/2012/Chrysler-Performance-1.html

#28 By Randy Lindamood in Warren, MI on 12/07/2012 at 15:41

Where can a 2011 Challenger with a gen II Hemi Race?

#27 By Con in Australia on 05/18/2012 at 03:11

Can sombody plaese get some facts on dodges future in nascar????

#26 By market apps in market apps on 03/29/2012 at 06:58

Hi, possibly i'm being a little bit off topic here, but I was browsing your site and it looks impressive. I'm building a blog and trying to make it look neat, but everytime I touch it I mess something up. Did you design the blog yourself? Could someone with little experience do it, and add updates without messing it up? Anyways, good information on here, very informative.

#25 By jim power in fontana,ca on 03/02/2012 at 18:49

Am I the only one that getting kinda sick of hearing about Alex??.. no offence Alex, I sign on to read about mopars, not you.

#24 By Wesley Young in Kettering Ohio on 01/26/2012 at 12:36

It is obviously NOT a Hemi...look at the valve train. The engine is a 1959 Rambler 327...not kidding.

#23 By bruce bodenschatz in summerhill on 12/07/2011 at 13:01

cant get thru email contest looks like 354 or 392 hemi

#22 By Kay Burk in O'Fallon, MO on 09/09/2011 at 13:39

Mopar Memos are updated weekly. And, what's, with, the, commas?

#21 By KERRY,BLAIR in athens,tn on 08/17/2011 at 23:37

you,idiots,could,update,at,least,once,aweek,with,something,new,same,old,crap,for,a,month,between,you,and,big,ho,dot,com,i,aint,got,nuttin,2,read,lets.see.some.koverage,of,the,mopar,events,from,the,little,ones,to,the,big,ones,see,you,at,bristol,thats,my,kar,they,got,on,the,mailer,its,fun,and,growing,that,is,a,nice,place,nice,people,and,i,invite,everbody,up,sept,2,3,4,something,for,everone,

#20 By Wayne Graefen in Under the X in Texas on 06/02/2011 at 15:01

That '59 Chrysler is not a limousine, it is an airport sedan and likely built by Stageway in Arkansas. The only limousines throughout that era were built for Chrysler by the Ghia Carrozzeria in Turin Italy on Imperial chassis. How do I know? I own Nelson Rockefeller's '60 Crown Imperial formal limousine by Ghia ordered when he had just become governor of New York state.

#19 By create barcode in US on 04/13/2011 at 23:44

This is a great achievement for gray to be in finals. Nice post.

#18 By Calcium Carbonate in Calcium Carbonate on 04/11/2011 at 23:31

convertible car one the most superbly design cars in the world....gr8 work.
love to see this soon...n exciting abiut its drive

#17 By Geoff Stunkard in on 03/31/2011 at 15:12

I am DIGGING how the two Drag Pack Challengers look head-on; hard to decide which one I like the best!

#16 By bruce bodenschatz in usa on 03/17/2011 at 12:16

about the force hemi. mike dunn says its about the same motor they just moved a little metal here and there. what pisses my off is the ford pro stock motor. just look at the valve covers it looks just like the dodge. mopar should sue.

#15 By Eben Hedman in Burlington, WA. on 03/12/2011 at 03:33

That looks like a Big block chevy in that crashed '64 Dodge. Am I missing something?

#14 By MoparMax in O'Fallon, MO on 03/08/2011 at 16:02

Craig, according to our sources, John Force's FC motor is a standard Top Fuel funny car motor, just with Ford branding. NHRA regs prohibit teams from developing their own engine design for both competition and safety reasons, so the only major differences between Force's engine and that of anyone else would be minor.

#13 By Craig Richard Thomas in Otsego, Michigan on 03/08/2011 at 08:56

I would like a strait and true answer also. What is the engine that John Force racing use's in it's funny car's.
Is it a Boss Hemi or a Chrysler Hemi. It look's no different than any other fuel engine on the circuit. Other than it has
Ford and Boss all over it. Is it a Chrysler design? Nobody seem's to know the answer to this question. Is it a Chrysler Hemi in
Ford Clothing for Ford sponsership dollar's?

#12 By con perdikooris in Sydney Australia on 02/17/2011 at 07:37

Hi, guys. I have heard that John Force is running a FORD engine in his funny car???? is this true or is ford plastering their brand all over a mopar design?
i have seen a couple of pics of it and it still looks like a mopar hemi design.

#11 By iron furniture in iron furniture on 01/27/2011 at 02:13

If it will success, i will definitely introduce to it in next month. I was also waiting for new car.

#10 By KERRY,BLAIR in TN on 01/26/2011 at 18:14

U,SAID,CHARGER,LOOKS,LIKE,70,CHALLENGER

#9 By Chris Hatfield in Washington Pa on 01/07/2011 at 15:07

have any of the TRUE MOPAR fans picked up the latest issue of Drag Racer they did a story on the SS/AH cars and on the cover was Harry Holtons car it was a very good story.

#8 By Jimmy Ray in Atoka, TN on 12/10/2010 at 22:24

Correction to the Holly Springs, Miss. race........

Jerry Miles was NOT the overall NSS winner (he did win NSS/F Class and runnered up in the overall). Gabriel Ray was the overall winner, and NSS/C Class winner.

Thanks for making this correction in a future issue,
Jimmy Ray (proud winners Dad, and NSS/D Class Winner!)

#7 By della woods in lake orion, michigan 48362 on 12/01/2010 at 09:13

great Mag....

#6 By Moparmajic /Flying Arrow in Oxford ,Ms. on 11/19/2010 at 10:01

Hey folks pretty good mag and has gotten the attengtion of my tech/secretary. Yea female that I am training that just loves MOPARS- esp. Vipers and the current Challenger get her fired up. Here family owned a Mopar dealer at one time so.... Yes she had worked on a Viper at my shop . Specialize in BMW/Mini somePorsche/Vipers, BUT my heart is with Mopars. Have a 77 Arrow Super Gas car i built about all by my self in the early 90s and ran it awhile until my biz got crazy. Now trying to get back in afer a bad divorce that should be over soon. Running small block parts that I bought from Herb Mc Candless/Hensley Motorsports/Hays Performance and Ed Hamburger back in the day. Trying to get a 414 and a 398 going from all the parts laying around... Matter of fact have 1 of 12 of the INDY designed cranks that Mopar had when developing the Indy engines back in the later 70s or 80s, got it from a friend on mine out of PA that also runs a cuda with Ray Barton power...

#5 By MoparMax.com in O'Fallon, MO on 07/23/2010 at 18:22

Bruce,

We're working on it! We had a reporter at Chryslers at Carlisle. Look for a complete report soon.

Matt Schramel
MoparMax.com

#4 By bruce bodenschatz in new germany on 07/19/2010 at 13:23

this is mopar max right where is your coverage of chryslers at carlisle im beginning to visit your site less because your behind in whats going on

#3 By MoparMax.com in O'Fallon, MO on 07/13/2010 at 14:00

Carolyn,

Jack Beckman, Ron Capps, and Matt Hagan drive for Don Schumacher Racing. Here is a link to their contact information: www.shoeracing.com.

Matt Schramel
MoparMax.com

#2 By Carolyn McConaughey in Pennsylvania on 07/13/2010 at 13:59

Reprinted from "Letters to the Editor"
-----

I was wondering if you could help me get a fan mail address for the Mopar Funny Car team?

#1 By Jim Richey in Lake Orion, Michigan on 07/13/2010 at 13:57

Reprinted from "Letters to the Editor"
-----

Awesome restoration. I never saw it myself but often do see Della Woods and her brother Bernie. Wish they could still own it, they are very deserving people.

Ed. Note: Our article about restoring Della Woods’ car ran in 2008. Here is the link: www.moparmax.com/features/featurecar/iii_11-della-1.html.


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