BECKMAN EARNS NHRA TOP
FUEL LICENSE
“Fast
Jack” Beckman, 38, the 2003 NHRA Lucas Oil Super Comp
champion, completed his Top Fuel licensing requirements
last weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Beckman,
who works as an instructor at Frank Hawley’s Drag
Racing School in Pomona, CA, became the student as tuner
Jimmy Walsh guided him through his first runs in Dexter
Tuttle’s 8,000 horsepower Menards/Mail Terminal Services/DHL
dragster.
Over a two week period, Beckman made a total of 10 passes
in Las Vegas including a best of 4.750 at 299.33 mph to
successfully upgrade his license from Top Alcohol Dragster
to Top Fuel. He also made three other passes in the four
second zone and two over 290 mph. Fellow Top Fuel drivers
Rod Fuller and Steve Chrisman signed the license application
making it official. (Tim Marshall
photo) [4-5-2005]
NEW BODY FOR GILBERTSON AT HOUSTON
After a successful weekend at the NHRA Gatornationals where
Bob Gilbertson came away with a runner-up finish and a final
round thrash after burning up his Monte Carlo body as the
result of an engine fire in the semi final round while beating
reigning champ John Force, the team returned to their new
race shop in Blacksburg, SC to completely rebuild the race
car.
"The Monte Carlo body was junk," Gilbertson said.
"There was hardly anything we could use off of it so
I purchased another body from Don Prudhomme. We had only
two weeks to get it mounted, painted and get the graphics
applied and my team worked around the clock to get it ready
for Houston."
"We literally had to start from scratch and build
a new race car," Tommy Delago, Gilbertson's co-crew
chief said. "We completely stripped the chassis and
replaced everything. The fire burnt up just about every
part on the car and having to mount a new body complicated
the process. The guys worked their butts off to get it done
and we're all looking forward to getting to Houston and
back on the race track."
Houston is where Gilbertson got his only NHRA national
event win in 2000. [4-5-2005]
FUEL ALTERED FRIDAY
If
you need a dose of nitro, John Keigley presents his Fuel
Altered Friday on April 8 at Bakersfield, CA's Famoso Raceway
with the cream of the crop in modern nitro altereds. Cars
confirmed are the legendary "Winged Express" driven
by Mike Boyd (shown), record holding (5.29) Ron Fassil,
Stephen Neese’s world’s fastest altered (282
mph), Jeff Bennett in his "No Mercy" Fiat, Jeff
Deihl’s "Witch Doctor", Jeff Daebelliehn’s
"Fast 'n Forty" roadster, James Generalo’s
"Impatient" and the fuel altereds of Ty Norton
and Ed Shawarz.
There will also be a nitro funny car match race between
Jeff Utterback in Gaynor's ’70 Cuda and Bob Godfrey
in the "Flamed Fortune" '63 'Vette. www.fuelalteredfriday.com.
(Darr Hawthorne photo) [4-5-2005]
