Photography: Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery
BRAINERD, MINN. (Aug. 16, 2025) – Jack Beckman ran the table Saturday in final-day qualifying for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
The 2012 NHRA Funny Car Champion took advantage of a very strong John Force Racing PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS Funny Car in both rounds of qualifying. In the first, Beckman earned the No. 1 Qualifier spot with a run of 3.879 seconds at 330.63 mph. He then continued the hot streak in the second round to win the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge by defeating Matt Hagen with a lap of 3.942 seconds at 324.59 mph.
John Force Racing teammates Brittany Force and Austin Prock both qualified their cars in the No. 2 spot. Force’s first qualifying run Saturday was her best of four, with the Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster running 3.697 seconds and resetting the Brainerd International Raceway speed record at 340.82 mph. On the Funny Car side, the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS of season points leader and reigning series champion Austin Prock lost traction during both runs Saturday but, fortunately, had already established his best run the day before at 3.893 seconds at 331.45 mph.
Jack Beckman, driver of the John Force Racing PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS Funny Car:
This was Beckman’s fourth No. 1 Qualifier of the season, having previously taken the top spot at the season-opening Gatornationals (March 8), then at Route 66 Raceway (May 17) and Virginia Motorsports Park (June 21).
Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory was Beckman’s third of the 2025 season, having previous triumphed at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip (March 29) and New England Dragway (May 31).
Beckman will square off in the first round of Sunday’s eliminations again Dave Richards, the No. 16 qualifier with a best run of 5.816 seconds at 118.33 mph.
“I want to talk about our qualifying effort. I felt like we slipped earlier in the year, but the PEAK Squad is back, and I think that we’re happy with the consistency of our car. I’m over the moon with it but I want to clarify us ‘struggling’: we still were second in the points and able to get No. 1 qualifiers, win a Mission: 2Fast2Tasty Challenge and win a race. It’s just we were even better late last year into early this year. Our tune-up window was massive. We could miss it and still be a top three car for the session.
“It just seemed like when we went back to last year’s car, after I wrecked an Epping, it was telling us it wanted something a little bit different, and it took us a race-and-a-half to figure it out. Seattle was the eye-opener for us, where we said, ‘okay, this thing wants more here.’ We did that and I think we’re getting right back in the middle of having that large tune-up window again.”
Track & TV Schedules
Sunday’s eliminations start time have been moved up by 30 minutes and will now begin at 10 a.m. CT. FOX will air the eliminations show on Sunday, Aug. 17, from 3-6 p.m. ET.