Although Beckman lives within an hour of Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, he has yet to claim a victory from the famous racetrack.
"I've won Pomona twice, both times in Super Comp and both times it was the Winternationals," said Beckman, the 2003 NHRA Super Comp world champion.
"The NHRA Finals is a completely different race from the Winternationals in February to start the season. I understand it's the same racetrack, but both races are equally awesome for completely different reasons.
"The Finals is great because when you win it, you have two months that you and your team know that you ended the season on a perfect note," said the 2012 NHRA Funny Car world champ. "If we win the race, we can finish third in points. I think that would be phenomenal for a first-year team."
When Terry and Doug Chandler's Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team entered the NHRA Finals last season, the team roster was made up of a vastly different crew.
"If you look at the car coming into the Finals last year, John Medlen and Jack Beckman are the only two people that are on the roster this year so to integrate nine other people - and we've had two crew member changes in midseason - and to do it as well as we have makes me incredibly proud."
Medlen and fellow crew chiefs Dean Antonelli and Neal Strausbaugh have tuned the Infinite Hero Dodge to two wins this season. They are currently fourth in the NHRA points standings and in a tight battle for third among Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan and Courtney Force of John Force Racing.
Beckman is 152 points behind the point leader Robert Hight of JFR and 167 behind Ron Capps, another DSR teammate.
The NHRA points system has been adjusted for the final event of the season as the point value has increased by 150 percent. A team can earn a grand total of 191 points rather than 130 as is the case for the other 23 events during the NHRA season.
JACK BECKMAN, Terry and Doug Chandler's Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chiefs: Dean Antonelli, John Medlen, Neal Strausbaugh
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L
2017 4th 23 2 2 7 9 3 1 0 36-21
CAREER 275 26 27 52 82 81 22 7 368-242
Career best time, speed: 3.825 sec., (2016 Pomona 2); 335.57 mph (Las Vegas 2 2017)
BY THE NUMBERS
Last event, Oct. 29, Las Vegas: Qualified No. 1, lost in semifinals to Matt Hagan
A year ago at Pomona 2: Qualified No. 1, lost in semifinals to John Force
In February at Pomona 1: Qualified No. 8, lost in second round to Matt Hagan
Career at Pomona 2: Wins 0, Runner-ups 2 (2008, 2010), Poles 2 (2012, 2015)
Career at Pomona: Wins 0, Runner-ups 2 (2008, 2010), Poles 3 (2012, 2015, 2016)
FUNNY CAR
1. Robert Hight (4) 2548 ----
2. RON CAPPS (8) 2533 -15
3. Courtney Force 2423 -125
4. JACK BECKMAN (2) 2396 -152
5. MATT HAGAN (4) 2387 -161
x-6. John Force (1) 2306 -242
x-7. TOMMY JOHNSON JR. (1) 2276 -272
x-8. Tim Wilkerson 2237 -311
x-9. J.R. Todd (2) 2233 -315
x-10. Cruz Pedregon 2163 -345
x=eliminated from championship contention
About Don Schumacher Racing
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., fields seven professional NHRA teams. In Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher, the Matco Tools dragster driven by three-time world champion Antron Brown and the Papa John's Pizza/Mopar Top Fuel dragster driven by Leah Pritchett; and in Funny Car, 2016 world champion Ron Capps in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T; 2011 and 2014 world champion Matt Hagan in the 80th anniversary Mopar/ Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T, and 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge and the Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr., both of which are funded by the late Terry Chandler.
DSR has won 317 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.
