For the next eight months, Jack Beckman will have the thrill of gunning for Wallys in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car class with arguably the series top team in John Force Racing.

Ironic enough, entering the season opener in Gainesville, Fla., last year, the last thing on Beckmans mind was going 330-plus mph in a nitro-burning Funny Car.

However, after 16-time champion John Force suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury in a crash at Virginia Motorsports Park last June, Beckman received an unexpected call that saw him go from repairing elevators from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the weekdays to adding Funny Car driver to his weekend tasks.

Nobody wanted John to get hurt. Nobodys ever going to replace John, Beckman began. Somebody was going to get the call to fill in for him for eight races in 2024 while he decides what his long-term plans are.

That was absolutely surreal. I was out of the cockpit for three years and nine months. I had nothing lined up. I went back to a career that I was away from for 22 years. I went back the week after my last race, which was Vegas, 2020 and I thought, Thats that, this is where Ill retire.

Then I got that phone call and then Im driving John Forces car, Beckman continued. I couldnt tell you in an hour, the emotions that were involved with all of that. I dont know if Johns going to retire, or thats a decision hes going to make later on.

But to get an opportunity to know youre going to be in the same car for the entire season and that car can win races and a championship, is, for a guy thats going to go back to fixing elevators Monday, I go back to my regular job, I will have a smile on my face, I guarantee it.

Beckman was slated to run the final eight races of the NHRA season, where hed be able to carry Forces points from the previous races as the team eyed a championship, which they called Joint Task Force Mission Championship.

For someone whod been out of the cockpit for more than three years, some of the nuances would naturally cause a slight hurdle.

The part that was tough was putting the helmet on, Beckman began. I had only ever tackled a nostalgia Top Fuel car in the three years, nine months that I was out of the cockpit. I had no practice. But getting shoved into that tight area and getting the harnesses crushed down on you. I hated it.

I really didnt know how that was going to feel until I stood on the throttle the first time, like, OK, thats not that bad. I forgot what it was like in the summertime to sweat wearing all that stuff.

In fact, in my work van, I had turned off the air conditioner and rolled the windows up for the couple weeks before that, just to kind of try to get prepared.

California Highway Patrol is not fond of anybody wearing a helmet driving a work van, Beckman joked. So I didnt do that. But I wore it on the couch at home and I practiced some runs. But once I stood on the throttle, its like, OK, its back there in my mind.'

A large part of Beckmans ease back into Funny Car racing was due to his countless practice runs he made at Frank Hawleys Drag Racing School, where he still works as an instructor.

Getting comfortable inside the car is one thing. However, executing to near-perfection on Sundays is another animal.

Despite not being in a race-winning mindset since 2020, Beckman quickly knew the type of team and race car he had behind him one that could utterly obliterate the majority of the Funny Car field every week.

Knowing you can win, as compared to holding the trophy at the end of race day with your crew in the winners circle are light years apart, Beckman explained. In other words, if you drive a car thats not going to win the race, youre probably not thinking about either one of them.

I knew getting in that car, we were capable of winning. But racing luck can intervene a whole bunch, good or bad, you still may not ever win.

His rise back to the top came during the NHRA Midwest Nationals at Illinois World Wide Technology Raceway as he took down three-time champion Ron Capps in the final round.

However, within the 3.856-second run came a wide variety of emotions inside the Peak Chevrolet.

To close the deal, in St. Louis, like, Im at half track and our car is hauling butt, Beckman explained. The guys turned it up against Capps for the final round.

Then it puts a hole out on the right side. Then it puts a second hole out. It starts making a hard move to the wall and the throttle shuts off right before the finish line.

I went, Oh, sh- and then I saw my win light come on. I dont want to say its life changing. Its pretty damn cool, though.

If it wasnt for vertigo-like symptoms that sidelined him for the Texas Fall Nationals later in the Countdown to the Championship, Beckman may have been an even closer threat to teammate and eventual champion Austin Prock.

Nonetheless, Beckman capped off his unexpected partial season with a win at the NHRA World Finals in Pomona, Calif. with friend and boss Force in-person to witness his famed powdered-blue Chevrolet celebrate in victory lane.

Following the finale, it was unclear what was to come for Forces Funny Car. A month later during the annual Performance Race Industry trade show in Indianapolis, Beckman was named the full-time driver as Force continues to heal from his injuries.

With the keys handed over to Beckman at a full-time level again, he heads to this weekends Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., with a clear-eyed view of what stands between him and a title this season Prock.

I think our Peak Camaro was the best car in drag racing and Austins Cornwell Camaro might have been that much better, Beckman said. They had that twice in a generation season. What they did was just it wasnt unprecedented because (Don) Prudhomme has done it. Force has done it. His dad, Jimmy Prock has done that with Robert Hight.

He did that with me. But they won eight out of 20. They set the single-season mark for number one qualifiers in a season that was four races shorter than what weve had in the past. They are going to have the most ginormous target on their backs.

But so will we for next year and bring it on. I mean, thats a great feeling. Would you rather suck and slide in there next year, nobody looks at you or have have a car and a team thats thats dominating, wins a bunch of races and people take you seriously?

I will take the latter on those two.