After a successful two-year stretch as one of the top go-kart racers in the nation, David Powers Motorsports development driver Zach Beard is shifting his driving focus to the quarter-mile. The 17-year-old Beard, son of fuel-tuning legend Lee Beard, earned his NHRA competition license after wheeling Randy Meyer’s A/FD to a pass of 5.48 seconds at 252 mph March 17 at Gainesville Raceway.

Beard began racing go-karts in 2005, winning the SIRA Super Can championship in his first season on tour. He won on the Florida Winter Tour in 2007 and has finished in the top five the past two seasons in the Stars of Karting presented by IRL series. Beard also has raced Formula BMWs in Spain. He is a junior at Covenant Christian High School in Indianapolis.

After a successful two-year stretch as one of the top go-kart racers in the nation, David Powers Motorsports development driver Zach Beard is shifting his driving focus to the quarter-mile. The 17-year-old Beard, son of fuel-tuning legend Lee Beard, earned his NHRA competition license after wheeling Randy Meyer’s A/FD to a pass of 5.48 seconds at 252 mph March 17 at Gainesville Raceway.

Beard began racing go-karts in 2005, winning the SIRA Super Can championship in his first season on tour. He won on the Florida Winter Tour in 2007 and has finished in the top five the past two seasons in the Stars of Karting presented by IRL series. Beard also has raced Formula BMWs in Spain. He is a junior at Covenant Christian High School in Indianapolis.

“I want to thank David Powers for giving me the opportunity to be his development driver for David Powers Motorsports,” Beard said. “After making my first full run in Randy Meyer’s dragster, it was exciting to be able to turn to my dad and say ‘Even though you drove dragsters and Funny Cars, my first full run was quicker and faster than you ever went.’ Racing go-karts on a national level is very challenging, and I’ve had the opportunity to compete against Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, Tomas Scheckter, and Buddy Rice. Now, I can only hope to one day stage next to the Schumachers, Dixons, and Bernsteins.”

Beard made six laps Monday at the historic Florida dragstrip, two in a Super Comp dragster and four in Meyer’s dragster, in which Diana Harker competed at the 39th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals.