Thirty years ago, John Force put together a Funny Car season so dominant the numbers still look almost unreasonable.
At the NHRA U.S. Nationals, Jack Beckman will help bring a piece of that 1996 season back to the starting line.
Beckman’s PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car will carry a throwback version of the black-and-white flame scheme Force debuted at the 1996 NHRA Finals in Pomona. The tribute marks the 30th anniversary of a season in which Force won 13 of 19 races and claimed the sixth of his eventual 16 NHRA Funny Car world championships.
Force joined Beckman and John Force Racing teammate Jordan Vandergriff for the car’s unveiling Thursday at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis.
The two-tone design features black across the upper half of the Funny Car and white along the bottom, with the dividing line rising toward the rear. Flames stretch across the hood toward the windshield, while the white PEAK logo sits above Force’s familiar red signature.
“I think the entire idea of throwback paint schemes is awesome and I want to continue to be a part of what PEAK has done the past couple of years,” Beckman said. “I had forgotten that that paint scheme was only run for the Finals at Pomona that year. The 1996 season was really when Force and Coil (Austin Coil, crew chief) were just steamrolling. I remember as a fan that John was so dominant in that era because of the fear he put into the other drivers. People took shots and got out of their comfort zone lining up next to him.
“The car that had this particular paint scheme is 1-0. It has a perfect record and, ironically, John beat his JFR teammate, Tony Pedregon, in the final round. So, I’d like to beat one of my JFR teammates in the final round at Indy and keep that streak alive.”
Beckman has some history of his own at Indianapolis. The 2012 Funny Car world champion won the U.S. Nationals in 2015 and 2020 and will be seeking his third Indy victory when qualifying begins Sept. 4 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
He enters the sport’s biggest race fifth in the Funny Car standings after 13 events. Beckman has one victory this season at Epping and runner-up finishes at Charlotte, Maryland and Norwalk.
The throwback also continues PEAK’s recent tradition of reaching into the John Force Racing archives for its U.S. Nationals designs. Last season, the company brought back Force’s famed Brute Force look.
“When we started to think about which car would be best for a 2026 throwback, we instantly gravitated toward this car since it’s the 30th anniversary,” said Brian Bohlander, director of marketing, sports and partnership at Old World Industries. “It was a fan favorite, and we’ve talked about running a black PEAK car for years, so this was the right time and the right scheme. Besides, who doesn’t love flames on a race car?”
PEAK’s relationship with John Force Racing dates to 2014, when the company joined the organization as a major associate sponsor. It moved into a partial primary role in 2015 before beginning its full-season sponsorship in 2016, making this season the 10th anniversary of that program.
Force won five U.S. Nationals during his career, but the numbers attached to his 1996 championship explain why PEAK chose this particular car.
Force reached 16 final rounds in 19 races, qualified No. 1 at 13 events and won 65 rounds of eliminations. He also became the first Funny Car driver to break the 4.90-second barrier with a 4.889-second run at Topeka.
His season extended beyond drag racing’s record book. Force was named the 1996 Driver of the Year, becoming the first drag racer to receive the honor in the award’s then-30-year history.
And when the season reached Pomona, Force put the black-and-white car in the winner’s circle by defeating teammate Tony Pedregon in the final.
“Brian Bohlander and all the folks at PEAK have done a great job in bringing back some of our iconic paint schemes for the U.S. Nationals, like last year’s Brute Force car,” Force said. “This year’s 1996 NHRA Finals tribute scheme is something I think the fans are really going to like. The 1996 season was an amazing year for John Force Racing and to win at Pomona at the end of the season with this paint scheme made it that much more special. I look forward to seeing it on the track with Jack behind the wheel.”
Thirty years later, the paint scheme returns with its perfect record intact.
Beckman gets the next shot at keeping it that way.
