NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The ultimate definition of NHRA competitive dominance that was John Force’s 1996 championship season was capped off with a special paint scheme at that year’s season finale, and it’s that same iconic black-and-white flame job scheme that Jack Beckman’s Peak Chevrolet SS Funny Car will carry at the Sept. 2-7 Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Force, Beckman, and Jordan Vandergriff, driver of John Force Racing’s Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car, were on hand as the Peak Squad entry was unveiled today at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis.

The 30th anniversary scheme consists of a two-toned body, with a black upper half and white lower half, angling up from front to back, with flames running up the hood toward the windshield. The white Peak logo sits above the iconic John Force stylized autograph in red.

“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,” said Beckman. “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 and the Peak Squad are currently fifth in the 2026 NHRA Funny Car points standings after 13 races. The 2012 NHRA Funny Car world champion and two-time Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals Funny Car champion (2015, 2020) has earned one victory (Epping) and three runner-up finishes this season (Charlotte, Maryland, Norwalk).

“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 & 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?”

The 2026 NHRA season is the 10th anniversary of Peak’s full-season sponsorship with John Force Racing. The Northbrook, Ill.-based company came on as a major associate in 2014 and stepped up to a partial primary position in 2015 before becoming the full-season primary sponsor in 2016 that continues today.

“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,” said Force, a five-time U.S. Nationals winner (1993, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2019). “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.”

On the way to the sixth of his 16 NHRA Funny Car world championships, Force achieved a list of statistics that is still hard to fathom 30 years after they were written into the record books:

•    13 event wins of the 19-event season
•    16 final-round appearances
•    13 No. 1 qualifier spots
•    65 round-wins in eliminations
•    The first Funny Car to break the 4.90-second barrier (4.889 seconds in Topeka)
•    1996 Driver of the Year Award, the first drag racer to be named in the 30-year history of the award

Beckman and John Force Racing teammate Alexis DeJoria are two of the eight drivers who will compete in the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout. The first round of the Funny Car All-Star Callout takes place at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the semifinals at 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:40 p.m. A special broadcast of the Callout will take place on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.