IRWINDALE, Calif. -- Champion NHRA drag racer Jack Beckman will be the guest of honor tonight, at Irwindale Dragstrip on the 605 freeway at the 210.

The NHRA MoPar driver, who was born in Granada Hills and makes his home in nearby Norco, pilots the Valvoline NextGen Nitro Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing in championship drag racing events across the country.

"We plan on presenting Jack with the 'Key' to the 'Strip tonight," said Irwindale facilities manager, Bob Klein. "This guy is one of our true local heroes, everyone loves "Fast" Jack Beckman. He's a real winner in all of our books, and this chance to tell him that right here at our little strip is a big deal for all of us."

"We'll hold up our on-track racing action for a few minutes at about 7:30PM on Thursday and get Jack out to the starting line for a quick presentation of the 'key' to the Dragstrip," said Klein.

The inscription will not only recognize Beckman as a great racer, but as an even greater human being. A cancer survivor, Beckman has become a highly-respected spokesperson in the fight against the deadly disease.

Irwindale is an NHRA-sanctioned 1/8-mile Dragstrip located at the Irwindale Event Center in Irwindale, California. Opened in 2001, the street legal 'Strip has been the site of hundreds of 'Thursday Night Thunder' test'n'tune events, along with numerous individual racing events like HotVWs, Mooneyes, The Antique Nationals, NHRA Junior Drags, and regular Summit Series Events throughout the year.