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Tony Schumacher Kicks Off NHRA Countdown with Semifinal Finish at Reading
Qualified: No. 9 (3.737 E.T. at 328.54 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.701 E.T. at 330.88 MPH defeated Austin Prock 3.716 E.T. at 329.91 MPH
E2: 3.716 E.T. at 329.26 MPH defeated Justin Ashley 3.707 E.T. at 333.41 MPH
E3: 4.420 E.T. at 196.42 MPH defeated by Steve Torrence 3.685 E.T. at 329.34 MPH
READING, Pa. (September 18, 2023) – After a regular season filled with struggles, eight-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher kick-started his Countdown to the Championship campaign with a get-healthy weekend at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. His Reading, Pa. outing included a consistent qualifying effort and successful race day that saw Schumacher and the SCAG Power Equipment dragster move on to the rain-delayed semifinals on Monday morning.Qualified: No. 9 (3.737 E.T. at 328.54 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.701 E.T. at 330.88 MPH defeated Austin Prock 3.716 E.T. at 329.91 MPH
E2: 3.716 E.T. at 329.26 MPH defeated Justin Ashley 3.707 E.T. at 333.41 MPH
E3: 4.420 E.T. at 196.42 MPH defeated by Steve Torrence 3.685 E.T. at 329.34 MPH
Schumacher ran into tire smoke early in his first qualifying attempt on Friday, but he came back in the second session and laid down a smooth 3.737 E.T. at 328.54 MPH to sit eighth going into Saturday. His 3.755-second pass was the third-quickest run of the third session on Saturday, earning one bonus point. The five-time Reading winner rounded out qualifying with a 3.749-second effort in the final session, settling into the No. 9 position for Sunday eliminations. It was one of Schumacher’s best overall qualifying performances of the season.
In the first pair of Top Fuel eliminations after the national anthem on Sunday morning, Schumacher lined up with No. 8 qualifier Austin Prock. Schumacher was first off the starting line by a few thousandths of a second and led the whole way, winning with a 3.701 E.T. to Prock’s 3.716 E.T. Schumacher then faced fellow JCM Racing driver and points leader Justin Ashley in the second round. Schumacher moved first again, and it was enough of a holeshot advantage to beat Ashley’s quicker 3.707-second pass with a 3.716 E.T.
Just as Schumacher and four-time world champion Steve Torrence were set to run their semifinal match, a rain shower put a pause on the racing action. The pair fired up for a second time after the rain stopped, but another shower derailed the race and ultimately pushed the completion of the event into Monday. When racing resumed on Monday morning, Schumacher stood on the throttle and drove into early tire smoke. Though he attempted to regain traction, he had to lift as Torrence charged on for the win.
“That was a crazy day, man,” said Schumacher, who was competing in his 550th NHRA event. “Tightest track I've ever seen. The car shook hard. I pedaled it, did a nice wheelstand, and (Torrence) made a good, solid run, and earned himself into the finals with (Doug) Kalitta. We were going to have to run a 3.65. He had a hell of a light, and it was just a great race, man. That's why he's a champ.”
Schumacher entered the weekend in the No. 12 spot. By advancing to the semifinals, he moved up three spots to ninth in the Top Fuel standings. He’s now within one round win of the seventh-place driver.
“We were 139 points out coming into this race and we worked our way closer,” Schumacher said. “We're a long way from a championship, but we're still alive. We’ve pulled off miracles before, and the fact that the car came so far this weekend, it’s huge. We have five races to go. Let's get ourselves into the top five and fight for this thing.”
The next stop for Schumacher and the SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel team is the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 22-24, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina.
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About JCM Racing:
Established in 2022, the Maynard family’s JCM Racing organization is a multi-car NHRA team owned by Joe and Cathi Maynard, along with their minority partners Eric and Kim Lehman. JCM Racing takes pride in operating as a family unit with son Joe C. Maynard and daughter-in-law, Andrea Maynard, also having an ownership stake and leading the team in executive roles. The executive staff operates out of Clarksville, Tenn., while the racing headquarters are located in Brownsburg, Ind.Headliners for the JCM Racing team are the SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel dragster driven by Tony Schumacher, the SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang Funny Car piloted by Tim Wilkerson, and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster campaigned by Justin Ashley. As an eight-time world champion and 86-time event winner, Schumacher is the most decorated Top Fuel driver in the history of the sport. Wilkerson is a 24-time Funny Car winner and an industry anomaly as he serves as both the driver and tuner of his 11,000-horsepower machine. While still considered a newcomer to the Camping World Series, Ashley, the 2020 Rookie of the Year recipient, has already earned a reputation as one of the best 'leavers' in the Top Fuel category. NHRA Hall of Famer Don Schumacher, father of Tony Schumacher, is a minority owner of the SCAG dragster, while Tim Wilkerson Racing (TWR) co-owns the SCAG/LRS Mustang with JCM Racing. The Maynard Ashley Racing (MAR) operation is co-owned by JCM Racing and Max Out Motorsports. Between the three entities, JCM Racing owns seven national event wins to date.
JCM Racing also operates a driver development program, which currently lends support to three entries in NHRA’s Sportsman categories. Wyatt Wagner competes in Super Stock, Kayleigh Hill is a Super Comp racer, and Waylon Bennett tears it up in the Jr. Drag Racing League. Through the driver development program, JCM offers young talent the opportunity to hone in and perfect their driving skills as they work toward a career competing in NHRA’s professional ranks.
For more information, visit @jcmnitro on Twitter and Instagram, @JCMNitro on Facebook, and JCMNitro.com.
