TONY SCHUMACHER
U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster

ALL ABOUT TONY

• Residence: Chicago area
• Hometown: Chicago
• Date of Birth: Dec. 25, 1969
• On the Internet: twitter.com/ARMYRACING, facebook.com/TonySchumacherTF, GoArmy.com, ShoeRacing.com

PERSONAL

• Wife: Cara
• Children: Anthony, Michael, Jacqueline
• Height/weight: 5-foot-8, 158 pounds
• Hobbies: Hockey, fly-fishing, golf, racquetball, flying radio-controlled helicopters, kick boxing and riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle

RACING

• Category: Top Fuel Dragster
• Sponsor: U.S. Army
• Team owner: Don Schumacher Racing
• Crew chief: Mike Green
• NHRA series championships: 7
• NHRA event titles: 69
• NHRA final rounds: 119
• NHRA No. 1 qualifying positions: 71
• Career-best elapsed time: 3.736 seconds
• Career-best speed: 330.30 mph

NOTABLE

• Won six consecutive and seven overall NHRA Top Fuel series championships
• One of three drag racers to earn prestigious Driver of the Year Award (2008) when he won 15 of 18 championship-round appearances during the 24-race season.
• Has won a record nine U.S. Nationals Top Fuel titles
• Son of drag racing pioneer Don Schumacher, who owns DSR and will be inducted in 2013 to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame

MILESTONES

• Most Top Fuel championships: 7
• Most consecutive Top Fuel championships 6 (2004-09)
• Most Top Fuel event titles: 69
• Most event titles in a season: 15 (2008), tied an NHRA professional record
• Most consecutive championship rounds: 11 (2008)
• Most championship rounds: 18 (2008)
• Most elimination round wins: 76 (90 percent, 2008)

Schumacher, U.S. Army team nearly rally to win another
NHRA Top Fuel season championship, set sights on 2013

The 2011 season marked the first year when Tony did not win an NHRA national event. Although he placed fifth in the final NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series standings, he and crew chief Mike Green advanced to seven championship rounds.

But Tony, known as the “Sarge” at the racetrack, and Green followed the “Army Strong” creed and not only won two NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event titles in 2012 but came within seven points of completing a miraculous championship comeback before falling short of overcoming Don Schumacher Racing and U.S. Army teammate Antron Brown at the season-finale.

After Antron lost in the opening round, Tony needed to win his four elimination races on Nov. 11 and the event title, but lost by 0.0081 of a second to Brandon Bernstein in the championship race.

Had Tony beaten Brandon Bernstein, it would have marked the third time the U.S. Army team mounted a miraculous comeback at the series season-finale to earn a season championship.

The 2011 season marked the first year Tony did not win an NHRA national event title although his team advanced to seven championship rounds and finished the season ranked fifth in points.

The Army team regained its mojo in 2012 by ranking first in points five times and never fell below fourth in the standings through the 23-race season.

MIRACLES AT POMONA

Had the seven-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion been able to pull off the win in the 2012 finale, it would have marked the third time in seven years Tony and his Army team produced championships in stunning style.

In 2006, Tony rallied from a 336-point deficit to take the championship in the final round of the season. He not only had to win the final round but set an NHRA national elapsed time record in the process. He did both.

The year after that, Tony had to win the last event title of the year and he did.

TONY UNDER GLASS

Although he came up short in his quest for the 2012 championship, DSR and the Army team made an even greater contribution to the sport when it unveiled a new safety canopy late in August that propelled Top Fuel drag racing firmly into the 21st century.

The canopy was developed by Green, DSR, James Brendel and Indianapolis-based Aerodine Composites Group.

The canopy protects the driver with a hydraulic, fighter jet-type canopy that includes sides and rear made of a combination of Kevlar and carbon fiber that slips over of an existing chassis.

The module is reinforced for further side protection. The canopy can be quickly released inside by the driver or at the rear by crew or safety workers. The canopy also carries a fire suppression system and fresh-air breathing system similar to those used in Funny Cars.

RECORD MAKER

Tony’s list of Top Fuel records was extended by one in 2012 when he won his ninth title in the U.S. Nationals – the year’s biggest event – that broke his previous tie with motorsports legend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits.

FIRST TO 330 - TWICE

Tony became the first NHRA racer to reach 330 mph since the sanctioning body shortened the racing distance from 1,320 feet to 1,000 feet with a speed of 330.30 mph near Charlotte, N.C., early in 2012.

He also is the first to reach 330 mph over 1,320 feet when he went 330.23 mph in 1999 near Phoenix.

EARLY RACING, JETS

Tony’s entry into drag racing was in a 160-mph Super Comp dragster in 1992, but it didn’t take long for him move up to something much faster. In 1993-94, Tony drove the 290-mph Odyssey Jet Dragster owned by Wayne Knuth, and graduated to a Top Alcohol Funny Car in 1995-96.

In 1996, he drove in four NHRA Top Fuel events and was runner-up at the first one, the prestigious the U.S. Nationals.

EDUCATION

Tony attended Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Ill., and St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield, Wis. He later attended Oakton Community College before majoring in marketing and business administration at Roosevelt University in Chicago.