Tony Schumacher Finishes in Top 10 for 23rd Season
An abbreviated qualifying outing at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals left Tony Schumacher, along with most of the Top Fuel field, with only two opportunities to score a bid into the final elimination day of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. On Saturday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, Schumacher and his Leatherwood Distillery Top Fuel team secured the No. 8 starting position. They were ready to make a run for their third win of the year on Sunday but were eliminated early when Clay Millican clocked the quickest pass of round one in the opposite lane to advance.
Schumacher’s qualifying outing at the season closer began when he rolled into the waterbox on Friday afternoon, ready to fire for the first qualifying session, and the skies opened up and started pouring rain. After on-and-off rain showers throughout the afternoon, the remainder of racing was canceled for the day. With only two shots to make it into the 16-car field, crew chief Mike ‘Zippy’ Neff tuned the Leatherwood machine to a stout 3.694 E.T. at 331.77-second pass during Saturday’s first session, placing the eight-time Top Fuel world champ in the provisional No. 4 position. They delivered another solid run of 3.725 seconds for the second and final session, with Schumacher settling into the No. 8 spot on the ladder to start race day.
Making his 575th NHRA appearance, Schumacher lined up against Millican and was eager to add to his six Wally trophies from the Pomona, California facility. Schumacher and Millican were the first pair of drivers to hit the gas on Sunday morning, and while both drivers made a clean pass, Millican left the line first and never trailed for the win, ending Schumacher’s day after the first round.
“Well that was a good ole fashioned butt-whoopin’!” exclaimed Schumacher after the loss. “He goes out and runs a 65 with a 45 light. I got out of the car and bowed to him, that’s all a man can do. It’s a shame we couldn’t have had a longer day, but I’m proud of the progress we continued to make throughout the year.
“We made it down the track three runs in a row this weekend, and they were fast, we just need some more power. Zippy knows exactly what he’s doing and what he’s got to do. We need to go out there, gain a little power. This is a great team, these guys are awesome, and I love working with them. The only disappointing thing is, I feel like things were really starting to come together for our team at the end of the season and we just ran out of races.”
Schumacher and the Leatherwood Distillery Top Fuel team close out the year ranked eighth, making this Schumacher’s 23rd Top 10 finish. While he is pleased with the team’s performance, the 88-time winner is looking forward to making a statement in 2025 but is vocal about the fact that they’re seeking funding to support their efforts.
“We’re looking forward to next year, but it is imperative that we find the right partner,” Schumacher added. “Huge thank you to Leatherwood for their support this season. We need someone to step up into that role and join them on the side of our dragster. We’re actively seeking a partner to come be a part of something great as we chase championship number nine.”
This story was originally published on November 18, 2024.
The post Tony Schumacher Finishes in Top 10 for 23rd Season first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
