U.S. Army-sponsored Schumacher looks to win peculiar NHRA battle

Published Apr. 27, 2017 5:09 p.m. ET

Bobby Bennett

Tony Schumacher has won many battles, 83 to be accurate.

The U.S. Army-sponsored Schumacher, who answers to the nickname "Sarge," has also won a lot of wars, eight of them.

However, the decorated soldier still craves victory in the one battle he's never won; a fight which is likened to a war when four 10,000-horsepower dragsters run simultaneously. The unique format of the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, is scheduled for this weekend at zMAX Dragway, the palatial drag strip located on the grounds of Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC.

If anyone knows this war is hell, it's Schumacher.

“You can’t make a little mistake because there are three other drivers who can capitalize on it,” Schumacher said. “Normally, you might be able to make a mistake and there’s a chance the other driver will make one, too. But when there are three of them, you’ve got a couple guys who are going to be ice cold. You have to be a machine to win the Four-Wide. You have to be as ice cold as you can ever be to get the job done. I want that Four-Wide trophy. It’s a race I haven’t won and our mission this weekend is to be the last one standing.”

The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals is the sixth of 24 events during the 2017 NHRA season, and Schumacher has already rekindled the same spirit which has made him one of the most dominant drivers to ever suit up for Top Fuel competition.

The U.S. Army-sponsored Schumacher enters the weekend ranked third in championship points behind teammates Leah Pritchett, who has three wins and the points lead, and back-to-back world champ Antron Brown. Schumacher has one victory this season thus far.

“This U.S. Army team hit the ground running at the start of this season and what it all comes down to is the fact we’ve got a great race car, which leads to a great attitude for the driver and everyone on the team,” Schumacher said. “Things have come together here in the early part of the season where the fruits of our labor of paid off and we’ve had a great race car everywhere we’ve gone.”

Schumacher briefly led the championship battle until last weekend when a second round knocked him from the top spot.

“This race is certainly different from all of the others, but it’s still my job to leave the starting line at the light and get to the finish line first,” Schumacher said. “My job is to drive a race car no matter how many cars are there. If you’re racing in this series and you don’t look forward to being challenged each and every day, you’re in the wrong business. What it comes down to is you’re only as good as your next run. With the start we’ve had to this season, it puts just another bounce in your step when you go to work each day. We still have a long way to go.”

***

Bobby Bennett is the Publisher/Editor of CompetitionPlus.com, a leading independent online drag racing magazine, since 1999. For the latest in dragster news worldwide, visit www.competitionplus.com or follow on Twitter @competitionplus