The seven-time world champ has created some magical come-from-behind championship-winning performances over the years at the historic drag strip in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley.
Perhaps his most memorable, “The Run,” took place in 2006, the final season before the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship era began. Schumacher trailed leader Doug Kalitta by 45 points heading to the final race. As semifinal loser Kalitta looked on at the top end of the track late Sunday waiting to receive his first championship trophy, Schumacher defied the odds and stole the trophy away at the last instant with an amazing record-setting, race-winning performance in his U.S. Army dragster.
The following season Schumacher came to the season-ending race in Pomona in fourth place, 68 points behind leader Hot Rod Fuller. After Fuller’s dragster lost traction and was eliminated in the first round, Schumacher put together a string of round wins under intense pressure and ultimately captured the race victory and the championship title.
Schumacher will try to draw on those two experiences as he enters the Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov. 8-11 at Auto Club Raceway. In second place in the Top Fuel standings, he trails series leader Antron Brown by 65 points at the final race of the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship, which will be televised on ESPN2HD.
“This is a pressure cooker,” said Schumacher, the most prolific Top Fuel driver in NHRA history, who has raced to two victories in eight final rounds this season. “This is what it’s all about.”
The territory is nothing new for Schumacher, who has made a career out of rising to the occasion during big moments.
“I always wanted the ball in my hands for the last shot, and I always wanted to sit in a seat and have to win to be the champ, not hope someone else loses,” Schumacher said. “And I think Antron is in a really good spot right now. He’s ahead of us, but he’s not that kind of guy. He does not want to have to watch someone lose, he wants to close the deal, just like we do. At the award banquet we all want to be on that stage.”
Hot on their trail is FRAM dragster driver Spencer Massey in third place, 70 points back of Brown. Al-Anabi Racing’s Shawn Langdon, at 116 points back in fourth place, is also mathematically still in contention.
Given the incredible competition, Schumacher says this season has been one of the toughest ever.
“It is the best class of cars that has ever been put together,” Schumacher said. “There are more great cars than we’ve ever seen, the great drivers, the teams. There’s nine or ten cars that are extremely good. The guy that stands on the podium at the end is going to be well deserving of the Full Throttle championship. That’s it. Because it has been as difficult as anything I’ve ever seen.”
And that’s saying something for the Los Angeles native who now calls Chicago home. In winning seven world championship titles, Schumacher has won in every way imaginable. In addition to the two dramatic comebacks, Schumacher has also dominated a season (2008), claimed a title by winning only one race (1999) and also took a title that he wasn’t supposed to win after parting ways with noted crew chief Alan Johnson (2009).
“I have lived some great moments,” Schumacher said. “At the end of my career I will be able to look back and think, there have been very few years that haven’t been extremely gratifying. This will be at the top of the list if we can pull this off.”
In Funny Car, points leader Jack Beckman and second place Ron Capps are separated by only four points at the top of the series standings. While those two drivers along with longshot Mike Neff fight for the world championship title, high-profile rookie drivers Courtney Force and Alexis DeJoria will continue their season-long battle for bragging rights. Pomona legend John Force, an eight-time winner of this event, will be trying to add to his record 134 career victories behind the wheel of his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang.
In Pro Stock, Team Mopar Dodge Avenger driver Allen Johnson is very close to wrapping up his first world championship title and in the two-wheel category, Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider Eddie Krawiec needs only a few more points to secure his third Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship title.
In observance of Veteran’s Day, on Sunday, Nov. 11, active and retired military can save $10 per Sunday ticket by showing military ID. A special Veteran’s Day Track Walk with Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown will be held on Sunday morning. Free for all Sunday ticket holders, the popular Track Walk gives fans the opportunity to walk down the legendary drag strip alongside some of the NHRA’s biggest stars.
As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful motorsports attraction on the planet. While strolling through the pits and the Midway, fans will want to check out NHRA’s “Rumble in the Junction” Car Corral featuring dozens of nostalgic dragsters, race cars and hot rods on display. The Rumble in the Junction also will showcase several NHRA-exclusive Cacklefests throughout the weekend.
As part of the Nitro Generation theme of the season, NHRA is offering free general admission for kids 12 and under with a paying adult. Tickets are available online at www.NHRATIX.com or by calling the NHRA Ticket Sales Center at 800-884-NHRA (6472).
• SCHEDULE: Full Throttle Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9 and continue at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11.
• TICKETS: Tickets are available online at www.NHRATIX.com or by calling the NHRA Ticket Sales Center at 800-884-NHRA (6472).
• TELEVISION: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 2:30 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, Nov. 11. Also on Sunday, Nov. 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 7 p.m. (ET), and will be preceded by one hour of qualifying coverage at 6 p.m. (ET). ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will re-air eliminations at 3:30 a.m. (ET) on Wednesday, Nov. 21.
• ON THE WEB: Get instant results, access to photos, video and audio clips, and the latest news updates from every NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at www.nhra.com.
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AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS FACT SHEET
WHAT: 48th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, the final of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and the final of six races in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship. The top 10 drivers in four categories - Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle - earn points leading to 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships.
WHERE: Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Pomona, Calif. Track is located off I-10 at Fairplex Drive. From I-10, go north on Fairplex drive and follow the signs to Auto Club Raceway at the Fairplex.
WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 8-11.
SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, Nov. 8 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying at 8:15 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 1 p.m.
FRIDAY, Nov. 9 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying and eliminations at 8:15 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 1 p.m.
SATURDAY, Nov. 10 - LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations begin at 8:15 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
SUNDAY, Nov. 11 - Pre-race ceremonies, 9:45 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Sunday, Nov. 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 2:30 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage starting at 7 p.m. (ET).
Wednesday, Nov. 21, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will re-air 90 minutes of eliminations at 3:30 a.m. (ET).
SATELLITE (Digital HD feed):
Friday, Nov. 9, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 20C
Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 - 10 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 20C
Sunday, Nov. 11, 10:30 - 11 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 20C
(4100 MHz, vertical; Data Rate: 40.461470554 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.
2011 EVENT WINNERS: Del Worsham, Top Fuel; Matt Hagan, Funny Car; Greg Stanfield, Pro Stock; Andrew Hines, Pro Stock Motorcycle.
MOST VICTORIES: John Force, FC, 8; Kenny Bernstein, TF-FC, 6; Bob Glidden, PS, 5; Greg Anderson, PS, 5; John Myers, PSM, 5; Tony Schumacher, TF, 4; Warren Johnson, PS, 4; Dave Schultz, PSM, 4.
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.745 seconds by Spencer Massey, Feb. ’12; 328.62 mph by Massey, Feb, ‘12
Funny Car - 4.009 seconds by Matt Hagan, Nov. ’11; 318.92 mph by Robert Hight, Nov. ‘11
Pro Stock - 6.520 seconds by Mike Edwards, Nov. ’11; 212.46 mph by Jason Line, Feb. ’12
PS Motorcycle - 6.811 seconds by Eddie Krawiec, Nov. ’10; 198.12 mph by Krawiec, Nov. ’11
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.
Funny Car - 3.986 sec. by Jack Beckman, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 320.58 mph by Beckman, Oct. ‘12, Reading, Pa.
Pro Stock - 6.477 sec. by Jason Line, Oct. ’11, Reading, Pa.; 214.35 mph by Line, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.
PS Motorcycle - 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 199.26 mph by Eddie Krawiec, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.
TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Tickets also available online at www.NHRATIX.com.
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NHRA FULL THROTTLE COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
GLENDORA, Calif. – Point standings (top 10) following the 22nd of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel: 1. Antron Brown, 2,522; 2. Tony Schumacher, 2,457; 3. Spencer Massey, 2,452; 4. Shawn Langdon, 2,406; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 2,336; 6. Doug Kalitta, 2,309; 7. Morgan Lucas, 2,299; 8. Steve Torrence, 2,265; 9. Bob Vandergriff, 2,264; 10. David Grubnic, 2,225.
Funny Car: 1. Jack Beckman, 2,531; 2. Ron Capps, 2,527; 3. Mike Neff, 2,443; 4. Johnny Gray, 2,323; 5. Cruz Pedregon, 2,307; 6. Courtney Force, 2,293; 7. (tie) John Force, 2,249; Robert Hight, 2,249; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 2,241; 10. Jeff Arend, 2,211.
Pro Stock: 1. Allen Johnson, 2,630; 2. Jason Line, 2,504; 3. Erica Enders, 2,433; 4. Vincent Nobile, 2,419; 5. Greg Anderson, 2,305; 6. Mike Edwards, 2,274; 7. V. Gaines, 2,268; 8. Jeg Coughlin, 2,239; 9. Ron Krisher, 2,237; 10. Larry Morgan, 2,167.
Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Eddie Krawiec, 2,672; 2. Andrew Hines, 2,561; 3. Hector Arana Jr, 2,448; 4. Hector Arana, 2,399; 5. Karen Stoffer, 2,334; 6. Matt Smith, 2,293; 7. Michael Ray, 2,285; 8. Scotty Pollacheck, 2,262; 9. LE Tonglet, 2,217; 10. Shawn Gann, 2,208.
