NHRA U.S. Nationals Event 16 of 22 Indianapolis Raceway Park Indianapolis Sept. 2-5, 2022
TONY SCHUMACHER Driver of the Maynard Family Racing Top Fuel Dragster
U.S. Nationals Event Highlights:
10-time U.S. Nationals champion (2000, 2002 - 2004, 2006 - 2009, 2012, 2016)
Two-time runner-up (1996, 2005)
Four-time No. 1 qualifier (2005 - 2007, 2014)
2020 Indianapolis Recap: Qualified 14th; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Clay Millican in E1; defeated by Leah Pruett in E2) Note: Did Not Compete in 2021 Last Event (Brainerd): Qualified seventh; Event runner-up (defeated Doug Kalitta in E1, Josh Hart in E2, Justin Ashley in E3; defeated by Steve Torrence in E4) Career Statistics: 527 races; 86 event wins; 88 No. 1 qualifiers 2022 Statistics: 15 races; one win; one runner-up finish Noteworthy, Competition:
After powering to victory in Seattle earlier this month, Schumacher raced to a runner-up finish in Brainerd, Minn. two weeks ago, having visited the final round two times over the last three events
Following the Brainerd race, the team was notified that they were receiving a fine and points penalty due to circumstances related to the second elimination round at the Minnesota event. Schumacher was docked 50 points, and has dropped from eighth to 10th in the standings to start the race weekend. The team disagrees with NHRA’s stance and has requested that the penalties be reversed.
Noteworthy, Other:
With an unprecedented 10 U.S. Nationals victories, Schumacher is the winningest Camping World Series driver in Indianapolis history
The U.S Nationals is a hometown event for the Maynard Family Racing team, whose racing operation is located in nearby Brownsburg
Schumacher will campaign the Maynard Family Racing green and orange livery one final time before the JCM paint scheme is sunsetted following the event
Team minority owner Don Schumacher captured his first NHRA win during the 1970 U.S. Nationals race
Adding to the weekend excitement, the event will feature a 25-car Top Fuel field with only 16 drivers qualifying for Monday’s elimination show
Fan Events: Scag Power Equipment Autograph Session at the Scag Midway display, Saturday + Sunday, 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Quotable: “Performance wise, Indy is my best race. I'm looking forward to it, and we're coming off of three good, strong races. We're getting better every day, and I get to drive a race car, and that's what I love doing. Obviously, the situation with NHRA and the Brainerd race is not ideal, but we appealed it; we wrote a very good letter. We don't know where the points will be. We don't know if they'll take them all away. Obviously, you're definitely at an advantage starting closer to the front of the pack (in the Countdown), but I've come back from big deficits before, and I know we can do it again. Who finishes second, third, fourth, and fifth makes no difference to me. Who finishes number one does. So, if those points make a difference at the end and it costs us a championship? I'll be hurt by it. But at the end of the day, the points, the championships, I can look back over 20 years and we've won eight championships, and we've lost a few, and every year, I enjoy driving the race car just as much. “We’re back to running the JCM colors this weekend, and we’re looking forward to giving that livery a good sendoff. We ran the JCM paint scheme when the Maynards sponsored our car, but now that they’re the team owners, we’ve decided to run it one last time here at Indy, and then that’ll be it. This race is very special to Joe and Cathi Maynard, and it’s especially significant because this will be Cathi’s first race back on tour after having to sit out since Charlotte, so we’d love nothing more than to win U.S. Nats trophy No. 11 in the JCM colors. Let's make it a great show, and let the points fall where they may.”
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