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US Army Racing

U.S. Army NHRA Racing Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Final Qualifying Report 

The field is set for Sunday’s opening round of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. The U.S. Army Racing trio of Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher, Leah Pritchett and Antron Brown wound up second, third and sixth on the elimination ladder, respectively, after the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday for this weekend’s 34th annual Dodge Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.

Schumacher made his championship aspirations clear Saturday behind the wheel of the U.S. Army Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) by laying down two more consistent passes, including his best run of the weekend during the final session. After posting a run of 3.792 seconds at 328.94 mph in Saturday’s first session, crew chief Mike Neff and assistant crew chief Phil Shuler went to work and provided “The Sarge” with the best car he had under him all weekend. The results proved it as he jumped up to the second position with his pass of 3.754 seconds at 328.86 mph. He will begin his quest for a sixth Maple Grove victory by facing Dave Mercier in Sunday’s first round.

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Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Friday Qualifying Report 

The U.S. Army Racing trio of Leah Pritchett, Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher and Antron Brown are second, fourth and fifth on the provisional ladder, respectively, after the opening two rounds of qualifying Friday for this weekend’s NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series 34th annual Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.

Schumacher began his run to victory in the opening event of the six-race Countdown to the Championships playoffs by taking his U.S. Army Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) down the track during both sessions at the historic venue. The eight-time Top Fuel world champion posted a good lap of 3.806 seconds at 324.94 mph, which put him sixth-best after the first session, and he followed that up with a run of 3.776 seconds at 329.67 mph to jump up two spots heading into Saturday.

“I’m happy,” said Schumacher, the only five-time Dodge NHRA Nationals winner in Top Fuel. “We made two runs down the track today and got the U.S. Army car a little better for the second run. We are expecting the same conditions tomorrow, so it’s another opportunity. We are using a completely different setup. The way the pedal works is completely different and the way I’m driving the car is different. We are just getting used to it and the car seems to really be liking it. I’m excited to start the Countdown at a great track like this where we have experienced so much success. We have locked up championships here in the past. It’s been a great place for us and we’re hoping that continues. It’s up to us now to keep it going. We’ve got to go out and go fast to win this race.”

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U.S. Army Racing Drivers Focused on Fast Countdown Start at Maple Grove 

MOHNTON, PA – The one common trait across every race driver is his or her desire to be the best and win races. After 18 regular season events in the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series campaign, several drivers made their case as being the best, but the next six events – and only the next six events – will determine this year’s champion.

This weekend’s 34th annual Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania kicks offs the six-event NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs and, for the U.S. Army Racing trio of Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher, Antron Brown and Leah Pritchett, it’s the opportunity they’ve worked for all season. All three are well positioned to make a run at this year’s Top Fuel world championship.

And history proves that winning matters during the playoffs. The last four Top Fuel world champions – Brittany Force in 2017, Brown in 2015 and 2016, and Schumacher in 2014 – each won three of the six Countdown events en route to winning the title. Winning at Maple Grove in particular has proven to be important as the last five Dodge NHRA Nationals winners went on to claim the championship. In fact, the last eight Top Fuel champions have advanced to the Reading final, so if recent history continues, the results of this weekend’s Countdown opener will go a long way in determining the 2018 champion.

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Indy Weekend Ends Abruptly for U.S. Army Trio

U.S. Army Racing’s Brown, Schumacher and Pritchett Exit Early in NHRA’s Biggest Race

The goal of the weekend for the Army Racing trio of Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher, Antron Brown and Leah Pritchett was to reach new milestones during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series’ signature event at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Unfortunately, making history will have to wait at least another year after all three lost traction in their respective runs and exited before they could advance deep in today’s elimination rounds of the 64th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.

Schumacher, the most decorated driver in Top Fuel and U.S. Nationals history, entered the weekend with a mission of scoring his 11th career Indy triumph. His first run of the weekend was his best and only time the U.S. Army Dragster for DSR made a 1000-foot run at speed. The eight-time Top Fuel world champion was hoping his U.S. Army Racing team led by Mike Neff and Phil Shuler would be able get his machine down the track Monday, but his race with Billy Torrence was simply a repeat performance from the Saturday and Sunday’s qualifying passes. “The Sarge” lost traction before reaching the eighth-mile and legged out a run of 4.203 seconds at 256.55 mph. Torrence won easily with his lap of 3.831 seconds at 320.05 mph, the second-best run of the session.

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U.S. Army NHRA Racing NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Saturday Qualifying Report 

There wasn’t a great deal of movement on the provisional ladder Saturday during the second day of qualifying for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series 64th annual NHRA Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. The U.S. Army Racing contingent of Antron Brown, Leah Pritchett, and Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher rank third, fifth and sixth, respectively, with three of five qualifying sessions complete.

Schumacher and his U.S. Army Dragster team for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) were not able to make it down cleanly in either session Saturday and hold the sixth position thanks to Friday night’s run of 3.751 seconds at 328.14 mph. He lost traction early in his first run Saturday resulting in a pass of 6.080 seconds at 110.04 mph in the left lane. The 10-time U.S. Nationals champion had a slightly better lap in the right lane later in the day making it past half-track before ultimately losing traction again. He would cross the finish line with a time of 5.063 seconds and speed of 143.19 mph.

“We’re still working on some things with our U.S. Army car,” said Schumacher. “I know (crew chief) Mike (Neff) and (assistant crew chief) Phil (Shuler) won’t stop analyzing all the data we gathered today until they come up with a plan for tomorrow. We talked about it last night that you spend two days testing to be prepared for that Friday night session, but in reality, you are working for sessions like today in the heat too. We have two more opportunities tomorrow and over the years we have a learned a lot on Sundays here in Indy that paid dividends on Monday.”

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U.S. Army NHRA Racing NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Friday Qualifying Report 

The U.S. Army Racing trio of Antron Brown, Leah Pritchett, and Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher are second, fourth and fifth on the provisional ladder, respectively, after the opening round of qualifying Friday for this weekend’s NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series 64th annual NHRA Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.

Schumacher and his U.S. Army Dragster team for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) was part of the final pair Friday night and the 10-time U.S. Nationals winner was eyeing the No. 1 position to close out the opening session. The eight-time Top Fuel world champion posted a good lap of 3.801 seconds at 328.14 mph, but it was only fifth-best in the provisional ladder.

“Generally speaking most teams would have been happy with that run, but this is Indy,” said Schumacher, after posting the fastest speed of the session. “We came out here and tested for two days to make that particular run. We ran a 3.74 in testing and we wanted to replicate that tonight and get that No. 1 spot. It’s behind us now. I’ve won this race from all different spots on the ladder and I know we have a really good U.S. Army car here this weekend. I’m comfortable with it and it went right down the track. It was still pretty warm here tonight. I think we can still see some good conditions tomorrow and Sunday where we can improve. We ran that number (3.80) during the day in testing, so I know we have a shot. That’s what is great about Indy. You have an extra chance to get better. I’ve got a great team surrounding me and we are going to do everything we can to come out champions on Monday.”

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U.S. Army Racing Trio Primed for Drag Racing’s Biggest Stage in Indy 

INDIANAPOLIS – A season rarely is defined by one event, but one event can certainly define a driver’s career. In the fast and furious world of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, where nitro methane-burning machines are cranking out more than 11,000 horsepower during four-second battles decided by thousandths of a second, the U.S. Nationals stands alone as the “one” every driver and team wants to win.

And the one driver who has amassed unparalleled success in Indy is U.S. Army Racing’s Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher.

This year’s signature event, the 64th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, will be contested at historic Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and, beginning Friday, Schumacher and his U.S. Army Racing and Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) teammates Antron Brown and Leah Pritchett will look to continue writing their legacy on drag racing’s biggest stage.

No matter what happens from here on, Schumacher’s illustrious career will be closely tied to the U.S. Nationals. Sure, he’s won eight world championships and come up big in “absolute, have-to moments” at other places, but it’s his accomplishments in Indy that will be difficult for anyone to duplicate. It’s the site of his NHRA debut in 1996, where he remarkably reached the final from the 16th position on the elimination ladder. Four years later, he became a U.S. Nationals winner in his first event carrying the U.S. Army colors to kick off what has been an incredible 18-year partnership.

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U.S. Army’s Brown Reaches Brainerd Final

Schumacher, Pritchett Out Early; Sarge Still Second in Standings, Pritchett Fourth

On the heels of his milestone 50th career Top Fuel win, U.S. Army driver Antron Brown reached his second consecutive final round and came within inches of his second consecutive win Sunday, dropping a close race to first-time winner Billy Torrence at the 38th annual NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway.

Fellow U.S. Army drivers Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher and Leah Pritchett exited in the second and first rounds, respectively, but maintained their positions of second and fourth, respectively, in the Top Fuel standings with one event remaining before the six-event Countdown to the Championship playoffs begin.

Schumacher and his U.S. Army Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) entered the weekend vying for his fourth career Brainerd event title and first since 2008, and he appeared well on his way with a solid first-round run – 3.792 seconds at 328.70 mph – in beating Terry McMillen’s 3.803 seconds at 325.61 mph. That set up a meeting with Top Fuel points-leader Steve Torrence in the second round, where Schumacher had the better car that laid down a run of 3.771 seconds at 328.94 mph to Torrence’s 3.792 seconds at 325.69 mph. But Torrence’s reaction time of .076 of a second gave him the holeshot victory over Schumacher, who left the starting line in .098 of a second. Despite the second-round loss, Schumacher still holds a one-point lead over Clay Millican and a 27-point lead over fourth-place Pritchett, his closest pursuers, in the Top Fuel standings.

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U.S. Army NHRA Racing NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Final Qualifying Report 

The U.S. Army driver trio of Antron Brown and Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher and Leah Pritchett wound up third, seventh and eighth on the elimination ladder, respectively, after the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday for this weekend’s 37th annual NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway.

Schumacher and his U.S. Army Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing, a three-time Brainerd Nationals winner, three-time runner-up and six-time No. 1 qualifier, bettered his Friday provisional qualifying time with his opening run today, an effort of 3.818 seconds at 326.87 mph that was second-best for the session. It bumped him up temporarily to fifth on the ladder, but after his closing, late tire-smoking run of 4.225 seconds at 202.30 mph, he fell to No. 7. Schumacher will face No. 10 qualifier Terry McMillen in Sunday’s opening round of eliminations.

“I like this racetrack – to win this race, you have to be everybody and this is a good place to race,” said Schumacher, who’s Brainerd victories came in 2000, 2004 and 2008. “We were pushing it there a little bit that last run. When you see someone put up a big number ahead of you and go number one, you don’t want to be out there just being average.

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U.S. Army NHRA Racing NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Friday Qualifying Report

The U.S. Army driver trio of Leah Pritchett, Antron Brown and Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher are eighth, first and sixth on the provisional ladder, respectively, after the opening two rounds of qualifying Friday for this weekend’s 37th annual NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway.

Schumacher and his U.S. Army Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing, a three-time Brainerd Nationals winner, three-time runner-up and six-time No. 1 qualifier, opened the day with the better of his two runs, laying down an effort of 3.946 seconds at 308.92 mph despite dropping a cylinder. It was fifth-best in the opening session. “The Sarge” smoked his tires at halftrack during his second run and coasted across the finish line in 4.936 seconds at 144.27 mph, dropping down to eighth in the qualifying order by session’s end.

“We had a solid run despite dropping a cylinder, and then we missed the second one by just a little bit after seeing Antron’s run – it’s definitely a game of inches,” said Schumacher, who’s Brainerd victories came in 2000, 2004 and 2008. “We’ll see what we can do tomorrow in even warmer conditions, and then see how things play out on Sunday, which is supposed to be much cooler. The teams that can adapt are the ones that will benefit the most. We have the best nine guys in the business working on this U.S. Army car and I like our odds.”

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