Schumacher starts with points lead Sunday, Gray leads DSR as No. 4 Funny Car seed in NHRA Kansas Nationals

TOPEKA, KS – Tony Schumacher just missed his second No. 1 qualifying position of the season in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series but was able to earn the No. 2 spot after Saturday’s last qualifying sessions in the Kansas Nationals.

Schumacher’s time Friday night of 3.769 seconds at 326.08 mph, which was quickest of the day, was edged Saturday by Al-Anabi Racing’s Shawn Langdon’s time of 3.767 (322.50). It was Langdon’s seventh pole in the last 15 NHRA races.

In Funny Car, Johnny Gray, the most recent winner on tour, and the Pitch Energy team paced the Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car quartet of Dodge Charger R/Ts with a best time of 4.053 seconds at 313.37 mph in the final session to earn the fourth seed for Sunday’s championship eliminations, which begin at 11 a.m. (CT) at Heartland Park Topeka.