Don Schumacher Racing
Early Exit for Schumacher in Reading
READING, PA – Tony Schumacher qualified the SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel dragster 11th for the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, the 
opening event of the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Making his first Countdown and Maple Grove Raceway appearance since 2018, Schumacher returned to ‘the Grove’ looking to add to his category-best five Reading Wally trophies.
Schumacher’s 3.754-second pass from the weekend’s third qualifying session pitted him against fellow championship-hopeful Clay Millican in round one of eliminations on Sunday morning. Schumacher, a two-time finalist in 2022 who powered to victory in Seattle last month, scored a large holeshot start on Millican to nab the early lead, but his 11,000-horsepower machine drove into tire smoke shortly after, and his opponent was able to drive around for the win, ending Schumacher’s day after the first round.
“It’s been four years since I’ve been back at Reading, and man, this is a beautiful place,” said Schumacher, an eight-time Top Fuel series champion. “The fans were jam-packed in here all weekend, and we love to see that. Our car did not perform that well during qualifying, and we didn’t do that great on race day. We had a huge lead versus Clay early on and then it spun the tires, I pedaled, it shredded a belt, and Clay got past at the finish line.
SCHUMACHER AND MAYNARD FAMILY LOOKING TO WIN IN READING
Reading, Pa – Tony Schumacher leads the class in number of Top Fuel victories (five) at Maple Grove Raceway. Schumacher has been the 
Reading No. 1 qualifier seven times- the most of any Top Fuel driver at a single event.
The 2022 event marks Schumacher’s first time returning to Reading since 2018. Schumacher will make his first Countdown to the Championship appearance since 2018. So far in 2022, Schumacher has one win (Seattle), and one runner-up finish (Brainerd, Minn.) The winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA history will be vying for his ninth series title.
“This is the first time where we’ve had a Countdown with more than 10 cars fighting for the Top Fuel title. There are 12 teams battling it out this year, and that’s exciting, and I’m one of those that believes this is the right decision. I think that if a team shows up, runs every race, makes a few qualifying runs, they deserve to be there. We are fortunate that we didn’t get in that way. We got into the Top 10, and stayed in the Top 10, based on the way we performed, and we’re proud of that.
Tony Schumacher Clinches Top 10 Countdown Spot at NHRA U.S. Nationals
INDIANAPOLIS – Despite a first-round exit at the NHRA U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis, Tony Schumacher is optimistic about the 
performance of his Maynard Family Racing Top Fuel dragster going into the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The 10-time Indy winner secured the No. 10 spot in the Countdown, giving him a shot at a ninth NHRA Top Fuel world championship.
With 25 Top Fuel entries vying to make the elimination show, it was a nail-biter of a weekend for Schumacher, who went into the final day of qualifying for the ‘Big Go’ not qualified, but his DSR Performance-powered Maynard Family Racing dragster fired off a 3.743-second blast during Q4 to secure one of 16 spots in the fastest Top Fuel field in NHRA history.
Starting race day from 13th, Schumacher and opponent Mike Salinas left the starting line together, but the 86-time race winner ran into issues and had to coast through the finish line with a 5.072-second pass. It wasn’t enough to beat Salinas, but Schumacher was quick to point out the positives of the weekend.
Mark Pawuk Leads DSR Drag Pak Trio at Indy; Advances into Top Five in the Standings
INDIANAPOLIS – Mark “the Cowboy” Pawuk was one of three Factory Stock Showdown Series entries remaining heading into the fourth 
round of eliminations on Monday afternoon at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
Starting from third out of a competitive 24-car field, Pawuk led the trio of DSR Performance-powered Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Paks in qualifying for the four-day event. Pawuk and his teammates, No. 9 qualified David Davies, and No. 11 qualified Warren Walcher, all advanced beyond the first round of eliminations on Sunday afternoon, earning the opportunity to make a run for the hardware on Labor Day.
During the second of five competition rounds, Walcher posted a 7.847-second pass but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with his opponent’s 7.784 E.T., ending his day early. After Pawuk and Davies won their second-round match-ups, they were pitted against each other in round three, but Davies was unable to make the call after experiencing a mechanical malfunction in the previous session, and Pawuk advanced on a Bye run. The two-time runner-up at the ‘Big Go’ was looking forward to finally clinching his first Indy victory, but a red light start against Barton in the second-to-last elimination round ended his chances at finishing his day with the Wally trophy in hand. Pawuk’s fourth-round finish enabled him to move into the ‘top five’ in the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Series rankings with two races remaining before a champion is crowned. Following his strong Indy outing, Davies moved up to sixth in the standings, while Walcher now occupies 11th.
MAYNARD FAMILY RACING LOOKING FOR THE WALLY AT INDY
Indianapolis, IN – 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.
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.
DSR Performance Presents Inaugural ‘Cars and Coffee’ Event to Benefit Riley Kids During NHRA U.S. Nationals Race Weekend
BROWNSBURG, IN – Don Schumacher Racing and DSR Performance are thrilled to announce the return of the first in-person fundraising 
event to benefit Riley Children’s Foundation since the COVID-19 pandemic upended life during the 2020 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. The annual DSR Open House fundraiser had become a beloved annual NHRA U.S. Nationals tradition each year, but for the past two years had been limited to an online auction. On Saturday, Sept. 3rd, during the 68th running of the historic Indianapolis race, DSR will host its first ‘Cars and Coffee’ event to raise funds and awareness for Riley Children’s Health, the local pediatric health system. The inaugural event, presented by DSR’s retail arm, DSR Performance, will replace the Open House as the organization’s annual U.S. Nationals Riley Kids fundraiser.
Car enthusiasts are encouraged to bring their sleekest rides to DSR Performance’s headquarters at 1681 E. Northfield Dr. in Brownsburg starting at 8:00 a.m. on Sept 3rd. There is no fee, and no prior registration required to display a car, but donations to Riley are encouraged. The car show will run from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. and is certain to attract an array of hot rods, custom bikes, and souped-up machines. Refreshments will be provided by Jack’s Donuts, Energy Bar, and Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck. Among the silent auction highlights are a nitro coffee table, Don Schumacher-autographed rods and pistons, a private tour of the DSR Performance/Don Schumacher Manufacturing facility led by Schumacher, a ride-along in Tony Schumacher’s tow vehicle during the ‘Big Go,’ and a ticket and hospitality package for a race of the winner’s choosing.
Maynard Family Racing Adds Phil Shuler to Crew Chief Line-Up
Shuler Joins Todd Okuhara, Marc Denner as part of Tony Schumacher Top Fuel Brain Trust
BROWNSBURG, IN – The Maynard Family Racing team (JCM) announced today that crew chief Phil Shuler has joined the Tony 
Schumacher-piloted Top Fuel operation in an official capacity. The news shouldn’t come as a major surprise for NHRA fans, who may have noticed Shuler’s presence on the starting line and in Schumacher’s pit for the last several events. Prior to Wednesday’s announcement, Shuler had been lending his knowledge and serving as an extra set of eyes since temporarily joining the JCM/DSR camp for the Sonoma, Calif. event in July when crew chief Todd Okuhara was sidelined due to COVID. Shuler then continued on with the team as they raced to victory near Seattle at the NHRA Northwest Nationals, and remained onboard for the Topeka, Kansas outing and runner-up finish in Brainerd, Minn. last weekend.
The initial plan was for Shuler to join JCM crew chief Todd Okuhara and assistant crew chief Marc Denner on a temporary basis, but after seeing how well the trio has worked together and the team’s recent uptick in performance, the decision was made to bring Shuler in-house as a full-time team member and serve as co-crew chief alongside Okuhara as the crew prepares for their 2022 Countdown to the Championship title campaign.
“The addition of Phil to our team became a must-do as I watched the brain trust of Todd, Phil, and Marc work with Tony and our crew to attain the victory in Seattle and continue with performance improvements since that race. Cathi (Maynard) and I are excited to know we have our team set!” said JCM team owner Joe Maynard following the group’s second final round appearance in three events.
Schumacher Powers to Runner-Up Finish in Brainerd
BRAINERD, MN – For the second time in three events, Tony Schumacher and the Okuma Top Fuel team advanced to the final round, 
having recorded a runner-up finish on Sunday afternoon at the NHRA Brainerd Nationals.
Following his NHRA Northwest Nationals victory in Seattle earlier this month, and a quarterfinal finish in Topeka, Kansas last weekend, Schumacher and the Maynard Family Racing team have been steadily making their way back into the 2022 NHRA Top Fuel title conversation. With Sunday’s final round appearance, Schumacher moved up one spot in the standings to eighth with only one event remaining before Countdown starting positions are set.
Schumacher qualified his DSR Performance-powered Okuma dragster seventh to start race day, and eliminated Doug Kalitta, Josh Hart, and Justin Ashley to reach his 156th final round, but it wasn’t without some drama, and the round wins were hard-fought. Schumacher pedaled to an ugly win over Kalitta as the two Top Fuel titans smoked their way down the track. While getting the car prepped for their round two contest versus Hart, the team encountered a mechanical issue which caused them to be delayed heading to the starting line. Without the opportunity to warm up, the team raced to the starting line with moments to spare before crew chiefs were instructed to fire up their machines. Despite the hiccup in the pit and a loss of traction during his race, Schumacher powered to the win over Hart’s immediate tire-smoker.
Schumacher and The Maynard Family Ready for the Lucas Nationals
Brainerd, MN – Tony Schumacher recently piloted the DSR Performance-powered Okuma dragster to victory in Seattle, followed by a 
quarterfinal finish in Topeka last weekend. The eight-time world champ launched three spots in the point standings, moving from 12th to ninth since the start of the Seattle event, and is looking to maintain his Top 10 ranking this weekend.
The winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA history returns to Brainerd for the first time since 2018. Schumacher leads the Top Fuel class in No. 1 qualifiers (six) at BIR.
Schumacher talks about Brainerd. “Brainerd has been an awfully kind track to me over the years. The fans there are second-to-none, it always draws a great crowd. But man, I’ve really done some damage there before. Gone out, qualified No. 1 several times, and won that race. This is one of those races that really, really matters because Indy is next and that’s points-and-a-half, so you need to be in the best position possible heading into Indy because let me tell you, every point matters when you get into the playoffs. Getting moved up a few spots to start the Countdown does matter. I’ve won championships and I’ve lost championships by less than one round, so don’t kid yourself into thinking that where you start the Countdown doesn’t matter.”
Tony Schumacher Reclaims Top 10 Ranking in Topeka
TOPEKA, KS – Following his NHRA Northwest Nationals victory in Seattle two weeks prior, Tony Schumacher was looking to make it two-
in-a-row at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor in Topeka, Kansas.
Schumacher qualified the Scag Power Equipment Top Fuel dragster 12th to face Doug Kalitta in the opening round of eliminations at Heartland Motorsports Park, setting up a match-up between two of the most tenured drivers in the sport. Schumacher and Kalitta lined up side-by-side for the 93rd time in their career on Sunday morning, the most of any two Top Fuel drivers, with Schumacher holding the round win advantage 52-40 over his opponent. Schumacher successfully extended his win count when he moved first to earn the holeshot triumph in a close side-by-side race. Not only did the round win net the 86-time race winner a bid to the quarterfinals, but it allowed him to crack back into the Top 10 in the point standings by moving up two positions from 11th to ninth for the first time since the Bristol, Tenn. event in June.
Seeking his sixth consecutive win light, Schumacher faced reigning Top Fuel world champ Steve Torrence in round two. Schumacher nabbed the starting line advantage, but a dropped cylinder at the step of the throttle caused his machine to slow while Torrence drove to victory, ending Schumacher’s day after the quarterfinals.
