Ennis, TX – At a track where Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher has scored event titles no less than six times in his illustrious career, and where defending NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown is the defending event titlist, neither U.S. Army driver was able to put a significant dent in his championship hopes for 2013 during Sunday’s elimination rounds at the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis.

In a display of engineering and teamwork that is reflective of the Army’s leading-edge technology and the powerful, realistic training of its Army Strong Soldiers, both Schumacher and Brown disposed of their higher-seeded opponents in the first round today. But, as conditions grew significantly warmer and more challenging for the powerful Top Fuel Dragsters, neither Schumacher nor Brown had the luxury of lane choice in their second-round matchups and both went on to defeat by the slimmest of margins to their opponents in the preferred left lane. All four second-round Top Fuel winners came from the left lane.

Continue reading →

Ennis, TX – With Friday’s opening two rounds of qualifying for the 26^th annual AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals washed out by rain, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series competitors were particularly under the gun at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis in final qualifying Saturday.

But, considering only the strongest wear the colors of the U.S. Army Soldiers they represent, who possess a mental, emotional and physical strength like no other, the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster duo of Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher and Antron Brown delivered.

Schumacher qualified 13^th for Sunday’s elimination rounds with a run of 3.878 seconds at 320.20 mph in the U.S. Army Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR). The seven-time Top Fuel world champion will meet No. 4 qualifier Steve Torrence in the opening round Sunday.

Continue reading →

Concord, N.C – Because only the strongest wear the colors of the U.S. Army, and because the Army Soldiers they represent possess a mental, emotional and physical strength like no other, there’s no one who follows the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series who doubts the U.S. Army Top Fuel driver duo of Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher and Antron Brown will be right in the thick of things when this year’s Countdown to the Championship comes to a conclusion five events hence.

For now, though, Schumacher, who is chasing his eighth career Top Fuel title in his U.S. Army Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR), and Brown, the defending and still reigning Top Fuel champion in his Matco Tools/U.S. Army Dragster for DSR, are perhaps the most anxious among all their peers to get back to racing next weekend after both endured rough starts to this year’s Countdown playoffs during this weekend’s sixth annual NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C.

Continue reading →

Concord, NC – Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) will begin his quest for an eighth career NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship from the No. 2 qualifying position Sunday at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C.

Schumacher’s solid qualifying performance this weekend was a reflection of how the Army is the strength of our Nation, and the Soldiers are the strength of our Army. The Army-NHRA partnership provides Americans a platform to experience the power, speed, teamwork and technology that drives that strength.

Meanwhile, defending Top Fuel champion Antron Brown and the Matco Tools/U.S. Army Dragster for DSR just missed qualifying for Sunday’s elimination rounds by eight-thousandths of a second and will not have a chance to defend his title again until next weekend at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis.

Continue reading →

Concord, NC – Qualifying for the NHRA Countdown to the Mello Yello Championship playoff kicked off Friday night at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C., with Tony Schumacher posting a stout run that placed the seven-time Top Fuel champion and his U.S. Army Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) second in the provisional qualifying order.

It was a run that epitomized the level of engineering and teamwork on display at the racetrack that is reflective of the Army’s leading-edge technology and the powerful, realistic training of its Army Strong Soldiers as Schumacher was the beneficiary of superior preparation by the U.S. Army crew during his second-round qualifying run.

His trip down the 1,000-foot dragstrip came in at 3.766 seconds at 318.84 mph, an effort surpassed tonight only by Morgan Lucas’ run of 3.749 seconds at 324.51 mph.

Continue reading →

CONCORD, NC – It’s time to wipe the slate clean, time to get down to business for the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster duo of Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher and Antron Brown as the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship begins with this weekend’s NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway just outside Charlotte, N.C.

Last year’s Top Fuel world championship came down this very duo – a fitting testament to the fact the Army is our Nation’s preeminent leadership experience, where the Nation’s future leaders are developed and empowered with the confidence to take decisive action when needed and the flexibility to excel in constantly evolving situations. And it wasn’t settled until the very last run of the season finale at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif., and by the slimmest of margins, as Brown emerged with his first career Top Fuel title a mere seven points ahead of the seven-time champion Schumacher.

Continue reading →

Indianapolis, IN – The sport of auto racing sometimes can be as unpredictable as the weather. After three days of bright, sunny skies and hot, humid conditions, U.S. Army Racing drivers Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher and Antron Brown and the rest of the competitors in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series were greeted by an overcast sky and cooler temperatures. The change in weather was nearly as drastic as seeing the top two qualifiers in the Top Fuel class eliminated in the opening round of the 59^th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.

With the momentum following the miraculous runs in Sunday’s final qualifying session, the last two winners of the U.S. Nationals (Brown in 2011 and Schumacher in 2012) and their nine-man crews were looking to display a level of engineering and teamwork reflective of the Army’s leading-edge technology and powerful, realistic training of its Army Strong Soldiers in pursuit of victory.

Continue reading →

Performing under pressure is skill that not everyone has mastered. There’s no question U.S. Army driver Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher is an A+ performer when it comes to pressure situations. The scene was packed with pressure Sunday afternoon in the final qualifying session of the 59^th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.

After making only one clean pass during his the previous three qualifying runs, Schumacher was outside the Top Fuel field and down to his last chance to crack the top 16 when his U.S. Army dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) was pushed up to the starting line. In typical Schumacher fashion, he not only made his best pass of the weekend and moved into the field, but he jumped all the way to the top of ladder. His stay at the top lasted only a couple of minutes until his U.S. Army teammate

Continue reading →

INDIANAPOLIS , IN  – Performing at his best when the pressure is at its greatest has always been the mantra for U.S. Army Top Fuel driver Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher. The seven-time Mello Yello NHRA Top Fuel champion has defined his illustrious career with signature-moment victories. Several have occurred in world’s most prestigious drag race, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.

Schumacher and his U.S. Army teammate, Antron Brown, enter the sport’s biggest weekend carrying the colors that only the strongest wear, reflecting the strengths of the more than 1 million Army Strong soldiers they and their teams represent with a goal of making history.

Continue reading →

Kent, WA – Another Western Swing is history, and the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster duo of Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher and Antron Brown have earned a brief hiatus before wrapping up the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season and then, most importantly, heading into the all-important 2013 Countdown to the Championship.

Considering the Army is the Nation’s preeminent leadership experience, where the Nation’s future leaders are developed and empowered with the confidence to take decisive action when needed and the flexibility to excel in constantly evolving situations, Schumacher, the seven-time world champion, and Brown, the reigning Top Fuel champion, continue to have their eyes on the ultimate prize despite a rather abrupt end to this year’s three-event Western Swing at this weekend’s 26th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash.,

Continue reading →