Johnson and Schumacher add 2 More to DSR Trophy Pile for 2015
JOLIET, IL – Don Schumacher’s hall-of-fame drag racing career began in a garage behind his parent’s Chicago home, 
and in 2003 as owner of Don Schumacher Racing he made another statement at his hometown track.
That was the first time DSR swept NHRA nitro titles at the same event and it was at Route 66 Raceway in what is now the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
On Sunday, DSR won the Top Fuel and Funny Car trophies marking the 49th time the team has doubled-up by sweeping the nitro titles. This time it was new Top Fuel points leader Tony Schumacher with the U.S. Army team led by crew chief Mike Green and Tommy Johnson Jr. with the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T with crew chief John Collins.
“The competition out here is closer than it has ever been, and we have to rely more on the driver than ever,” Don said. “I have a home in Park Ridge Ill.), all of my businesses are based out of Mt. Prospect so this is my home track. It’s a wonderful facility for the sport, for Chicago.
“We’ve had great, great races here the last three years. To sweep any time at all is incredible, the guys are doing a phenomenal job. To be able to do this in front of family, friends, employees of DSR and Schumacher Electric with all of the fans here in Chicago is just phenomenal.”
It also marks the third straight Route 66 NHRA Nationals that DSR swept the sport’s premier categories.
It was a Funny Car intrasquad battle when Johnson defeated teammate and points leader Matt Hagan, whose Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots team with crew chief Dickie Venables has won four titles this year but suffered his first championship round loss of the season.
The victories give DSR a total of 257 NHRA Wally trophies including 10 of a possible 13 in Funny Car this year and seven of 13 in Top Fuel.
BRIEF BREAK
After next weekend off, the Mello Yello series heads to Denver for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals to start a three-race streak on the Western Swing that follows with stops near San Francisco and Seattle.
