Schumacher holds top spot in Top Fuel, track speed record helps Hagan to No. 2 spot at Route 66

JOLIET, IL – Tony Schumacher followed the path of his favorite hockey team, the Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks, by earning the provisional pole Friday night in the Route 66 NHRA Nationals in his hometown.

The hockey team held its celebratory parade in downtown Chicago on Friday afternoon, and several hours later Schumacher held his own parade … a much quicker one.

Schumacher, the seven-time NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel world champion, holds the pole heading to Saturday’s last two qualifying sessions before Sunday’s championship eliminations, and Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan drove to the provisional No. 2 spot in Funny Car.

Schumacher is on the cusp of winning his second pole of the year and 73rd of his career. He was quick to salute crew chief Mike Green and assistant Neal Strausbaugh for the run of 3.772 seconds at 325.45 mph.

“Great run. Mike, Neal, the guys came up and said ‘Look, if it rains tomorrow you gotta get this car down the track.’ So I was over-prepared for anything,” said Schumacher, who has won seven poles at Route 66 including the one last year.

“The starting line was the least of my worries; just stage shallow, get the car from A to B. It made a fantastic run.

“I’ve got a lot of friends here. You can’t say enough about racing at home. There’s a lot of pressure, but it’s so much more gratifying to be able to win in front of these guys.”

Schumacher and the U.S. Army team have advanced to five championship rounds at his home track and has won three times (2008, 2005, 2003).

Spencer Massey, who won last weekend in the Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher dragster, ranks fifth with a run of 3.795 seconds at 319.98 mph.

Reigning world champion Antron Brown and the Matco Tools rail brought a new racecar to Route 66 after testing it near Indianapolis on Wednesday. The dragster struggled early in the run and slowed to 6.366 seconds (100.46 mph) and is ranked 19th for Sunday’s 16-car bracket.

Hagan, the NHRA points leader, pushed the Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T to the No. 2 qualifying position with a time of 4.040 seconds at a track-record speed of 317.19 mph. John Force holds the provisional pole at 4.035 (314.02).

Hagan adds his speed record to the elapsed time mark of 4.022 he set in 2010 when he won the Route 66 title.

Force’s run came against DSR’s Jack Beckman in the Valvoline MaxLife/MTS Mail for Wounded Warriors Dodge. Beckman holds the third position with a 4.043 (313.15). DSR’s other Dodges are Johnny Gray’s Pitch Energy Dodge ranked seventh (4.064, 310.70) and Ron Capps’ NAPA Batteries/Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund Dodge eighth (4.069, 311.27).

Saturday could produce record runs at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago if Friday is any indication.

The unique format of the Route 66 NHRA Nationals include night qualifying sessions for both Friday and Saturday and if the final two sessions go off as scheduled at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. (CT).

A late afternoon storm at the track delayed the first scheduled qualifying session by two hours to 7 p.m. (CT) that resulted in the cancelation of the second session due to a pending 10:20 p.m. curfew at the track leaving Saturday’s two sessions to close out qualifying.