U.S. Army Racing AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals Final Qualifying Report
Ennis, TX – With Friday’s opening two rounds of qualifying for the 26th 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 13th 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.
Brown, who uncharacteristically did not qualify for last week’s six-event Countdown to the Championship opener at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C., laid down a fast lap of 3.895 seconds at 311.05 mph in today’s final session to take the 14th qualifying spot. Brown, the defending Top Fuel world champion, will line up against Brandon Bernstein in Sunday’s opening round of eliminations.
“We’re working with a new tune-up here this weekend and I don’t think it did exactly what we were hoping for, yet,” said Schumacher, who stands fifth in the Countdown standings after last weekend’s opening-round loss at Charlotte, 62 markers behind DSR teammate and Top Fuel points leader Spencer Massey. “Nonetheless, it got us qualified. We had to work toward a totally different tune-up, so we tested at Charlotte Monday and showed up here with a new tune-up. Really, it thoroughly stinks when you get only two runs to try something brand new. It takes time to get caught up and we’re clearly not there, yet. The left lane was way better than the right lane today. It’s a one-lane racetrack. If you can run an 89 (3.89 seconds) in the right lane, we should’ve run fast lap in the left lane. But we’re still working on a new deal. Two runs don’t help when you need those four qualifying runs trying something new, abnormal from what we’ve been running all year long. But we’re alright. All we can do is get down the track every time, go out and do the job we know how to do. Each member of the U.S. Army Racing team plays a vital role in the success of the car on the track. Similarly, every Soldier, no matter which of the more than 150 career options he or she chooses in the Army, is vital to the success of the mission. We know how to do this. We’ve been doing it a long, long time. We just need to fight through adversity and that’s what we’re in the middle of. We weren’t that far off. We were trying to run an 87 in the right line and we ran an 89. When we got to the left lane, really we’re trying to run an 82 or 83, probably. Cars were doing it. We’ve got a lot more championships and a lot more data to work with. But, we’ll be alright tomorrow.”
Schumacher opened the day with a 3.891-second, 318.47-mph effort in the problematic right lane that placed him ninth in the provisional qualifying order. He ran his fast time of the day in the left lane. Brown was 15th after his tire-smoking, opening-round run of 4.322 seconds at 237.88 mph, and was temporarily bumped from the top-16 before laying down his fast time of the day, also in the left lane.
“It’s intense – you’ve got big-name hitters going out every weekend,” said Brown, who is ninth in the Countdown standings, 124 points out of the lead heading into Sunday’s elimination rounds. “It almost tried to get us that last time right there, but our boys just stuck to their guns, kept their heads down. The Matco Tools/U.S. Army car went right down the track A to B. We slid it down there, it was buckled to that racetrack. That’s what you’ve got to do. We had just two sessions to get in the race this weekend, which made it even more crucial. Charlotte just got away from us, but we’ve regrouped, we’re back into action, here. Tomorrow, all I can say is we’re in the race and, if you’re in the race, you’ve got a chance to win. Tomorrow, we’re back at work. It’s another day in the office. We’re back at work, we’re hungry, and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”
Elimination rounds begin at noon EDT Sunday with ESPN2 carrying the action at 8:30 p.m. ESPN News will broadcast today’s qualifying sessions at 11:30 tonight, and ESPN2 will rebroadcast today’s qualifying show at 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
