U.S. Army Racing Drivers Focused on Fast Countdown Start at Maple Grove 

MOHNTON, PA – The one common trait across every race driver is his or her desire to be the best and win races. After 18 regular season events in the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series campaign, several drivers made their case as being the best, but the next six events – and only the next six events – will determine this year’s champion.

This weekend’s 34th annual Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania kicks offs the six-event NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs and, for the U.S. Army Racing trio of Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher, Antron Brown and Leah Pritchett, it’s the opportunity they’ve worked for all season. All three are well positioned to make a run at this year’s Top Fuel world championship.

And history proves that winning matters during the playoffs. The last four Top Fuel world champions – Brittany Force in 2017, Brown in 2015 and 2016, and Schumacher in 2014 – each won three of the six Countdown events en route to winning the title. Winning at Maple Grove in particular has proven to be important as the last five Dodge NHRA Nationals winners went on to claim the championship. In fact, the last eight Top Fuel champions have advanced to the Reading final, so if recent history continues, the results of this weekend’s Countdown opener will go a long way in determining the 2018 champion.

Schumacher’s success at a number of tracks on the NHRA schedule is unparalleled and Maple Grove is one of them. The eight-time Top Fuel world champion has driven the U.S. Army Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) to the winner’s circle five times at the historic dragstrip. No other driver has won in Top Fuel more than twice. “The Sarge” won three consecutive events in 2003, 2004 and 2005 with the latter two coming during his second and third championship seasons. His 2008 triumph was his fifth of seven consecutive wins that season and one of his 15 event titles during that record-setting season. His most recent Maple Grove victory was the turning point in his run to the 2014 championship. After sweeping the first two events of the Countdown in Dallas, Schumacher lost in the first round in St. Louis, but he took out regular-season champion Doug Kalitta on a holeshot in the semifinals and defeated Force in the final to put a stranglehold on his championship pursuit.

Brown knows all about the impact of quick starts in the Countdown. The three-time Top Fuel world champion and driver of the Matco Tools/U.S. Army Dragster for DSR opened the Countdown with wins three times, all coming when the playoffs began at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte. His first came in 2011 and, the following season, he earned his first world title despite a first-round exit at Charlotte. Brown dominated the start of the 2015 Countdown, winning 16 consecutive elimination rounds that included event wins in Charlotte, St. Louis and a thrilling final-round victory over Schumacher at Maple Grove before finally being defeated in the semifinals at Las Vegas. The following season, he won three of the first four Countdown events at Charlotte, Reading and Dallas on his way to earning the 2016 championship.

For Pritchett, driver of the Dodge/U.S. Army Dragster for DSR, this is her third shot at an NHRA Top Fuel world championship. She is hoping to have a much bigger impact during the playoffs this season. In 2015, she reached the semifinals in the opener but wasn’t one of the drivers contending for the title. In 2016, she qualified for the playoffs and the Dodge Nationals highlighted her first Countdown as she earned the No. 1 qualifier position and raced to the semifinals before losing to Force.

Qualifying at the Dodge NHRA Nationals takes place Friday and Saturday with sessions at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. EDT each day. Sunday eliminations are set to begin at 11 a.m. FS1 will air its Friday Nitro Live qualifying show at 7 p.m., and FS2 will air Saturday Nitro Live at 4 p.m. FS1 will broadcast Sunday NHRA Live at 1 p.m. before airing three hours of delayed elimination-round coverage from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

TONY “THE SARGE” SCHUMACHER, driver of the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing

The path to a championship has changed since you won your first title in 1999. With the Countdown evolving to what it is now, all 10 drivers in the Countdown can enter this weekend with the hope of being crowned this year’s champion. You’ve won four times since the format has been changed. What’s the biggest key to winning in the current championship format?

“This is the 12th season of the Countdown and, as much as things have changed since 2007, the bottom line is you still have to be at your best during these six races if you want to win the championship. Someone is going to get hot and put up some wins and a lot of times that’s been the difference. We have the capability to be that team this year. I talk about it all the time when I’m out speaking to kids – you know when the test is coming, your teacher gives you the questions and the answers can be found in the book you have. So, over prepare and go with the flow. The U.S. Army team, led by Mike Neff and Phil Shuler, has spent the entire season building the book. We know the test is now and we will show up in Reading prepared to take the test. It’s that simple. Show up ready to be A-plus students this weekend and give ourselves a great start in the Countdown.”

There are several tracks where you are the winningest driver in Top Fuel. Maple Grove Raceway is one of them as you have won five times at the facility and no other driver has won more than two there. Why have you been so successful at the historic Eastern Pennsylvania facility?

“I think there are just some tracks where we’ve experienced a great deal of success and there are a lot of factors involved. Reading is one of those historic tracks and such a unique facility. Old school. Throwback to the early days of drag racing. The fans pack that place and you can certainly feel the energy.  Most of the time, we are racing there when it really matters in the fall, when we have to win to keep our championship aspirations in line. Maybe one of the last three or four races of the year. This year, we are starting the Countdown at Maple Grove, so the stakes are just as high. We’ve proven over the years that this U.S. Army team performs at its best when the stakes are the highest. It might be the first Countdown race, but we’re approaching it like it’s the bottom of the ninth and the winning run is on second base. We want to be the first winner and set the tone for the rest of the Countdown. Maple Grove is the perfect place for us to do that.”

ANTRON BROWN, driver of the Matco Tools/U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing

What’s your outlook heading into the playoffs?

“We’re going into the Countdown this year just like we do every year – head down and stay focused. The main thing is you have to be efficient. You have to attack every round like it’s the last round. It’s a simple mathematical equation for us. You have 24 rounds of racing – six races times four elimination rounds.  Our main objective is to win as many rounds as possible. We know from past experience that, if we can get 16 to 18 round wins, that pretty much puts you in the hunt for a championship. Our goal is to get 20 and, if we can do that, I think that will be enough to give our Matco Tools/U.S. Army/Toyota team another title.”

How important is it to have a strong start to the Countdown?

“It’s very important to start the Countdown strong. You have to break out with a series of round wins. In the past, we’ve always started off the first three Countdown races really strong. We just need to focus on the first one, then, we’ll focus on the next one and then the next one. Hopefully, you can put yourself in position to attack the final three races and win a championship. At that point, you know you’re going to get everyone’s ‘A’ game and every round is so competitive. So we know that we have to put our game to the highest level.  That’s what makes the sport of drag racing so great. It’s head-to-head competition every round at the highest level.”

LEAH PRITCHETT, driver of thhe Mopar Dodge 1320/U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing

The regular season was another big learning experience for you and this DSR team, but you reached a couple of goals by winning in Denver and securing a spot in the Countdown that should provide momentum and confidence heading into this weekend. How would you characterize where you are before things get started in Reading?

“There is never a dull moment or a slow roll for this team, that’s for sure. All we can work toward is a ‘Denver 2.0.’ Those are lofty goals, but that is what’s it going to take to excel in this Countdown. Picking up qualifying points and, more than just round wins, we need race wins to advance. Some call it pressure to win at a sponsor’s race. We call it euphoric opportunity. There is no extra pressure because we honestly can’t do or try any better than we already would, especially as a Countdown opening race.”

This is your third time qualifying for the Countdown. What did you learn the last two years that may help you make an impact in this year’s run to the championship?

“I feel more prepared than ever before because of the performance diversity this racecar and team have shown. What have I learned from the other two Countdowns? That you can age monthly – daily if you let it. I’ve also learned that operating out of fear of losing something is not as advantageous as operating out of passion for what could be.”