U.S. Army Racing Teammates Focused on Countdown Success in Reading 

MOHNTON, PA – To say things happen quickly in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series would be a major understatement. Within the blink of an eye, everything can change. After their split-second losses Sunday to open the six-event Countdown to the Championship at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. Army Racing teammates Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher and Antron Brown couldn’t get to Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania fast enough for this weekend’s 33rd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals.

Both Schumacher and Brown found positives in the Charlotte outcome and know, with three consecutive weekends of action to begin the Countdown, they need to make a statement this weekend to stay in the mix for the title. Winning matters in the Countdown, and one or the other has won the Maple Grove event each of the last three seasons and went on to become the Top Fuel world champion.

Schumacher, the eight-time Top Fuel world champion, made a dramatic run to victory in the Keystone State back in 2014 behind the wheel of his U.S. Army Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR). He later admitted the semifinal victory over Doug Kalitta at Maple Grove that year was the turning point in the championship run for his nine-man U.S. Army team led by crew chief Mike Green. The win was his third in the first four events of the 2014 Countdown and his team never looked back. Last week at Charlotte, they came up just short in a second-round matchup with Kalitta, who went on to score his first win of the season and jumped from fifth to first in the standings. “The Sarge” would like to duplicate Kalitta’s Charlotte results this weekend as he returns to action fifth in the standings, 58 points behind Kalitta, and scoring a sixth career win at Maple Grove would provide a big boost in the U.S. Army team’s championship aspirations.

With the understanding that coming up big in the second event of the Countdown is a must for Schumacher and the U.S. Army team, the hope is history repeats itself. In his most recent title run, the team won twice in Dallas during the second Countdown weekend when the Charlotte event was completed at the Texas Motorplex on Saturday and Texas NHRA Fall Nationals concluded Sunday. Last year, the team made a run to the final in St. Louis. With this year’s schedule swap that moved the Dodge NHRA Nationals to the week before St. Louis, Schumacher is looking to continue his success in the second Countdown weekend and he’s optimistic that the warmer temperatures being forecasted will play right into their hand.

No driver has been hotter at Maple Grove during the past five seasons than Brown. The three-time and reigning champion has raced the Matco Tools/U.S. Army Dragster for DSR to victory there each of the last two seasons and has reached the final in Reading four times since 2012. His run to victory in 2015 was part of an incredible start to the Countdown in which he won the first three events. In that final, he defeated Schumacher to score his first career win at the facility. Following his victory in the final over Brittany Force last year, Brown enters the weekend looking to add to his run of consecutive round wins at Maple Grove and improve his position in the battle for this year’s title. He currently ranks third in the championship and trails Kalitta by 38 markers.

Schumacher is chasing his second victory of 2017 and the 84th of illustrious career. His March victory in the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida made him the all-time winningest driver in the event’s history. He also reached the final in Las Vegas, the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, and at Atlanta Dragway. Maple Grove Raceway is the site of his most recent Countdown win and was his 11th career playoff victory. He has a career record of 105-46 in the Countdown and is 11-6 in seven Countdown events at Maple Grove.

Brown is a four-time winner in 2017 and reached six other finals. His four wins are tied for second most in the class with his DSR teammate Leah Pritchett, while both trail Steve Torrence’s seven event titles this season. Brown brings a 17-5 career record in Countdown events at Maple Grove into the weekend and a career mark of 101-39 in all Countdown events.

Four qualifying sessions will set Sunday’s elimination ladder. The action begins Friday with sessions at 2:30 and 5 p.m. EDT. FS1 will broadcast an hour of live qualifying Friday beginning at 2:30. Saturday’s qualifying sessions will take place at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Sunday’s elimination rounds begin at noon with FS1’s three-hour live broadcast set for 2 p.m.

TONY “THE SARGE” SCHUMACHER, driver of the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster:

The Countdown opened in Charlotte with some surprises and you are quickly back in competition this weekend. With how things unfolded last weekend, are you happy to be right back at the track this weekend?

“Absolutely. This U.S. Army team is locked and loaded. The Countdown just ramps things up to another level. I’ve been involved in this sport for a long time and have been fortunate to be part of some amazing things. It’s no secret that we haven’t had the kind of year we were hoping for, but everything is still on the table and we have an opportunity to reach our ultimate goal. It’s not always just the numbers that tell the whole story. It’s been a building process throughout the year for this team. I know (crew chief) Mike (Green) and (assistant crew chief) Phil (Shuler) and all the guys have been working to get the U.S. Army Dragster to be the best it can be. And I can tell you we are getting there. After the race in Charlotte, I sat there and thought about it all. We’re close. Yes, we got beat by Kalitta. He goes on to win the deal and leaves on top. We were that close to doing it ourselves. That was the one we let get away and now we have to be in attack mode. You have to win in the Countdown if you want to win the championship. It’s a proven fact. We have to find a way to win this weekend. That’s it. Plain and simple. Now, we have to go.”

The final two days in Charlotte, the U.S. Army car was making good runs in extremely warm conditions. If the weather is similar this weekend in Reading, would you like your chances?

“We can’t control a lot of things like the weather, but I do know we have a really good program for a hot track. I know we made two good runs in the heat both Saturday and Sunday in Charlotte. I hope they are right and we do have to run in some heat this weekend, as well. We have a really good car and we’re going to come out and do the best we can, whatever conditions are. We’ll adapt to whatever we have in front of us.”

The NHRA schedule has moved around events and Maple Grove is the second Countdown event instead of the third or fourth, as it has been in the past. The U.S. Army team has been very good down the stretch in several events, including Reading. Do you feel like moving it up will make any difference?

“The weather can be a difficult opponent and I think over the past five years we’ve dealt with rainy and colder conditions more often than we’d like to at Reading. And, by changing the date, maybe the chances of weather not being such a major factor will help. It’s a Countdown race and, when championships are being earned, everyone wants all four qualifying runs and good racing conditions on Sunday. Plus, Maple Grove is such a unique facility. Old school. Throwback to the early days of drag racing. And we just want to be able to go out there and have a great race for all of the fans. They pack that place and you can certainly feel the energy. We’re hoping it all works out and we have a great weekend.”

ANTRON BROWN, driver of the Matco Tools/U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster:

After winning the opener in the previous two Countdowns, you went on to claim the world championship. Despite the tough loss in round two versus Clay Millican in Charlotte, do you feel like you still have a great shot at this year’s title?

“This thing is such a battle. Charlotte was an indicator that anything can happen. You saw some of the best cars out here go out early. It’s anyone’s game right now. One slip-up can change everything. When you lose a close race, it makes you hungry. You know there are going to be a lot of races like that in the Countdown. These Matco Tools/U.S. Army boys are working hard. The Countdown is so tough, the competition is tough. You can’t take any round lightly, and that includes qualifying. So we just have to go out there and take it one run at a time and give it our best each time. We know there is a lot of work to be done and we still have a great shot.”

You return to Reading as the winner of the last two events at the track. Does that help your outlook on the weekend?

“We’re excited to be heading to Reading this week for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, we don’t have to wait long to get back on this horse after last week. Reading is a big race for us, it’s a hometown race for me. Winning there the past couple of years has been great and really helped our runs to the championship, but we know this year it’s going to be just as tough, if not tougher. It all starts with qualifying. We haven’t been able to be where we wanted to in qualifying the last two events and it’s hurt us. We are all going to step up and be better as a team. We are all going to do it together. I’m just excited to get out there and get after it.”