U.S. Army Top Fuel driver Tony "The Sarge" Schumacher suddenly feels like a surfer who has found
the perfect wave to ride.
After winning his fifth race of the season in Dallas last Sunday, Schumacher heads for
the O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals here this weekend at Memphis Motorsports Park holding the coveted
Top Fuel points lead.
"I guess after Dallas you can say we're up on that perfect wave right now," said the
Chicago-area resident. "But, we can't rest on our laurels. We don't want it all to come crashing
down on us."
If Schumacher's performance at the Texas Motorplex was an indication of what's to come
that success ride may last a while. While en route to his 61st career victory, he managed to knock
off two of his main title competitors, Antron Brown and Larry Dixon, during final eliminations.
"Given who was in the other lane each time, those were huge round wins," added the
six-time world champion. "We were able to separate ourselves from those guys a little bit, which
was nice. We'll have to keep that kind of attack up if we're going to go on and win another
championship."
Schumacher's lead over Dixon is 27 points, which represents more than a round of
racing. With four races remaining in the season and the NHRA's Countdown to 1, he knows he has to
keep moving forward.
"That's the way our Army Strong Soldiers do it," said Schumacher. "We can't afford to
take any steps back at this juncture, no matter how small they may be. Frankly, we'd like to go out
and win the rest of the races. That way, there won't be any doubt as to who the top team is."
Over the next two weekends, the NHRA tour will visit Memphis Motorsports Park and
Virginia Motorsports Park outside of Richmond. Schumacher is the defending event champion at both
venues.
"Obviously, we know we can win at both places so that's important," he offered. "With
that said, we're only concentrating on the Memphis race. That's the task at hand."
