Tony Deep 6s Top Fuel Field

CLERMONT, Ind. — National Hot Rod Ass’n Top Fuel dominator Tony Schumacher shrugged earlier in the weekend when pondering why he does so well at Indianapolis’ O’Reilly Raceway Park.
“Some tracks are like that — I can’t get out of my own way at Englishtown,” he said of the New Jersey quarter-mile drag strip where he has had disastrous weekends.
But in Monday’s Labor Day classic Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Schumacher knocked everyone else from his path.
He bumped Hot Rod Fuller from the points lead as the second segment of the Countdown to the Championship kicked off. In a wild swing of momentum, he surged from 184 points off Fuller’s pace into the lead for the first time all season. This driver who started the year ninth in the standings has won here sixth times in seven finals during the past eight years.
Schumacher became the first Top Fuel driver to win from the No. 1 qualifying position this season, beating Clay Millican, Cory McClenathan, and Melanie Troxel along the way.
In the final round, Schumacher and his U.S. Army Dragster pulled away from Larry Dixon’s wounded SkyTel Dragster for a winning pass of 4.575 seconds at 331.94 miles per hour.
In the car nicknamed “The Sarge,” Schumacher was fully in control, leading the Top Fuel field with low e.t. and top speed of the meet ( 4.477 seconds, 333.66 mph) in qualifying.

“We’re good at suck-up moments. We’re a good pressure team, and this seems to be the most crunch-time race. It’s such a high-energy place.”

— Tony Schumacher

Dixon posed a serious threat as a three-time winner in four final rounds here during the previous six years. But in the end, as his engine ate itself up, he conceded with a 4.748-second elapsed time at 268.44 mph.
“We’re good at suck-up moments. We’re a good pressure team, and this seems to be the most crunch-time race. It’s such a high-energy place,” Schumacher said after his $75,000 triumph. “Alan [crew chief Johnson] is fantastic. And the guys know they have a great crew chief and great teammates. They rely on each other. There’s no fighting, no tension.”

SPOILER: Dave Connolly defeatead Greg Anderson in the final round of Pro Stock eliminations, keeping Anderson from his fifth U.S. Nationals title. (Frank Smith Photo)

Schumacher, perfect this year in five final rounds, moved closer to “Big Daddy” Don Garlits’ class-record eight victories and joined Pro Stock’s Warren Johnson and the late Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Dave Schultz as a six-time winner. Bob Glidden, who ruled the Pro Stock class with nine Indianapolis triumphs, still owns the record at the NHRA’s marquee event.
All of last year’s pro-class winners advanced to the final round, but only Schumacher was able to repeat. Robert Hight’s Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang sputtered in his run against Mike Ashley in Funny Car. Dave Connolly ran down Pro Stock phenom Greg Anderson. And Matt Smith, who had his bike trophy two years ago taken away from him before returning to win in 2006, gave away his opportunity to Craig Treble this time with a foul start.

AUTO SHOW: Robert Hight carried the torch for John Force Racing into the final round of Funny Car eliminations at the U.S. Nationals, but lost out to Mike Ashley. (Frank Smith Photo)

Ashley, driving a special tribute Dodge Charger designed by legendary Chip Foose and painted by the team at Illusions Custom Paint and Body in Bristol, Tenn., won the $75,000 jackpot with a 4.894-second run at 323.74 mph.
Hight could muster only an 8.072-second clocking at 104.08 in the John Force-owned Auto Club of Southern California/Team Castrol Ford Mustang.
He was hoping for a morale-boosting victory in an emotion-swept weekend. It began with the John Force Racing organization dedicating The Eric Medlen Project to its fallen teammate and weathered Force’s disappointing DNQ in the Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang he was driving to honor his late protégé.
The runner-up finish vaulted Hight into first place, displacing Ron Capps, who had led the standings since the fourth race of the season, in April at Houston. Ashley improved from sixth to second.
Skoal Showdown winner Jack Beckman missed the chance to pocket a $50,000 double-up bonus when he lost to Ashley in the quarterfinals.
In Pro Stock action, Connolly ruined Anderson’s bid for an unprecedented fifth straight U.S. Nationals victory in the KB Racing/Summit Racing Pontiac GTO. Anderson was quicker off the starting line, but his 6.729-second, 205.79-mph pass wasn’t enough this time.
With a 6.710-second e.t. at 206.32 mph in the Victor Cagnazzi-owned Torco Chevy Cobalt, Connolly won the match-up of the class’ top two drivers in the Countdown and earned $37,500.

DENIED: Greg Anderson lost to Dave Connolly in the final round of Pro Stock eliminations Monday. Anderson was pursuing his fifth-straight U.S. Nationals title and sixth of his career. (Russ LaBounty Photo)

That fifth victory of 2007 leapfrogged him past Anderson in the standings. Except for a blip in February at Phoenix that dropped him to No. 2, Anderson had led the standings the entire season. Semifinalist Kurt Johnson made the biggest move, from sixth to fourth, bruising round-one loser Jeg Coughlin, who slid from third to fifth.

TWO-WHEEL WIN: Craig Treble vaulted from eighth to second in Pro Stock Motorcyle standings with his U.S. Nationals win. (Russ LaBounty Photo)

Anderson, pursuing his fourth series championship, had won five times in six final rounds at Indianapolis, including four in a row, and was trying to become the only professional driver to win this race five consecutive times. He won here in 2001 and 2003-2006 and was runner-up in 1999.
Craig Treble entered this race as the No. 8 Pro Stock Motorcycle rider in the Countdown for the Championship. He didn’t clinch the spot until the final race in the so-called “regular season.” Following his $10,000 accomplishment Monday, he rocketed to second place on his Team Tigue Suzuki.
Smith, who rides the Torco Race Fuels Buell, has been to eight final rounds in 12 races this year. He had led the standings for the past eight races. Even though he didn’t record his fourth victory of the year, he was the lone pro competitor to keep his points advantage.