Schumacher Relishes His Role

On a day the Bush Administration raised the national terror alert from yellow to orange, and with the country facing a possible showdown with Iraq, Tony Schumacher drove his U.S. Army-sponsored top-fuel dragster Friday at Pomona Raceway.

Schumacher is one of the contenders in today’s $100,000 Budweiser Shootout, as well as a leading candidate to unseat Larry Dixon as NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series champion.

He is also one of the favorites of the United States military. Nicknamed “the Sarge” and a figurehead in the Army’s effort to demonstrate “speed, technology, teamwork and power” to potential recruits, Schumacher is hoping to win his eighth national event title here at the 43rd K&N; Filters Winternationals on Sunday.

“It’s not just a beer name on the side of a car, it’s not just an oil company,” said the 33-year-old driver from Long Grove, Ill. “It’s the United States.... Every race we go to, it’s about freedom and it’s about representing the American people. I wouldn’t want any other name on the side of my car.”

From Dec. 28 to Jan. 5, Schumacher visited American troops in Afghanistan and Kuwait along with NASCAR drivers Geoff Bodine and Jerry Nadeau, who will pilot the U.S. Army Pontiac in Winston Cup racing this season.

“I’m very patriotic,” Schumacher said. “I’m 100% behind them because you have to be. You’re not out there selling beer, you’re selling someone to go out there and serve his country. You better believe in that.”

More than 250,000 people have visited the Army’s on-site interactive area over the last 2 1/4 seasons at NHRA events, and more than 50,000 students have gone through the Army-backed Youth and Education Services program, about 3,500 of whom Schumacher addressed Friday morning to show that today’s Army is not the same as it was in their parents’ day.

Schumacher also is hands-on when it comes to representing his sponsor. He has jumped with the Golden Knights parachute team, shot weapons with army marksmen, ridden in Blackhawk helicopters, driven a tank and rubbed shoulders with generals at last season’s U.S. Nationals, which he won.

“The Army is a lot of people dressed in uniform doing their job, but it’s also a lot of civilians, a lot of everyday people, doing their jobs,” Schumacher said. “It’s what they say it is, ‘An army of one.’ We’re all doing a specialized part of it. My job is to help put soldiers in boots.”

When the Army signed on as a partner at the Nationals in 2000, the car was called “the Sarge.” Soon, despite having never served in the military, Schumacher was being called “the Sarge” by the soldiers he came in contact with.

“People from the different branches, they all pat me on the [rear] and say, ‘We’re behind you,’ ” said Schumacher, who wears a military-like buzz cut. “It’s all about America. As much as they joke about Army vs. Navy vs. Air Force vs. Marines, they’re all on the same team, Team USA.”

Schumacher, second to Dixon in top fuel after the first round of qualifying, dropped to fourth Friday. Clay Millican, running only a few races this season, had a career-best run of 4.52 seconds and a top speed of 326.79 mph to take the No. 1 qualifying position, just a few minutes after rookie Brandon Bernstein had run 4.56 and 320.28.

For today’s Budweiser Shootout, an eight-car event incorporated into the final two rounds of qualifying, Bernstein races Darrell Russell, and Schumacher races Cory McClenathan in the top half of the bracket. In the bottom half, it’s Dixon against Doug Herbert, and Doug Kalitta against Andrew Cowin.

Bellflower funny car driver Gary Densham ran his division’s fastest time of the day, 4.77 seconds, hitting 323.12 mph, but it was not enough to unseat Doug Wilkerson, who qualified No. 1 Thursday at 4.75. John Force moved into third with a 4.80, hitting 321.81 mph, and Tommy Johnson Jr., moved into fourth with a 4.85 and 317.12.

Del Worsham, Ron Capps and Frank Pedregon still have not qualified for the 16-driver field with two rounds of qualifying scheduled today.

Defending series champion Jeg Coughlin, who last year failed to qualify for the Winternationals, set a track record for elapsed time in pro stock, 6.79 seconds, topping out at 203.22 mph, to take over the top qualifying position from his brother, Troy.

Kurt Johnson, fourth quickest on the day, set a pro stock track speed record, 203.74 mph.