Schumacher Grabs Texas NHRA Win for Team Valvoline
ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 27, 2009) -- Tony Schumacher won the Top Fuel dragster competition in Sunday's NHRA national event at the Texas Motorplex outside of Dallas.
Schumacher defeated Team Valvoline teammate Larry Dixon in the final round. Schumacher ran a 3.994-second elapsed time at 312.86 miles per hour. Dixon trailed with a 4.232 at 225.18.
The victory, which was his fifth of the season and 61st of his career, lifted Schumacher into first place in the NHRA's Countdown to 1 championship format. Dixon is second in points and last week's winner Cory McClenathan is third, giving Team Valvoline the top three positions in the Top Fuel standings. .
"This was huge," said Schumacher, who advanced to the final by outrunning T.J. Zizzo, Antron Brown and Spencer Massey in the first three rounds. "Beating Larry Dixon and (team owner) Alan Johnson plus my old team is just special; if you can't rise to the occasion against guys like that who you know are great, you don't belong in here racing cars."
In the Funny Car final, Valvoline driver Jack Beckman finished runner-up. He lost to points leader Robert Hight in the final round. Hight ran a 4.218 at 296.44 to Beckman's 4.271 at 292.58. Reaching the finals moved Beckman into third place in the Funny Car point standings.
NHRA Full Throttle Series
Sept. 27
Texas Motorplex
Dallas
Top Fuel:
Larry Dixon, Alan Johnson Racing
Runner-up
Point Standing: 2nd
Cory McClenathan, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in Quarterfinal Round
Point Standing: 3rd
Tony Schumacher, Don Schumacher Racing
Won Event
Point Standing: 1st
Funny Car
Jack Beckman, Don Schumacher Racing
Runner-up
Point Standing: 3rd
Ron Capps, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in First Round
Point Standing: 6th
Matt Hagan, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in First Round
Point Standing: 12th
Tim Wilkerson, Team Wilkerson Racing
Lost in Quarterfinal Round
Point Standing: 8th
Del Worsham, Alan Johnson Racing
Lost in First Round
Point Standing: 10th
Pro Stock
Ron Krisher, Krisher Racing
Lost in Quarterfinal Round
Point Standing: 9th
Pro Stock Motorcycle
Matt Smith, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in Semifinal Round
Point Standing: 4th
Next NHRA Event
Oct. 4
NHRA Mid South Nationals
Memphis Motorsports Park
Memphis, Tenn.
