In a significant development for NHRA Top Fuel racing, Rick Ware Racing (RWR) has announced that Tony Schumacher, the winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA history, will join the team for a limited 2025 schedule, with plans for a full-time run in 2026.
During the rain delay at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, six-time Top Fuel champ Clay Millican and Rick Ware sat down with Schumacher and discussed what’s to come from this dynamic Top Fuel duo.
Schumacher, an eight-time Top Fuel champion with 88 career victories, expressed his enthusiasm about the new partnership, stating that the opportunity with RWR allows him to compete at a high level immediately. He also highlighted the potential benefits of teaming up with Millican, noting that sharing data and working together would strengthen the team’s overall performance.
“I was a Bob Uecker fan, and I loved watching him,” Schumacher started. “He said, ‘You know, I didn’t know I was unemployed until I walked in the locker room, and they said this is only for players.’ That’s how I realized it was time for me to find a new team. It was the end of the year, and a team was announced, and my name wasn’t on it, so I started looking around.”
Schumacher continued to share this his wife, Summmer, brought up RWR and their affetion for Millican. That’s when Schumacher decided to explore the possibility of joining RWR.
“You find yourself wondering what’s the right team, and it’s the team owner, it’s the crew guys, the hospitality, it’s the function of all of it. The fact that Rick has motocross teams, NASCAR teams, and a flat track team – he has a process that’s bigger than what most teams have to offer. I think we looked at that and said this is a good opportunity.”
Ware emphasized that adding a driver of Schumacher’s caliber strengthens RWR’s overall program.
“Selfishly, as a team owner, to have Clay Milllican and Tony Schumacer made a lot of sense from the outside looking in. This didn’t happen overnight – there were a lot of consersations and a lot of thought, but we’re trying to be a powerhouse in NHRA Top Fuel racing. We’ve had a lot of great success, and we’ve got a lot of great things coming. I don’t know how he got in the position that he was in, but man, I’m thankful he reached out and we talked.”
Schumacher’s addition to RWR has been in development for several months, with careful planning to ensure the team’s readiness for expansion. Before Schumacher approached Ware, he reached out to Millican for his blessing and even asked his fellow Top Fuel driver to be on the phone when it happened.
“I’ve always had respect for this guy. I’ve always said he’s he’s one of the greatest drivers, great spokesperson and all that and that’s all very true but my respect level went way up,” Millican shared. “Most people out here would just go right to the team, but you ask me first, and I appreciate that, and I want the world to know that that happened.”
“I wanted to be your teammate,” Schumacher then stated. “I wasn’t saying can I step in here and move in on a team. I’ve had that done, and it’s unpleasant.”
Millican, a six-time IHRA champion and seven-time NHRA Top Fuel event winner, shared his excitement about having a teammate for the first time. He believes that collaborating with Schumacher will be beneficial for both drivers, as they can learn from each other’s experiences and push each other to improve.
“I’m truly looking forward to it. I have never been in the position to be a teammate or have a team car and I think it’s going to be really cool because even though we both have made thousands of run I truly believe I can learn something from you and you’ll learn from me because we came from different ways of doing it,” Millican said.
There are 14 championships between the two of them and both of them each hold the “all time winngingest Top Fuel driver” in different sanctioning bodies. This was a win-win for Ware, who is focused on putting Schumacher’s team in place, something he has immense experience in.
“We enjoy putting the pieces of the puzzle together, so it’s not going to be too hard. The hardest thing is not getting too excited. You know he wants to run five days ago, right?” Ware joked. “I made it very clear I’m not getting Tony Schumacher on my shoulders and not having everything be ready.”
“We had funding, and we pulled some together, but not enough to a fund season, but enough funding to go to most races, and that’s a great starting place. We put our heads together and started discussing it,” Schumacher said.
Additionally, Ware acknowledged Millican’s significant contributions to the team’s success and expressed optimism about the future with both seasoned drivers on board.
“Like I explained to him and to [Millican], we are not going to jeopardize this core program. We’ve spent several years building this for Clay. Having said that, I want to duplicate that exact thing for Tony because you know the time is going to come where these two guys are going to be I hope and pray not first-round exits. I’ve seen it happen with Kalitta and I’m like man that would really suck. Then I’ve also seen teams to where they’re going to the finals and I’m like well one of my guys is not going to be happy this guy is going to be happy,” Ware said pointing to himself. “So from a business standpoint that’s important because at the end of the day, I think you can only win so many Wallies but we can legitimately win that times two now. I think that’s going to make everybody’s career last longer, and you guys deserve to extend your career as long as you possibly can.
“It’s important to grow the sponsors, and whether you know a lot about motorsports or not, you have to understand these two guys are like having two of the star quarterbacks that are still in their prime before they retire. It’s my goal, too – I don’t know how long you guys are going to drive, but to finish here and have some cool stories and a lot of really, really good runs, I just thank the Lord that we’re even in this opportunity to have these conversations,” Ware added.
The integration of Schumacher into RWR is anticipated to enhance the team’s competitiveness in the NHRA circuit. With both drivers bringing a wealth of experience and a shared commitment to excellence, fans and competitors alike will be watching closely as this partnership unfolds in the upcoming seasons. Lastly, Schumacher’s schedule will be announced at a later date.
This story was originally published on March 12, 2025. 
