As the NHRA Finals approach, Tony Schumacher, affectionately known as “The Sarge,” is ready to be the disrupter at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, a venue that has witnessed many of his triumphs.
Entering the final event of the 2023 season, Schumacher sits at a ninth-place ranking. His record at Pomona speaks for itself: a series of victories and top qualifiers that have cemented his status as a king of the strip. However, his 2022 NHRA Finals performance was a hiccup in an otherwise successful year.
Schumacher is tied with Don Garlits and Doug Kalitta for the most Top Fuel wins (six) at Pomona. He leads the Top Fuel class in number of No. 1 qualifiers (six) at the NHRA Finals, and also leads the Top Fuel class in number of overall No. 1 qualifiers (10) at Pomona.
“Seasons are determined by timing, and we didn’t have a very good car at the beginning of the year because we had a lot of brand-new parts and a lot of things to work through,” he said. “But lately, we’ve been running well, and while I can’t win the championship this year, I’m going to enjoy Pomona because we have a great race car, and we will probably upset the apple cart at some level. To be honest, whoever wins the championship, it’s going to be a hell of a battle and they’re going to have to get through some very difficult cars. I love Pomona, and I love the end of the year and seeing who can gut-out the pressure. So, while we won’t win the championship, we will be the pressure.”
As the NHRA Finals draw near, Tony Schumacher may not be in the hunt for this year’s championship, but he is far from a mere participant. He is vying for his 22nd top 10 finish.
This story was originally published on November 9, 2023. 
