Winningest Top Fuel drag racer Tony Schumacher is on the hunt for his first win of the season at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at the iconic In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, driving the Leatherwood Distillery Top Fuel Dragster. Schumacher, a legend in the drag racing world, brings a storied history to Pomona, a track where he has seen significant success over the years.
Schumacher, the two-time NHRA Winternationals event winner (2004, 2008) and a frequent top contender, is returning to the track with an impressive record. He has been the No. 1 qualifier four times (2005, 2006, 2007, 2013) and a two-time runner-up (2013, 2018) at this event. His overall achievements at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip include six event wins, 10 No. 1 qualifiers, and seven runner-up finishes, underscoring his dominance and expertise on this historic dragstrip.
Last year, Schumacher qualified eighth but faced an early exit in the first round, defeated by Shawn Langdon. Despite this, Schumacher and his team have been hard at work.
“It’s about time that we see all of the hard work that’s gone into the back end of this operation show up on the race track,” said Schumacher. “Our car and performance have stepped up so much. We really saw a turnaround during the Countdown last year, and we’ve only continued to improve on that in both testing and in Gainesville.
“Our Leatherwood Distillery team is looking forward to our first win together; we know it’s coming. Like so many others, Pomona has been a good track to me over the years, but it’s been a while since I was in the winner’s circle there. It’s going to be cool, throw-down conditions this weekend, and as long as we continue on this current path, I have no doubt we’ll have a strong showing this weekend.”
Schumacher showed promising performance at the last event in Gainesville, qualifying fifth. However, an early first-round exit against Josh Hart has only fueled the team’s determination to excel in the upcoming Winternationals.
This story was originally published on March 21, 2024. 
