Racing with heavy hearts following the passing of JCM Racing co-owner Cathi Maynard, Tony Schumacher and the SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel team had extra motivation to turn on win lights Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Schumacher’s tiger-striped dragster overpowered the Summit Motorsports Park track surface in the opening round, though, leaving Schumacher to reflect on Maynard’s impact on his career.
Schumacher, who raced to a runner-up finish at the recent completion of the NHRA New England Nationals, came out of the gate swinging during Friday qualifying. He laid down a 3.759-second pass to qualify for a spot in the 16-car field, but after suffering from traction issues in the second and third qualifying sessions, he eventually settled into the No. 12 position on the eliminations ladder going into Sunday.
Schumacher’s traction troubles continued in the first round of eliminations against Austin Prock. The two drivers left the starting line with nearly identical reaction times, but the SCAG machine went up in smoke almost immediately.
Despite the early exit, Schumacher is confident it was merely a misstep on the path to a fast, consistent race car tuned by nitro racing veteran Mike ‘Zippy’ Neff.
“Great teams are built through patience, period,” said Schumacher, who won the inaugural NHRA event at Norwalk in 2007. “You don’t wake up in the morning, throw a bunch of parts together, and have success. In the past working with Zippy, we had a moving car, moving parts, and he filled the spot of crew chief. Right now, we’re starting over with all-new stuff. It will take time, but I have more faith in these guys than anyone else out here. That’s why they were hand-picked. I stick with them, and they’re going to be excellent at the end when we need it.”
Earlier in the race weekend, Schumacher and his JCM Racing teammates were saddened to hear that team matriarch Cathi Maynard had passed away. She had a profound impact on Schumacher both personally and professionally. Cathi and husband, Joe Maynard, provided funding for Schumacher to make his return to full-time Top Fuel competition in 2022, and they later purchased a majority stake in Schumacher’s team.
“My wife said it best: Cathi brought me back,” said the eight-time Top Fuel world champion. “I didn’t have a whole lot of people out there saying, ‘Hey, let’s put Tony back in the car.’ I think people thought I was retired, and she wanted me back out there. She helped get it done, and I’ll never forget that. I’m going to miss her greatly. She was an amazing person. There’s no person that’s ever met her, that’s a lesser person because of it. She was a strength for a lot of people.”
Schumacher and the SCAG Power Equipment team will have a few weeks off before starting the ‘Western Swing’ at the NHRA Mile-High Nationals, July 14-16, at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado.
This story was originally published on June 26, 2023. 
