Shoe`s News - Don Schumacher Racing

RECORD BREAKING YEAR FOR DSR
Shawn, Red Fuel/Sandvik Top Fuel team win DSR’s 27th of year;
Antron, Matco are champs and Jack, Infinite Hero get oh so close
The 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series finished the
season two weeks ago near Pomona, Calif., and Don Schumacher
Racing left its mark by setting both Funny Car world records and the
Red Fuel/Sandvik Coromant Top Fuel team closed it out by winning a
DSR-record 27th event title in 24 races and 267th all-time.
Tommy Johnson Jr. and the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T
team led by John Collins advanced to the championship round for the
eighth time of the year but a loss to Del Worsham cost him his third
win of the year.
With Antron Brown and the Matco Tools/U.S. Army team led by
Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald having clinched its second world
championship at the previous
race, the Matco men didn’t let up
and advanced to their 10th
championship round where
Shawn Langdon and the Red
Fuel team with crew chiefs Todd
Okuhara and Phil Shuler denied
Matco its eighth NHRA Wally
trophy of the year.
In Funny Car, Jack Beckman
and the Infinite Hero Dodge
Charger R/T team led by crew chief
Jimmy Prock had their championship
run stopped when Kalitta
Motorsports’ Del Worsham beat them
in the Pomona semifinals. Despite
that disappointment, Jack and the
Infinite Hero team dominated the 18race regular season by winning six
times and then added another trophy
in the six-race Countdown to the
Championship playoff.
By all measures it was a stellar
season for DSR and nothing topped
the accomplishment of Don
Schumacher, who started 2015
battling cancer and ended it joyously
celebrating victory at Pomona on the
season’s last run.
Everyone at DSR and most in
drag racing were taken aback as
Don’s battle began but he attacked it
the way he wants his team’s to race.
The best way to get lucky, he says, is
through hard work.
Don missed attending the first two
events and it might not be a surprise
that at the conclusion of the first event he attended, which was at Gainesville, Fla., DSR won five of the
first six nitro titles.
As Don continued to regain his strength, DSR continued a torrid pace that produced one of the
greatest seasons ever by a professional motorsports organization in the world.
Consider these accomplishments:
Don Schumacher Racing achievements in 2015:
OVERALL
 A DSR record 27 event titles including
15 in Funny Car and 12 in Top Fuel;
 In the final Mello Yello standings, DSR
drivers Ranked 1-2-6 in Top Fuel and
2-3-4-5 in Funny Car;
 Each of the seven DSR teams earned
No. 1 qualifying positions for a total of
25;
 Swept both nitro event titles at 7 races;
 Drivers Antron Brown, Jack Beckman,
Matt Hagan and Ron Capps held an
NHRA national record at some point;
 DSR swept the Traxxas Nitro
Shootouts with the Matco Tools team
winning Top Fuel and Infinite Hero
winning Funny Car over Labor Day
Weekend at Indy.
TOP FUEL
 Antron and the Matco Tools/U.S. Army team led by crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald
clinched their second Top Fuel world championship in four years and DSR’s 14th before arriving at
Pomona for the finale;
 Antron won a career-best 7 titles to pad his nitro-leading total of 36 over the past seven seasons;
 Won 12 of possible 24 Mello Yello event titles;
 Antron and the Matco team became the first in Top Fuel to crack into the 3.6-second range with a time
of 3.680 seconds in August at Brainerd, Minn., that remains the national record.
FUNNY CAR
 Jack had career-bests of seven Mello Yello event titles and five No. 1 qualifying positions with the
Infinite Hero Dodge and reset the national time record five times this year including on Nov. 13 at
Pomona with a run in 3.884 seconds;
 DSR won 15 Funny Car titles with the all-new 2015 Dodge Charger R/T body;
 The four DSR Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars advanced to the championship round at 23 of 24 Mello
Yello events.
 Matt and the Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T team led by crew chief Dickie
Venables became the first Funny Car into the 3.8-second range with a time of 3.879 seconds at
Brainerd that remains the quickest ever;
 Matt became the first to reach 330 mph in a Funny Car (Brainerd 2015);
 DSR has 15 of the 20 quickest Funny Car times.
Don Schumacher Racing achievements at 2015 NHRA Finals in Pomona:
OVERALL
 Reset both NHRA Funny Car world records: Jack (3.884) and Matt (331.45);
 Ron and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge with crew chief Rahn Tobler produced a time of 3.885 that is
his quickest ever and briefly held the NHRA time record.
TOP FUEL
 Antron wrapped up a record year advancing to the finals for the 10th time.
 Shawn Langdon completed his six-race stay with DSR by winning the Pomona title and produced the
top speed of the meet for Top Fuel was by Langdon at a track-record 332.43 mph on his championship
run;
FUNNY CAR
 Matt had the event’s only Funny
Car 330-mph runs (331.45 and
330.15);
 Ron earned his first No. 1 qualifier
spot with a career-best time of
3.885, the fourth quickest ever;
 T.J. also posted his best lap at
3.891, the seventh quickest ever.
More than Wally trophies and NHRA records,
2015 was a bountiful, giving year for DSR
By JEFF WOLF
Our world is far from being a perfect place.
American politicians remind us of this, especially every
four years.
Heartless, misguided terrorists dominate “breaking” news
with their exploits intent on destroying America. But they will
fail as they always have.
That political gloom and terrorist doom occurring at this
time of year will not deter us from seeing our glasses as more
than half full. Certainly there are too many of our fellow
Americans who will not enjoy a bountiful holiday season and
each of us can do something to help those not in positions to
help themselves.
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, everyone in the
Don Schumacher Racing will reflect on our record-breaking
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season with perhaps a
greater emphasis on other victories experienced by DSR in
2015.
Not all success at DSR is measured in time slips and visits
to NHRA winner’s circles. Those achievements are etched in
record books and sure help our boss, Don Schumacher, pay
the bills and continue expanding the biggest, most
successful speed factory in all of American motorsports.
While Don is our leader, without question, he has joined
with a beautiful person from New Mexico whose life went
from hardscrabble to affluent and she has devoted herself
to a “giving” career in NHRA drag racing.
Terry Chandler has become of the soul of DSR and
NHRA. For a second year and soon a third, this woman
with a 10,000-horsepower, supercharged heart with
assistance from
Don has pumped
hope into others’
lives through the
Make-A-Wish and
Infinite Hero
Funny Cars. She
directly has
helped to keep 20
DSR technicians,
drivers Tommy
Johnson Jr. and
Jack Beckman
with their crew
chiefs employed.
Her desire to
create a “Giving
Funny Car” has brought awareness to the Make-A-Wish
foundation by hosting families and children challenged by
unfair maladies at each Mello Yello race.
Her program with Infinite Hero to help soldiers who returned from war with physical and mental
injuries helped to raise more than $300,000 this year.
Because of her commitment, the newest members of the DSR family – Gary and Mari Linfoot –
shared an unbelievable experience at Bristol, Tenn., in June when with the help of an exoskeleton suit
provided to Gary through a grant from Infinite Hero that enabled him to stand with a U.S. Army color
guard in the prerace ceremony.
It was the first time the retired Ranger helicopter pilot was able to stand for the National Anthem since
a crash during a mission over Iraq paralyzed him below the waist eight years ago. He was greeted by a
rousing appreciative ovations for his service. That moment was repeated at several other Mello Yello
races during the season including the NHRA Finals on Nov. 15 at Pomona, Calif., when his daughter,
Allyssa, shared the moment from a few feet away.
Terry was honored during the Nov. 16 NHRA Awards Banquet in Hollywood as the first recipient in 11
years of the Blaine Johnson Award for her outstanding commitment and dedication to the sport of NHRA
Drag Racing.
The 10th annual DSR Open House to benefit the Riley Children’s
Foundation served as the official kickoff of the NHRA U.S. Nationals near
Indy on Friday of Labor Day Weekend and raised nearly $52,000 to
benefit Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health. DSR’s
total contribution to Riley Kids is close to $400,000 over the past decade
that includes funds raised in the annual DSR bowling event that will be
held on Dec. 9.
For the Fourth of July, NAPA AUTO PARTS applied a special paint scheme to Ron’s Dodge Charger
R/T Funny Car during annual campaign supporting the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to call attention to
the price military families pay when a
veteran returns from service afflicted by
post-traumatic stress (PTSD) or traumatic
brain injury (TBI).
And in October, the Matco Tools’ Tools
for the Cause pink dragster honored 262
members of the Matco family who have
been
affected by breast cancer by
having their names adorned
on Matco dragster. The Tools
for the Cause dragster ran to
raise awareness and funds
for Susan G. Komen® during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Family is the most appropriate way to describe DSR, and as
our family expands it also contracts each year. Several new crew
members were added this year and next year there will be a few
more changes.
One of the most endearing photos of the season was taken
during the last run of the year when DSR’s Matco team faced the
Red Fuel team for the NHRA Finals trophy. It was an appropriate
match considering, as this photo indicates, Matco clutch specialist
Michael O’Guin and Red Fuel clutch assistant Marla O’Guin were
joined in nitro as they were in matrimony last year to watch their
last run at DSR. They will leave DSR at the end of the year to
move near Nashville and start a new life together outside of
racing.
What is not captured in the photo by DSR’s Leah Vaughn is a
split second after the win-light was illuminated above the Red Fuel
lane she ecstatically exploded away from her husband to celebrate with her team and driver Shawn
Langdon.
Several families came to DSR headquarters for the second annual Hole Shot Halloween and a big
crowd is expected on Dec. 5 for a new holiday tradition, the DSR Kids Christmas party.
As the curtain dropped on the 2015 racing season, in a few days it will rise to get a jump on 2016.
Before the year ends, DSR will have completed a massive expansion of the machine shop and could
break ground on extending the DSR headquarters/race shop building several hundred feet along
Motorsports Way in Brownsburg.
We close by wishing a very Happy Thanksgiving.to our 120-plus DSR racing families and our
thousands of fans
THIS IS HOW WE ROLL … help Riley Kids
Join DSR, NHRA stars at Dec. 9 bowling event for
Riley Hospital Don Schumacher Racing will host its
sixth annual “Bowling for Riley” night with NHRA stars
and hundreds of other fans and supporters on Dec. 9
at Western Bowl (6441 W. Washington Street) in
Indianapolis to raise funds for the Riley Children’s
Foundation.
Teams of four and individuals can enter the threegame “strike or 9” event and enjoy food and fun from
6:30-10 p.m. with bowling starting promptly at 7:40.
The entry fee is $240 per four-person team or $50 per
single bowler.
Non-bowling spectator admission is $10 and
children under 12 will be admitted free with a paying
adult.
Each bowler receives a free “Bowling for Riley”
event t-shirt. Corporate level packages for $500 are
available and include four-person team entry, VIP
access to food and refreshments, lane sponsorship
and event signage.
Last year’s “Bowling for Riley” raised more than $10,000 and helped push DSR’s contribution
to Riley Kids to over $350,000 in the past 10 years. For more information, contact Blake Elliott at
DSR (317.286.4396 or elliottb@shoeracing.com).
Official entry blank
2015 DSR DRIVERS STATS – FINAL
DSR TOP FUEL
ANTRON BROWN: Matco Tools/U.S. Army *2015 WORLD CHAMPION
2015
Pts
1st
Events
24
Wins
7
Rup
3
Semi
6
Qtr
3
1st rd Poles DNQ
5
7
0
W/L
51-17
CAREER
334
54 (38 TF/16 PSB) 43
69
86
78
44
3 568-277
Best Time, Speed: 3.680 sec.-national record, first 3.6 (2015, Brainerd); 331.12 mph (2015, Brainerd)
TONY SCHUMACHER: U.S. Army
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup
Semi
Qtr
1st rd Poles DNQ
2015
2nd
24
3
4
4
7
6
3
0
CAREER
432
80
58
68 114
104
79
8
Best Time, Speed: 3.719 sec. (2015, Topeka); 330.55 mph (2014, Las Vegas 2)
W/L
39-21
742-344
SHAWN LANGDON: Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher/Sandvik Coromant
2015
CAREER
Pts
6th
Events
Wins
24 (first 18 with AJR)
2
164
12
Rup
1
14
Semi
4
32
Qtr
8
51
1st rd Poles DNQ
9
2
0
59
18
3
W/L
27-22
200-150
Langdon’s Best Time, Speed: 3.662 Sec. (quickest ever, 2015, Brainerd); 334.25 mph (both with Alan Johnson Racing)
2015/TEAM
--24
2
0
4
7
12
1
0
Team’s best Time, Speed: 3.715 sec. (2015, Pomona 2); 332.75 mph (2015, Brainerd, Minn.)
22-22
DSR FUNNY CAR
JACK BECKMAN: Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup
Semi
Qtr
1st rd Poles DNQ
2015
2nd
24
7
2
4
5
5
5
1
CAREER
228
22
22
41
63
73
15
7
Best Time, Speed: 3.884 sec.-national record (2015, Pomona 2); 328.38 (2015, Pomona 2)
W/L
46-16
297-199
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.: Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup
Semi
Qtr
1st rd Poles DNQ
2015
3rd
24
2
6
4
7
5
3
0
CAREER
370
12 (10 FC/2 TF)
21
49
87
157
13
47
Best Time, Speed: 3.891 sec. (2015, Pomona 2); 326.08 mph (2015, Pomona 2)
W/L
42-22
297-314
RON CAPPS: NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup
Semi
Qtr
1st rd Poles DNQ
2015
4th
24
2
3
6
5
8
1
0
CAREER
459
45 (44 FC/1 TF)
45
82
93
176
17
18
Best Time, Speed: 3.937 sec., (2015, St. Louis); 327.19 mph (2015, St. Louis)
W/L
34-22
572-396
MATT HAGAN: Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup
Semi
Qtr
1st rd Poles DNQ
W/L
2015
5th
24
4
2
2
10
6
4
0
36-20
CAREER
168
18
18
23
54
51
21
4 225-146
Best Time, Speed: 3.879 sec.-quickest ever (2015, Brainerd); 331.45 mph-national record (2015, Pomona 2)
2015 NHRA MELLO YELLO STANDINGS – FINAL
(Official after Pomona 2; 6 of 6 in Countdown, 24 of 24 overall; DSR drivers in CAPS)
TOP FUEL
FUNNY CAR
DRIVER (WINS)
POINTS
BEHIND
DRIVER (WINS)
POINTS
1. ANTRON BROWN (7)
2692
----1. Del Worsham (4)
2664
2. TONY SCHUMACHER (3) 2461
-231
2. JACK BECKMAN (7)
2608
3. Richie Crampton (5)
2430
-262
3. TOMMY JOHNSON JR (2)
2548
4. Larry Dixon
2412
-280
4. RON CAPPS (2)
2490
5. Doug Kalitta (3)
2388
-304
5. MATT HAGAN (4)
2418
6. SHAWN LANGDON (2) 2387
-305
6. Robert Hight (2)
2370
7. Brittany Force
2363
-329
7. John Force (2)
2332
8. Steve Torrence (1)
2342
-348
8. Alexis DeJoria
2313
9. JR Todd
2307
-383
9. Cruz Pedregon
2286
10. Dave Connolly
2303
-389
10. Tim Wilkerson (1)
2259
2016 NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES
Pre-season testing
Feb. 3-6
Regular Season
Feb. 11-14
Feb. 26-28
Phoenix
Pomona, Calif.
Phoenix
BEHIND
-----56
-116
-174
-246
-294
-332
-353
-378
-405
March 17-20
Gainesville, Fla.
April 1-3
Las Vegas
April 22-24
Charlotte, N.C.
April 29-May 1
Houston
May 13-15
Atlanta
June 3-5
Epping, N.H.
June 9-12
Englishtown, N.J.
June 17-19
Bristol, Tenn.
June 23-26
Norwalk, Ohio
July 7-10
Chicago
July 22-24
Denver
July 29-31
Sonoma, Calif.
Aug. 5-7
Seattle
Aug. 18-21
Brainerd, Minn.
Aug. 31-Sept. 5
Indianapolis
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship
Sept. 16-18
Charlotte, N.C.
Sept. 23-25
St. Louis
Sept. 29-Oct. 2
Reading, Pa.
Oct. 13-16
Dallas
Oct. 27-30
Las Vegas
Nov. 10-13
Pomona, Calif.
Do your holiday shopping
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NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series results (NOTE: order of events only correct for 2015)
REGULAR SEASON
2013 DSR WINNNERS
1. Feb. 6-8 Pomona, Calif. TF Langdon/FC C. Force
2. Feb. 20-22 Phoenix
TF TONY/FC RON
3. March 13-15 G’ville, Fla. TF ANTRON/FC GRAY
4. March 27-29 Charlotte TF SPENCER/FC MATT
5. April 10-12 Las Vegas TF TONY/FC Cruz
6. April 24-26 Houston
TF Vandergriff/FC Cruz
7. May 15-17 Atlanta (PSM) TF ANTRON/FC GRAY
2014 WINNERS
TF alBalooshi
TF ANTRON
TF Kalitta
TF ANTRON
TF TONY
TF ANTRON
TF SPENCER
FC J. Force
FC DeJoria
FC Hight
FC Hight
FC DeJoria
FC Hight
FC Hight
2015 WINNERS
TF Langdon
TF TONY
TF SPENCER
TF ANTRON
TF Crampton
TF Kalitta
TF ANTRON
FC MATT
FC MATT
FC RON
FC JACK #100
FC J. Force
FC RON
FC Wilkerson
8. May 22-24 Topeka, Kan.
9. June 5-7 Englishtown
10. June 12-14 Epping, N.H.
11. June 19-21 Bristol
12. July 3-5 Norwalk, Ohio
13. July 10-12 Chicago
14. July 24-26 Denver
15. Jul 31-Au. 2 Sonoma
16. Aug. 7-9 Seattle
17. Aug. 21-23 Brainerd
18. Sep. 3-7 Indianapolis
TF Langdon/FC GRAY
TF Langdon/FC MATT
TF SPENCER/FC C. Force
TF S. Torrence/FC J. Force
TF alBalloshi/FC GRAY
TF TONY/FC MATT
TF SPENCER/FC Cruz
TF Langdon/FC RON
TF Lucas/ FC MATT
TF SPENCER/FC RON
TF Langdon/FC Hight
FC Traxxas JACK
COUNTDOWN
2013 DSR WINNERS
19. Sept. 18-20 Charlotte
TF Lucas/FC Hight
20. Sept.25-27 St. Louis
TF ANTRON/FC J. Force
21. Oct. 2-4 Reading, Pa.
TF Langdon/FC J. Force
22. Oct. 16-18 Dallas
TF Kalitta/FC Cruz
23, Oc. 30-Nv. 1 Las Vegas TF ANTRON/FC J. Force
24. Nov. 13-15 Pomona
TF Langdon/FC MATT
DSR TOTALS:
TF = 11/FC = 12
TF SPENCER
FC C. Force
TF Crampton
FC C. Pedregon
TF TONY
FC RON
TF Langdon
FC TOMMY
TF ANTRON
FC J. Force
TF ANTRON
FC MATT
TF Todd
FC Hight
TF alBalooshi
FC C. Force
TF Kalitta
FC J. Force
TF Lucas
FC RON (Indy)
TF Crampton
FC DeJoria
TF Traxxas TONY
2014 WINNERS
TF TONY (Dallas) FC MATT (Dallas)
TF ANTRON
FC C. Force
TF TONY
FC MATT
TF TONY
FC C. Force
TF SPENCER
FC Worsham
TF Lucas
FC MATT
TF = 14
FC = 7
TF Crampton
TF ANTRON
TF TONY
TF Crampton
TF Kalitta
TF TONY
TF Torrence
TF ANTRON
TF Todd
TF Crampton
TF Lucas
2015 WINNERS
TF ANTRON
TF ANTRON
TF ANTRON
TF Crampton
TF Kalitta
TF SHAWN
TF = 12
FC JACK #250
FC MATT
FC J. Force
FC MATT
FC JACK
FC TOMMY
FC JACK
FC JACK
FC TOMMY
FC Hight
FC JACK
FC JACK
FC Worsham
FC Worsham
FC JACK
FCWorsham
FC Hight
FC Worsham
FC = 15
DSR 2015 SEASON TOTALS
1 – World championships (Antron’s 2nd)
12 - Top Fuel event titles (Antron 7, Tony 3, Shawn, Spencer 1)
15 - Funny Car event titles (Jack 7, Matt 4, Ron 2, Tommy 2)
DSR 2014 SEASON TOTALS
2 - World championships (Tony’s 8th in Top Fuel, Matt’s 2nd in Funny Car)
14 - Top Fuel event titles (Antron 6, Tony 5, Spencer 3)
7 - Funny Car event titles (Matt 4, Ron 2, Tommy 1, Jack 0)
DSR ALL-TIME TOTALS
14 - World championships (Tony 8, Matt 2, Antron 2, Jack Beckman 1, Gary Scelzi 1)
267 - NHRA Mello Yello event titles (Top Fuel 135, Funny Car 111, Pro Stock 3, Pro Stock Motorcycles 18)
Don Schumacher Racing
ShoeRacing.com - (317) 858-0356
Jeff Wolf
wolfj@shoeracing.com
Leah Vaughn
vaughnl@shoeracing.com