NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Eight-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher's name was conspicuously absent from the roster last season, but "The Sarge" is back this year with a new crew chief, fresh sponsors, and a rejuvenated perspective. The 85-time national event winner returned to find a field packed with incredible competition, but he welcomed the monstrous challenge.

"Everyone said this season is going to be a throwdown battle," said Schumacher. "You're not going to see any one car rising above the rest; there are going to be a whole lot of people beating down. So far, we've had three monster first rounds — we won two of them, and that third one was close. We're literally running the best of the best, right out of the gate — but I wouldn't want it any other way."

At the season opener in Pomona, Schumacher drew a stunner of a first-round opponent to kick off his first full season since 2018. Qualified in the No. 12 position, he drew Doug Kalitta – the driver who was on the receiving end of "The Run," the national-record setting pass in Schumacher's final run of the 2006 season that took the championship out of Kalitta's hands and placed it in his own.

Like a page from a novel, Kalitta came into the 2022 season of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series with Alan Johnson as his crew chief – the same guy who tuned Schumacher to the championship-winning pass that seemed impossible before it was made. 

"The first race this year, having to run Doug Kalitta with Alan Johnson first round — for me, there was a lot of build-up," admitted Schumacher. "It was like, 'Really?! I get to run him first round of the season?' But that was a great race. Both of us have beat each other down so hard so many times. But I always say, 'If you can't sit up in the seat at that moment against that guy, you probably don't belong in these cars.' " 

Schumacher claimed a bit of a starting-line advantage in their Sunday morning meeting at this year's Winternationals and got the win light by three-thousandths of a second on a 3.726 at 324.28 mph pass to 3.730, 327.11. The two have now met 92 times in elimination rounds, with Schumacher holding a 52-40 advantage over Kalitta.

This season, Schumacher's Maynard Family/Scag Power Equipment Top Fuel dragster is tuned by veteran Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) crew chief Todd Okuhara. Most recently, Okuhara was crew chief for Leah Pruett under the DSR umbrella, and he's been with the powerhouse team since 2005, working with drivers such as Whit Bazemore, Shawn Langdon, and Spencer Massey. 

Okuhara began his career under the watchful eye of legendary tuner Roland Leong, a fellow Hawaiian, in the early 1990s. He logged many hours working on NHRA Hall of Famer Don Prudhomme's dragster and won two world championships with Larry Dixon. 

"Never in all of my career had I really worked with Todd Okuhara, and I absolutely love it," said Schumacher, who was most notably associated with crew chief Johnson during a period in which the duo claimed five consecutive Top Fuel championships (2004-2008) flying the flag of the U.S. Army. Schumacher's first championship came with Dan Olson at the helm in 1999, and his most recent two were earned with tuner Mike Green (2009 and 2014). He finished No. 2 with Mike 'Zippy' Neff in 2018.

"In my career, I've had some great crew chiefs," he continued. "Every time I get to work with somebody new, it's interesting. It's like it isn't redundant anymore, we get to rebuild, and I love the whole challenge."

Schumacher is surrounded by other fresh faces this year; many of his crewmembers are new and a few haven't worked on a Top Fuel car before.

"Todd is excited for the results that we've had together so far, and we see some good light at the end of the tunnel. I'm enjoying motivating these guys and watching them grow," said Schumacher. "I'm really looking forward to winning with this new team. You can see their energy, and I'm excited for some of these guys to see the win light for the first time."

Their next opportunity will be this weekend, as the NHRA tour heads to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Schumacher has won in Las Vegas eight times, and he's tied with Pro Stock's Greg Anderson for the most victories there of any professional driver. 

Schumacher has a strict approach for this particular event, which may well be his key to success.

"I don't go out in Vegas," he said. "A lot of people are out there enjoying the town, and I just try to think of that weekend as my professional job. It's really hard to do — there are a lot of fun and entertaining things in Las Vegas — but it works better if you can lock down. 

"For me, every race is about the battle and the psychology of the game. After driving for 25 years straight then taking a year off, it's taken a few races to re-structure the inside of the car and get comfortable. But it's like golfing all your life, then taking a year off and coming back. You forget all your bad habits, you come back, and all of a sudden you can hit the ball straight. Three races in, and I feel great."