Defending NHRA Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher prefers to never make a promise he cannot keep, but this time he can speak with authority when he says the drag racing world is in for the treat of their lives. That treat is nothing less, than the best knock-down, drag out rivalry drag racing could hope for.

It’s Prudhomme versus McEwen, Muldowney versus Garlits and Glidden versus Shepherd all rolled up into one 8,000-horsepower duel that’s bound to inspire fans to buy more tickets.

Schumacher and Larry Dixon could possibly go down in drag racing history as the one rivalry to end all rivalries.

“It’s as big as anything I have been a part of in my career,” Schumacher admitted. “I enjoyed having a rivalry with [Doug] Kalitta because he’s a great driver. I can’t go out and say all the things others did, like he’s [Alan Johnson] cheating and that stuff. No one is cheating and they have a bad-ass team with a bad-ass driver and a bad-ass tuner. Those are the kinds of teams you want to race against and beat.”

Make no mistake about it, Schumacher always had a feeling that Dixon would become Johnson’s driver and in getting him, Schumacher believes his former tuner has a very talented driver.

Tony Schumacher, Larry Dixon, Alan Johnson and DSR, All With A Lot To Prove …

Defending NHRA Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher prefers to never make a promise he cannot keep, but this time he can speak with authority when he says the drag racing world is in for the treat of their lives. That treat is nothing less, than the best knock-down, drag out rivalry drag racing could hope for.

It’s Prudhomme versus McEwen, Muldowney versus Garlits and Glidden versus Shepherd all rolled up into one 8,000-horsepower duel that’s bound to inspire fans to buy more tickets.

Schumacher and Larry Dixon could possibly go down in drag racing history as the one rivalry to end all rivalries.

“It’s as big as anything I have been a part of in my career,” Schumacher admitted. “I enjoyed having a rivalry with [Doug] Kalitta because he’s a great driver. I can’t go out and say all the things others did, like he’s [Alan Johnson] cheating and that stuff. No one is cheating and they have a bad-ass team with a bad-ass driver and a bad-ass tuner. Those are the kinds of teams you want to race against and beat.”

Make no mistake about it, Schumacher always had a feeling that Dixon would become Johnson’s driver and in getting him, Schumacher believes his former tuner has a very talented driver.

“One of the top few,” Schumacher admitted.

Dixon believes it’s too early to determine if this is the be-all, end-all rivalry at this stage in the game. Such a rivalry did exist in 2008, although a bit one-sided.

“Anytime you race Tony Schumacher, you have to bring your ‘A’ game,” Dixon said. “I try to fire everything I have at not only him but everyone else we are running. I think time will tell whether there’s a rivalry or not. You have to race each other every week for it to turn into a rivalry.”

Dixon recalled his introduction into the sport, then as a sponsored driver for Miller beer, and how a rivalry was built up between Prudhomme’s driver and Kenny Bernstein’s Budweiser team, yet they didn’t meet until the latter part of the season.

However, when Dixon and Schumacher do meet up, there’s likely never been a scenario in drag racing where so many people had so much to prove to one another.

On the outside, an average drag racing fan could easily draw the following conclusions.

Schumacher wants to prove that the championships were a combination of a team effort, including himself, and not just the handiwork of Alan Johnson’s tuning expertise.

Dixon, who has driven for over two decades for Don “Snake” Prudhomme, is in his first gig outside of the Snake’s pit.

Johnson, who left Don Schumacher Racing’s employ to pursue a dream of owning a fuel team, would be able to prove that he’s the difference in a championship team an also-ran.

Mike Green, the successor to Johnson, along with newly assigned GM Lee Beard, likely could prove they are capable of continuing the momentum established by their predecessor.

Pomona will be the first real opportunity for someone to write the first page in that book.

“I think this season is going to be an absolute blast,” Schumacher said. “All the pieces are in place for a knockdown, drag out battle from hell. It’s going to be fun, two great drivers, two great crew chiefs and two great teams doing battle.”

The two have been battling it out in test sessions on both coasts, with Schumacher emerging as the quicker of the two. The opportunity to run head-to-head came on Saturday at the Phoenix event and proved anticlimactic though as both smoked the tires and lifted early, Schumacher waiting just a little further in the run to abort.

Schumacher had warned tuner Green that even though this meaningless run was in testing, he was prepared to pedal if need be.

“Each and every run is going to be just as important as that one in Phoenix,” Schumacher said. “When we [Dixon and Schumacher] run, people are going to stand up and cheer one of us and boo the other.”

Schumacher understands how big winning the 2009 title will be.

“It will be massive,” Schumacher admitted. “It will mean that we were capable of doing it without Alan Johnson. It would be such a win-win situation for us.”

But the one thing neither driver was counting on transpired in Phoenix when Antron Brown came out of nowhere and knocked them both down a notch.

“There’s no way anyone could have predicted that one,” Schumacher admitted. “You have a pair of Funny Car tuners who were handed a tune-up. When that car went over there, it was already prepared by Lee Beard. We’ll just have to see what happens later. Those guys are brilliant and they may be able to step into a perfect scenario.”

“There are a lot of teams out there that you have to watch out for,” Dixon agreed. “When you have drivers out there like Antron and Brandon Bernstein laying down runs like they did in Phoenix, you have to account for other teams out there. You have to go out there and perform against everybody.”

When it comes to those who sign the checks, team owner Don Schumacher says that he doesn’t believe when the two teams meet in competition, their meetings will turn into the traditional sense of a rivalry where there are hard feelings or disrespect. He expects just the opposite.

“I think if a rivalry develops, it’s going to happen on its own,” Johnson added. “It will develop from a pure competitive nature. I don’t think there will ever be anything personal involved. If it comes down to the end of the season and we are one-two in the points, we’re naturally going to want to beat each other. That’s why we compete.

“We don’t spend this much time and money developing a race team to go out there and have a good time together. We’re both competitive.”