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Since our inception, we have been passionately dedicated to delivering the most accurate, timely, and compelling content in the world of drag racing. Our readers depend on us for the latest news, in-depth features, expert analysis, and exclusive interviews that connect you to the sport’s pulse.
DESPITE FAMILY HERITAGE – SCHUMACHER SAYS FUNNY CARS WERE NEVER PART OF HIS PASSION
Tony Schumacher respects the legacy of the Funny Car class—especially given his father Don Schumacher’s influence—but he never felt personally drawn to compete in one. His brief experiences in an Alcohol Funny Car and a Jet Funny Car were circumstantial, not the start of a long-term path. “They’re great cars, man… just not my passion,” he said.
Schumacher grew up surrounded by the sights and sounds that made Funny Cars one of drag racing’s defining attractions. Don Schumacher became a cornerstone of the class, helping transform it into a powerhouse of showmanship and industry growth.
But Tony said none of that heritage translated into his own competitive desire. He progressed through sportsman ranks and into Alcohol Funny Car competition because those were the opportunities available—not because the class felt like home.
His Alcohol Funny Car program was a low-budget effort that forced him to learn on the fly. His short stint in a Jet Funny Car was simply another way to stay involved until something more permanent appeared.
The career-turning moment came at Martin, Michigan, when Schumacher blew the body off his Alcohol Funny Car in an era when underfunded teams were still split on venting blowers. The explosion wiped out the team’s remaining parts.
With no way to continue, Schumacher said he called longtime NHRA official Steve Gibbs seeking direction. Gibbs pointed him to the Peak Brothers, who needed a Top Fuel driver.
“That was it,” Schumacher said. “They had a dragster. That was the only reason.”
But once he climbed into a dragster, his career snapped into focus. The feel, the rhythm and the challenge of Top Fuel aligned immediately.
From that moment, Schumacher said he saw no reason to explore anything else. Top Fuel didn’t just suit him—it defined him. But he does subscribe to the idea that fuel categories, when viewed logically in the stat book, belong in the same general lineage of accomplishment.
“The bar is at 88 wins right now,” Schumacher said. “If you go off, then there’s an asterisk, and you start to mix stuff. I believe that you can count your numbers if it’s fuel cars. I don’t believe in adding numbers up from other sportsman categories.”
Schumacher once assumed Funny Car might be his natural destination because of Don Schumacher’s legacy. But after finding his footing in Top Fuel, that assumption faded quickly.
“It was the direction I was heading,” he said of Funny Car. “It was what I wanted to do, but after you get in something and, finally, you could do it well, why change?”
He said dragsters gave him a comfort, confidence and connection he never felt in a Funny Car. Each season only reinforced that his competitive identity belonged in the dragster ranks.
Schumacher also emphasized that the sport needs more dragsters to maintain competitive balance. “The last thing this sport needs is for someone else to switch over to Funny Car and leave a spot open in dragster,” he said.
Even hypothetically, Schumacher will not entertain the idea of driving a Funny Car again. When asked if he would accept a Funny Car ride from Rick Ware, he responded without hesitation.
“No, we’ll put Clay in that one,” he said, even acknowledging Clay Millican has no interest in piloting a Funny Car either.
For Schumacher, the reasoning remains unchanged. He respects the class, understands its heritage and carries a last name tied deeply to it—yet that has nothing to do with where he found his passion.
“They’re great cars, man… just not my passion,” he said. “I found what I love in a dragster, and once you find that, you don’t go looking for something else.”
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Competition Plus Team
Since our inception, we have been passionately dedicated to delivering the most accurate, timely, and compelling content in the world of drag racing. Our readers depend on us for the latest news, in-depth features, expert analysis, and exclusive interviews that connect you to the sport’s pulse.
Sign up for our newsletters and email list.
DESPITE FAMILY HERITAGE – SCHUMACHER SAYS FUNNY CARS WERE NEVER PART OF HIS PASSION
Tony Schumacher respects the legacy of the Funny Car class—especially given his father Don Schumacher’s influence—but he never felt personally drawn to compete in one. His brief experiences in an Alcohol Funny Car and a Jet Funny Car were circumstantial, not the start of a long-term path. “They’re great cars, man… just not my passion,” he said.
Schumacher grew up surrounded by the sights and sounds that made Funny Cars one of drag racing’s defining attractions. Don Schumacher became a cornerstone of the class, helping transform it into a powerhouse of showmanship and industry growth.
But Tony said none of that heritage translated into his own competitive desire. He progressed through sportsman ranks and into Alcohol Funny Car competition because those were the opportunities available—not because the class felt like home.
His Alcohol Funny Car program was a low-budget effort that forced him to learn on the fly. His short stint in a Jet Funny Car was simply another way to stay involved until something more permanent appeared.
The career-turning moment came at Martin, Michigan, when Schumacher blew the body off his Alcohol Funny Car in an era when underfunded teams were still split on venting blowers. The explosion wiped out the team’s remaining parts.
With no way to continue, Schumacher said he called longtime NHRA official Steve Gibbs seeking direction. Gibbs pointed him to the Peak Brothers, who needed a Top Fuel driver.
“That was it,” Schumacher said. “They had a dragster. That was the only reason.”
But once he climbed into a dragster, his career snapped into focus. The feel, the rhythm and the challenge of Top Fuel aligned immediately.
From that moment, Schumacher said he saw no reason to explore anything else. Top Fuel didn’t just suit him—it defined him. But he does subscribe to the idea that fuel categories, when viewed logically in the stat book, belong in the same general lineage of accomplishment.
“The bar is at 88 wins right now,” Schumacher said. “If you go off, then there’s an asterisk, and you start to mix stuff. I believe that you can count your numbers if it’s fuel cars. I don’t believe in adding numbers up from other sportsman categories.”
Schumacher once assumed Funny Car might be his natural destination because of Don Schumacher’s legacy. But after finding his footing in Top Fuel, that assumption faded quickly.
“It was the direction I was heading,” he said of Funny Car. “It was what I wanted to do, but after you get in something and, finally, you could do it well, why change?”
He said dragsters gave him a comfort, confidence and connection he never felt in a Funny Car. Each season only reinforced that his competitive identity belonged in the dragster ranks.
Schumacher also emphasized that the sport needs more dragsters to maintain competitive balance. “The last thing this sport needs is for someone else to switch over to Funny Car and leave a spot open in dragster,” he said.
Even hypothetically, Schumacher will not entertain the idea of driving a Funny Car again. When asked if he would accept a Funny Car ride from Rick Ware, he responded without hesitation.
“No, we’ll put Clay in that one,” he said, even acknowledging Clay Millican has no interest in piloting a Funny Car either.
For Schumacher, the reasoning remains unchanged. He respects the class, understands its heritage and carries a last name tied deeply to it—yet that has nothing to do with where he found his passion.
“They’re great cars, man… just not my passion,” he said. “I found what I love in a dragster, and once you find that, you don’t go looking for something else.”
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DESPITE FAMILY HERITAGE – SCHUMACHER SAYS FUNNY CARS WERE NEVER PART OF HIS PASSION
Tony Schumacher respects the legacy of the Funny Car class—especially given his father Don Schumacher’s influence—but he never felt personally drawn to compete in one.