If the NHRA recognized 1,000-foot runs in the record book, Tony Schumacher could have a few more markers in his champion points bank following his 3.771-second pass at 317.05 mph during the second qualifying session. The run represented the quickest and fastest any drag racing vehicle has covered the 1,000 course since July’s implementation.

“Just fantastic,” Schumacher said. “That’s how you want to start off a race weekend. The conditions were certainly perfect to put up that kind of a run. I knew we were really hauling the mail, I can tell you that.” If the NHRA recognized 1,000-foot runs in the record book, Tony Schumacher could have a few more markers in his champion points bank following his 3.771-second pass at 317.05 mph during the second qualifying session. The run represented the quickest and fastest any drag racing vehicle has covered the 1,000 course since July’s implementation.

“Just fantastic,” Schumacher said. “That’s how you want to start off a race weekend. The conditions were certainly perfect to put up that kind of a run. I knew we were really hauling the mail, I can tell you that.”

If the run holds, which it likely will, Schumacher will have his third straight pole at VMP and his seventh of the season. He’s looking for his 54th career pole.

“We can use every point that we can get in an effort to distance ourselves from our competition in the standings,” he added. “Nothing has been decided as yet when it comes to the championship.”

Schumacher entered the 22nd race of the year holding a 166-point lead over second-place, Cory McClenathan, in the Top Fuel standings. Should he manage to leave VMP on Sunday with a 237-point advantage over the second-place driver, he would clinch his fifth consecutive world title.

“We’re not going to look that far ahead,” he said. “We want to go out tomorrow and get in a couple of good runs, while securing the pole. Only then will we look ahead to race day. And, we’ll only look as far as our first-round opponent.”

Since leaving Memphis Motorsports Park two weeks ago, Schumacher has been inundated with calls and e-mails about him winning a fifth consecutive world championship.

After securing his 13th victory of the season at the O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, it seems most folks have already crowned Schumacher the 2008 Top Fuel world champion.

“To be honest, I wish people would stop doing that,” said the Chicago-area resident. “We haven’t clinched a thing. There are a number of other drivers still mathematically alive. Until the NHRA and POWERade hands out that big trophy, nothing has been decided.

“I will give you the fact that we have a decent lead right now,” he added. “But, that advantage can be reduced pretty quickly if we don’t perform well in Virginia. Our mindset will be the same as always – we want to win the race. That’s what our soldiers expect us to do.”

Should Schumacher pocket his sixth career title, which would be a Top Fuel record, he would tie Joe Amato with five career championships.

“We’re not in the business of counting points,” he said. “Like I’ve said, we’re going to go qualify and then take it a round at a time. If on Sunday afternoon it ends up that we’re the champs, then we can start the celebration. Right now, nothing is in the bag by any means.”