The 2023 NHRA season has been a case in adversity for eight-time Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher.

However, Schumacher, who pilots the Maynard family/Scag Power Equipment dragster never lost faith in his team.

Schumacher’s patience and never-give-up attitude was rewarded last weekend at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa.

This was the first race in the six-race Countdown to the Championship and Schumacher powered his way to a semifinal finish to move up from 12th to ninth in the points standings.

Schumacher defeated Austin Prock and Justin Ashley before falling to Steve Torrence in the semis.

“I felt great,” Schumacher said. “The crew, we just had some serious things. We had to make big changes. I like to say we started with a clean slate. We didn't start where the crew chiefs came in and said, ‘Okay, let me look at what you got. Let's turn some things around.’ It was all brand-new stuff. It just took some time, lever changes and clutch changes. Man, now they just have a good handle on it. And I'll tell you something, Zippy (crew chief Mike Neff) and John Schaffer, I've had a chance to work with Zip before and it was like, once he found it, he held it. That's the part I like. So, I'm looking forward to it. I think we've got a good car. 

“I've had some really great teams in my life. I've had some incredible teams. But these guys are pumped, and they get along as well through the adversity that we've had as well as any team I've ever seen. So great group of guys. I'm proud to work with them and I'm excited.”

Although Schumacher has won 86 national events in his storied career, he has battle through his share of setbacks. That’s what makes him appreciate even more what his current team has been able to battle through.

“Almost all my speeches come down to adversity because I've lived through some of the greatest comebacks (in) 2000, I crash a car. Then in 2001 and 2002, we suffered through it, and we go out and won a bunch of championships in a row. So, of all the people that have lived it, I've been there. I've been through the suffering. I've been through the outcome of what you get when you keep your head up and grind and work hard at it. I think we have a really good team. And I love every one of the guys. There's not a single guy on the team you look at and go, we got a weak link. We need to work on this guy or cover this. Every one of the guys is as good as the next. Great group.”

Schumacher has 12 first-round losses this season, but none of that mattered when the points were reset in the six-race Countdown to the Championship. Schumacher is now only 134 points behind first-place Steve Torrence with five races left in the season.

“Oh, I feel great about it,” Schumacher said of the Countdown format. “When it was before the Countdown, we came back and had the greatest run in the history of the sport. The run, right (in 2006)? Then after, we benefited from the changes and then the next year we benefited from them again. So, it's out there. Do I think a guy like Justin Ashley who has 500- or 600-point lead, losing his points is cool? I think it's awful. I've been there. I've been in your spot where I had a 300, 400-point lead and they took them all away, and God that was painful. But you got to suck it up and it's like, we don't always love exactly how it is, but we got to respect the rules. We kind of follow or lead sometimes and follow sometimes, we go this works, that works. So, these are the rules.

“If we start in the countdown, we have a chance to win it if we can do better in those six races. So right now (Doug) Kalitta has done the best. He's won the first race, he's started back a little bit, but he did the best. He's better than us and he's got a H*ll of a car. So, we've got to suck it up. We got to take what we learned at the last race and build on it here, and we've got to come out, you got to win some races. In the old days, you could just go to the semis. I think you've got to win two three of these races. Now is the time to cowboy up.”

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Schumacher will try and keep his momentum going this weekend at the betway NHRA Nationals Friday through Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.

“We haven't run in the 60s yet, you know what I mean? We've been trying and trying, and we're going to have to,” Schumacher said. “But we've inched into it. 70 flats and 70 flats testing where I shut off early, so we know that it's in there. We just got to get there because there are other cars running in the 60s.

“Guys are taking shots, and, in every run, it is timing. You look back last weekend; Torrence had a 31 light against me and then he has a 90 in the finals. Why against me? So, it's timing, and at the end of the day you can look back at the six races and go, these ones here were important and we needed this one. But here right now, we've moved up three spots and we're in a better spot than we were at the last race.”

"I had a H*ll of a time last weekend. I had a great time driving. The cars performing as we start working better together, everything performs better. They have trusted me. I have trusted them. You need that.”

Schumacher has had success at the fall race in Charlotte, winning in 2008 and 2014. He also was a two-time runner-up in 2012 and 2014.