Veteran tuner Rob Flynn confirmed Saturday at the American Rebel Light NHRA Virginia Nationals that he will be crew chief for Tony Schumacher when the Top Fuel class’ most successful driver returns to action later this season with Rick Ware Racing s a teammate to Clay Millican.
“I wasn’t looking to change jobs,” Flynn said, “but when the Salinas family quit racing, I wasn’t ready to retire. I gave Jim O (Jim Oberhofer) a call, and we started talking. Went to Bristol and hung out with them, and everything just seemed to fit together.”
Flynn has worked with Oberhofer, Nicky Boninfante at Kalitta Motorsports and has worked at another team with Millican. Jesse Snyder, who was Doug Kalitta’s car chief, has joined Rick Ware Racing, as well. “A bunch of Kalitta people from the past [are] over there. It just feels good, and it fits,” Flynn said.
This will be Flynn’s first time working with eight-time Top Fuel champion and 88-time winner Schumacher.
“I never worked with Tony. He always was the opposition, so it should be interesting,” Flynn said. “Certainly his credentials speak for themselves.
“The set-up these guys have, we’re going to run these cars pretty similar. Tony’s going to be in a canopy car. That might be he only thing we don’t know anything about,” he said.
According to Flynn, no timetable for Schumacher’s season debut is in place but that the team will be testing “shortly.”
