U.S. Army NHRA Racing: 25th Annual Kansas Nationals Friday Qualifying Report - Tony Schumacher & Antron Brown

U.S. Army NHRA Racing
25th Annual NHRA Kansas Nationals Friday Qualifying Report

Date: May 17, 2013
Event: 25th Annual NHRA Kansas Nationals (Round 8 of 24)
Series: NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
Location: Heartland Park Topeka (Kan.)
Provisional Top Qualifier: Tony Schumacher (3.769 seconds at 326.08 mph)
U.S. Army Racing Lineup: Tony Schumacher 1st (3.769 seconds at 326.08 mph)
                                            Antron Brown 6th (3.803 seconds at 316.15 mph)

The U.S. Army Top Fuel duo of Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown certainly displayed the level of engineering and teamwork during the opening day of qualifying Friday for the 25th Annual NHRA Kansas Nationals that is reflective of the Army's leading-edge technology and the powerful, realistic training of its Army Strong Soldiers.

Schumacher, the seven-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series champion and current points leader, blazed to the fastest run of the day during today's second of two qualifying sessions at Heartland Park Topeka (Kan.). His run of 3.769 seconds at 326.08 mph in the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) put him in the No. 1 spot among 19 Top Fuel competitors attempting to make the field of 16 for Sunday's elimination rounds. Schumacher laid down an equally impressive run of 3.838 seconds at 320.81 mph in today's opening round of qualifications that was third-best for that round.

"I think it was just a great day, a true indication that only the strongest wear the colors of the U.S. Army Soldiers around the world, who possess a mental, emotional and physical strength like no other, and the U.S. Army Racing team reflects those strengths," said Schumacher, whose lone career victory at Heartland Park came in 2010 against Cory McLenathan to go with his top-qualifying effort in 2011. "It's been two weekends, now, that we were down to two qualifying runs (because of rain), or at least not had the full amount. It's so important to come out here when you're trying to win a race on Sunday and have those rounds. That No. 1 run of the weekend is so important. You go down the track well and then you can step on it. Even with an 83 (3.838 seconds during today's opening round), you're thinking, 'That's a good run, we qualified third.' But, by the time my second run came around, we were pushing 11th or 12th and facing not making the field. At some point, not only did Mike (Green, crew chief) tune us up to make a great run, we did it under the pressure of, once again, getting bumped out of the field. We're having all the cars run well out there and that makes it tough each and every round. What's the bump, 84 (3.84 seconds)? That's phenomenal. It was a great job by the U.S. Army team to put us in the position we are in."

Should Schumacher's top run hold up through Saturday's final rounds of qualifying, it would be his second top qualifying effort of the year and the 73rd of his career.

Brown, after a problematic opening run of the day, blazed back in the second round with a run of 3.803 seconds at 316.15 mph that put him sixth on the timesheets in the Matco Tools/U.S. Army Dragster for DSR.

"That was a good run," said Brown, the defending Top Fuel world champion who has yet to score an event win at Heartland Park but was top qualifier in 2009, 2010 and 2012. "We just wanted to get down the track and I'd say it turned out to be a pretty solid run. I've got to hand it to these Matco Tools/U.S. Army guys. The first run was a little tricky, but I never had a doubt we'd be able to get back out here and lay down a solid run in the second round. I'm looking forward to trying to better that tomorrow."

Top Fuel qualifying concludes Saturday with third- and final-round sessions set for 2 and 4 p.m. EDT. ESPN2's delayed qualifying coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. EDT.

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