NHRA: Schumacher Hopeful After Winter Testing
3 February 1999
Park Ridge, IL -- Don Schumacher's plan to debut his Team Exide Top Fuel team during the final seven races of the 1998 NHRA season offered him the chance to evaluate his team's performance before venturing into a full season in 1999. Although Tony Schumacher drove the Exide dragster to round victories over rivals Joe Amato, Kenny Bernstein and Cory McClenathan and a runner up outing at the Matco Tools Supernationals in November, Don Schumacher came to the season-ending NHRA Winston Finals in search of a crew chief. He chose Dan Olson and appropriated the budget to bring Dan and three of his crew members to the Exide Team for 1999.Bob Brandt remains Don Schumacher's right-hand-man as Team General Manager, but Olson has been given a free reign to determine the engine and drive train combination for a 1999 assault on the NHRA Winston Championship.
"Except for the engine blocks and superchargers, we're using all new equipment," stated Olson. "The combination is similar to the way we ran Eddie Hill's car last year but we found a few things to increase horsepower over the winter. We've also gone to a five disk clutch with my control system."
The team made numerous test runs in Phoenix with veteran Dale Pulde filling in for Tony while he and his new wife, Cara, enjoyed their mid-January honeymoon. The testing continued when Tony returned, but it would be the eleventh test run with the new combination before Tony was given the green light to take it all the way to the finish line under full power. The result was a 4.612 e.t. at 319.98 miles per hour. On a subsequent run, Tony's incremental times were quick enough to indicate sub-4.60 potential although he shut off the engine just 900 feet into the quarter-mile run.
"Tony was nearly deep-staged on the 4.61 run," said Olson. "That run from a normal stage position would have been a 4.58 or a 4.59. We're making more power than anything I've ever tuned, and the motor parts are coming out like new. We're a long way from having a full understanding of this new combination, but it seems to have a great balance. I'm real excited about it."
Bob Brandt observed, "Dan and his crew are picking up where they left off with Eddie Hill last year. He brought a great tune-up to our team and the early results are very promising. I'm adjusting to my business role here, but it's easier to learn more about the management of the team knowing Dan's got a handle on the car's performance."
Of team owner Don Schumacher, Dan Olson commented, "I'm very happy working for Don. Car owners are demanding and some are difficult to work with. Don has great experience in racing and in business. He knows what he wants and that makes my job easier."
"Tony is an exceptional young driver with great natural talent," added Olson. "He's going to win a lot of races in his career."
Don Schumacher's 1998 objective was to put all the ingredients in place for a run at the 1999 NHRA Winston Top Fuel Championship. From all indications, the seven race "test" in 1998 and the subsequent changes in personnel and equipment have accomplished Don's initial objective. With pre-season testing now complete, Don, Tony and the Exide team will put their machine on the Pomona Raceway starting line February 4 - 7 for the NHRA Autozone Winternationals. It's time to take on Gary Scelzi, Cory McClenathan, Joe Amato, Kenny Bernstein, Larry Dixon and all the NHRA Top Fuel teams who share Don Schumacher's goal of winning the NHRA Winston Championship.