Words compiled from team press releases by Kay Burk
Photos by Steve Gruenwald, Todd Dziadosz, Debbie Gastelu and Ron Lewis

Tony Schumacher raced to his first victory of the season and in the process moved into the NHRA Full Throttle Series points lead March 14 at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Tim Wilkerson, Jason Line and Eddie Krawiec also were winners.

TOP FUEL

U.S. Army Top Fuel driver Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher beat his U.S. Army Racing teammate, Antron Brown, in the finals, posting a 3.797-second run at 322.04 mph to Brown’s tire smoking 6.632-second pass at 101.17 mph.
                       
After recording his 62nd career win, Schumacher jumped from fourth place in the standings to first. He now leads Cory McClenathan by 11 points as the NHRA tour takes a week off before heading to zMax Dragway in Charlotte, NC, for the Four-Wide Nationals.
          
Before getting the best of Brown, Schumacher had to wade through treacherous waters in the form of Terry McMillen, Doug Foley and Larry Dixon. Against Dixon, he set the national speed record for 1,000 feet at 324.98 mph.

While Schumacher took huge strides as connected to the points standings, so did Brown despite his final round loss. The Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster pilot, who had qualified number one, moved from ninth to fifth.