BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Don Schumacher received a beautiful cake Sunday morning along with news he will be the 12th drag racer inducted next year into the prestigious International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
And thanks to Antron Brown, the day ended with another dose of icing for the Don Schumacher Racing owner that was nearly as sweet as the frosting that started his day.
Brown closed the NHRA Route 66 Nationals near Chicago by winning the 184th NHRA national event trophy for Schumacher at the track in Joliet that’s about 90 minutes from where the team owner grew up and started his drag racing career in the 1960s.
It’s also the home of Schumacher Electric Corp., the company founded by family patriarch Al Schumacher and the one his son built into the world leader in manufacturing battery chargers.
“It doesn’t get better than this,” Brown said. “Coming here to Route 66 Raceway is always special and goes beyond words because Don found out that morning he will be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. What he has done for the sport and all of our teams is amazing.”
The win combined with DSR teammate Spencer Massey losing in the second round enabled Brown’s second win of the season to move him around Massey into second in the standings. Tony Schumacher, another DSR driver, maintains the top spot although he was sidelined in the first round by a severe engine explosion.
The DSR Top Fuel drivers have been 1-2-3 in points after nearly each of this year’s 11 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events, but only 11 points separates first from third.
“Right now, you look at Top Fuel and see how competitive the class is. It’s as tight as Pro Stock car,” Brown said. “We’re running neck and neck, winning by 12 inches or less at over 320 mph.”
Brown’s Matco Tools dragster tuned by crew chiefs Mark Oswald and Brian Corradi held the No. 1 qualifying position after Friday night before losing it to Schumacher the next day.
“When you get a race win now with the competition that we have to go through, it’s just remarkable. Our team is doing a great job, and it’s all worth it; the blood, the sweat, the tears.
“It just feels good to knock one out of the park again. To gain some points and get it done.
“It’s a beautiful track,” he said. “I missed not having my wife and kids with me last weekend but they’re going with me to Norwalk. And on Monday we’re going to Cedar Point up in Sandusky. How sweet is that?”
Pretty sweet but not as sweet as how Brown ended Sunday for his boss.
BROWN STATS
Career at Norwalk: Wins 0; Runner-ups 1 (2010); Poles 0
2011 at Norwalk: Qualified No. 9; lost to Del Worsham in second round.
2012 Pts W Rup Poles DNQ Win/Loss
2nd 2 3 2 0 23-9
2011 Pts W Rup Poles DNQ Win/Loss
3rd 6 2 3 0 50-16
Career Titles Rup Poles DNQ Win/Loss
33* 34 31 2 417-216
* Pro stock motorcycle wins
TOP FUEL STANDINGS
(Unofficial July 1 through 11 of 23 events; DSR drivers in CAPS)
1. TONY SCHUMACHER, 879
2. ANTRON BROWN, 876
3. SPENCER MASSEY, 868
4. Steve Torrence, 775
5. Morgan Lucas, 698
6. Doug Kalitta, 656
7. Shawn Langdon, 596
8. Brandon Bernstein, 536
9. David Grubnic, 521
10. Clay Millican, 490