JCM Racing Pre-Race Report: Brainerd

Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals

Event 13 of 20

Brainerd International Raceway

Brainerd, Minn.

Aug. 16 – 18, 2024

Driver Information:

TONY SCHUMACHER

Driver of the Leatherwood Distillery Top Fuel Dragster

NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Highlights:

• Three-time event champion (2000, 2004, 2008)  

• Four-time runner-up (2003, 2006, 2011, 2022)  

• Six-time No. 1 qualifier (2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012)

2023 NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Recap:

Qualified 10th; First round exit (defeated by Leah Pruett in E1)

Last Event (Sonoma):

Qualified 10th; First round exit (defeated Justin Ashley in E1)

2024 Statistics:

12 races; one national event win, two runner-up finishes, one Mission #2Fast2Tasty win

Career Statistics:

567 races; 87 wins, 88 No. 1 qualifiers

Noteworthy:

• Schumacher leads the Top Fuel class in No. 1 qualifiers (six) at BIR

Quotable:

“Looking forward to the nicer weather that awaits us this weekend and getting back to Brainerd where we always have a lot of fun. The fans in the Zoo are like no other, and we love how pumped they get for the race every year.

“We’ve had a few early exits lately, but our performance continues to improve. We tested after Sonoma and those runs were exactly what we needed to get back on track. A lot to look forward to this weekend including Ida’s debut. I’m happy and excited for her to compete on the NHRA circuit for the first time.” 

IDA ZETTERSTRÖM

Driver of the JCM/VP Racing Fuels/Edelbrock/Comp Cams/Dodge Top Fuel Dragster

Noteworthy:

• The European racer makes her NHRA debut this weekend at the Brainerd Nationals

• To help kick off her run for NHRA’s Rookie of the Year award, the JCM team launched an election-themed campaign earlier this week as Zetterström debuted her new red, white, and blue dragster

Fan Events:

• Zetterström and members of the JCM Racing team will caravan through the Zoo on Saturday, post-qualifying (approx. 4:30 p.m.). The Swedish racer will meet with NHRA fans, pose for photos, and hand out ‘Ida for Rookie of the Year’ campaign swag during her cruise through the campground

Quotable:

“I’m really excited to get out on the track in Brainerd, especially with all of the hard work we’ve put into getting this team together. I’m excited as a driver to jump into the seat, but I’m also excited for us as a team to come out with two cars, and for our JCM/VP Racing Fuels/Edelbrock/Comp Cams/Dodge team to hit the track in competition for the first time. It seems like this is a track where we can get some quick and fast times if the weather is correct, so I’m definitely hoping for a little cooler weather this weekend. I’m also very much looking forward to rolling out into the Zoo on Saturday after Q4 with all of our Rookie of the Year campaign swag. I’ve never been to Brainerd before, but I’ve heard all about the Zoo, and I’m looking forward to meeting all of the fans out there. I’ve also heard that there are a lot of Scandinavians in the area, so I’m looking forward to seeing how many Nordic people come by the pit this weekend to say hi. But, overall, just very excited to get out there. I have a tremendous amount of confidence in my team and what we have built, and the time has come for us to show what we’ve been working on for so many months.”