JCM Racing Pre-Race Report: Charlotte 1

NHRA Four-Wide Nationals

Event 5 of 21

zMAX Dragway

Concord, N.C.

April 28 – 30, 2023

Top Fuel:

TONY SCHUMACHER

Driver of the SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel Dragster

NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Event Highlights:

• Two-time runner-up (2012, 2017)

Overall zMAX Dragway stats:

• Two-time event champion

• Four-time runner-up

• One No. 1 qualifier

2022 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Recap:

Qualified 15th; First round exit (defeated by Spencer Massey, Brittany Force in E1)

Last Event (Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals):

Qualified eighth; First round exit (defeated by Brittany Force, Antron Brown in E1)

Career Statistics:

538 races; 86 wins; 88 No. 1 qualifiers

Noteworthy:

• While Schumacher is the most successful driver in NHRA Top Fuel history, he has yet to hoist a four-wide Wally trophy. He’s come close, finishing as the runner-up in 2012 and 2017 in Charlotte in addition to advancing to the final quad in Las Vegas in 2018 and 2022

Quotable:

“We’ve now had two race weekends in a row where our SCAG Top Fuel dragster has performed well, but we’ve just come up short on race day. We’re getting down the track consistently now, which is important because it allows us to tweak our tune-up so that we’re at a place where we can pick it up a little and we’re not losing these super close rounds on race day. Our record may not look so great on paper at the moment, but I don’t think that is indicative of where this team is truly at, performance-wise. The tables will turn, and soon we’ll be on the good side of these close races; I have no doubt.”

Funny Car:

TIM WILKERSON

Driver of the SCAG Power Equipment/Okuma Ford Mustang

NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Event Highlights:

• 2016 event champion

Overall zMAX Dragway Highlights:

• Two-time event champion

• One-time No. 1 qualifier

2022 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Recap:

Qualified 12th; First quad exit (defeated by Robert Hight, Cruz Pedregon in E1)

Last Event (Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals):

Qualified eighth; Event runner-up (defeated Gary Densham, Bob Bode in E1, Blake Alexander, Cruz Pedregon in E2, John Force, Chad Green in E3; defeated by Matt Hagan in E3)

2023 Statistics:

Four races; one runner-up finish

Career Statistics:

574 races; 22 wins; 20 No. 1 qualifiers

Noteworthy:

• This weekend's race marks Wilkerson’s 575th event entered

• Okuma will make its first of five appearances as a major associate partner on Wilkerson’s car during the Charlotte 1 event. Okuma America Corporation is headquartered in Charlotte

• Wilkerson raced to a runner-up finish at the most recent event on tour, the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals, to reach the final round for the 50th time in his career

Quotable:

“Looking forward to another race in Charlotte. With any luck, we can carry some of that momentum from the Vegas four-wides where we ended up making it to the finals. Our SCAG/Okuma Funny Car is running better, and everything is starting to seem like it’s going to come together. So hopefully, we’ll get to another final round this weekend, and maybe bring this one home.”