JCM Racing Pre-Race Report: Charlotte 1

NHRA Four-Wide Nationals

Event 5 of 20

zMAX Dragway

Concord, N.C.

April 26 – 28, 2024

Note:

• JCM Racing VP Mike Lewis will pilot the JCM Racing/Leatherwood Distillery A/Fuel Dragster during the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals. The car is owned and operated by Samsel Racing and is the same machine Joe C. Maynard drove when he doubled-up on victories in Gainesville, Fla. earlier this season
  

TONY SCHUMACHER

Driver of the Okuma Top Fuel Dragster

NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Event Highlights:

• Two-time runner-up (2012, 2017)

zMAX Dragway Overall Highlights:

• Two-time event champion

• Four-time runner-up

• One No. 1 qualifier

2023 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Recap:

Qualified 12th; First round exit (defeated by Josh Hart, Steve Torrence in E1)

Last Event (Las Vegas 1):

Qualified second; First round exit (defeated by Justin Ashley, Terry Totten in E1)

2024 Statistics:

Four races; one runner-up finish

Career Statistics:

559 races; 86 wins, 88 No. 1 qualifiers

Noteworthy:

• JCM Racing associate partner Okuma America Corporation is headquartered in Charlotte

• Earlier this week, JCM Racing announced a partnership with Michael Waltrip Brewing Co. Schumacher, along with his teammate Ida Zetterström and Michael Waltrip, will kick off the race weekend with an appearance at the Michael Waltrip Taproom, Concord location on Thursday evening

• 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, as well as recording a runner-up finish at the 2018 Las Vegas event

• It was recently announced that Schumacher would be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America’s Class of 2025

Fan Events:

• Thursday, April 25, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m., Leatherwood Distillery bottle signing, Schumacher and Zetterström, ABC Store No. 3, 7000 Hudspeth Rd., Concord

• Thursday, April 25, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., Schumacher, Zetterström, and Waltrip at Michael Waltrip Taproom, 7731 Gateway Lane NW, Concord

Quotable:

“This is shaping up to be a great weekend. We’ve got a few events leading into the Charlotte race with a bottle signing at the ABC store in Concord on Thursday afternoon and then we’ll head over to the Waltrip Taproom that evening to help kick off our new partnership with them. The weather over the race weekend looks gorgeous so the fans are in for a real treat. Our Okuma car has been making huge strides lately, but on paper it doesn’t look that impressive. I’m really hoping that this can be the weekend where everything comes together, and we can get into a routine where we regularly start turning on win lights. We truly do have a great team, and the performance is getting better and better, now we just need that to translate to round-wins on race day.”