JCM Racing Pre-Race Report: Reading

Pep Boys NHRA Nationals

Event 15 of 20

Countdown Event 1 of 6

Maple Grove Raceway

Mohnton, Pa.

Sept. 13 – 15, 2024

Driver Information:

TONY SCHUMACHER

Driver of the Leatherwood Distillery Top Fuel Dragster

Countdown to the Championship Ranking: 8th

Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Event Highlights:

• Five-time event champion (2003 - 2005, 2008, 2014)   

• Three-time runner-up (1999, 2015, 2018) 

• Seven-time No. 1 qualifier (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2014)

2023 Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Event Recap:

Qualified ninth; Semifinal finish (defeated Austin Prock in E1, Justin Ashley in E2; defeated by Steve Torrence in E3)

Last Event (Indianapolis):

Qualified eighth; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Shawn Reed in E1; defeated by Brittany Force in E2)

2024 Statistics:

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

Career Statistics:

569 races; 87 wins, 88 No. 1 qualifiers

Noteworthy:

• The winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA history begins the 2024 Countdown from the No. 8 seed

• Schumacher is seeking his ninth series title and the first for JCM Racing

• Schumacher leads the class in number of Top Fuel victories (five) at Maple Grove Raceway 

• Schumacher has been the Reading No. 1 qualifier seven times - the most of any Top Fuel driver at a single event

• Returns to the co-branded Leatherwood Distillery/Waltrip Brewing Co. livery for the first time since the Norwalk event in June

Fan Events:

Thursday, Sept. 12, 7 – 8:30 p.m., JCM Racing driver meet-and-greet at Doc & Bubba’s (4312 New Holland Rd., Mohnton)

Quotable:

“We have our work cut out for us starting the 2024 Countdown from eighth, but the good news is, we get to race for the championship without a big bullseye on our backs. It’s a tall order, but if we can have a really strong showing this weekend, we can put ourselves in a position where we could have a legitimate shot to be in this year’s title conversation. These next three races will be a make-it-or-break it for us and several other teams, but after this back-to-back-to-back stretch, we’ll have a pretty good idea as to who will be in the hunt and who will be an also-ran. It’s been a long and at times, frustrating season for our team, but the guys have kept their heads down and just keep pushing through. That’s the type of attitude and work ethic you need to have to win one of these, and we’re going to keep grinding away. Last year in Reading was a turning point for our team when we went to the semis, and we’d like to go at least that far this weekend. The most important thing is to go rounds at this first race of the Countdown.”

IDA ZETTERSTRÖM

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

Last Event (Indianapolis):

Qualified 14th; Quarterfinal finish (defeated T.J. Zizzo in E1; defeated by Steve Torrence in E2)

Noteworthy:

• The multi-time European FIA drag racing champion made her NHRA debut at the Brainerd Nationals. She is competing in the final eight events on the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Series schedule as she pursues NHRA’s Road to the Future award

• Reading marks NHRA event No. 3 for Zetterström. In her first two races, she has advanced to the semifinals (Brainerd) and a quarterfinal finish (Indianapolis)

Fan Events:

Thursday, Sept. 12, 7 – 8:30 p.m., JCM Racing driver meet-and-greet at Doc & Bubba’s (4312 New Holland Rd., Mohnton)

Quotable:

“I’ve never been to Maple Grove so I’m excited to check it out. I’ve heard that the fans there are really enthusiastic, which is always great. I feel like we have a really good car, and we’ve shown that by not only qualifying for Indy, which was an accomplishment in and of itself, but also running really tight in the quarterfinals there. We had a small parts failure which ultimately cost us that round win, but I think it showed that we have what it takes to go rounds, and that is what we want to do in Reading. Obviously, we will have a different mindset than most of the other teams out there competing this weekend. For them, this will be the first race of the playoffs. We’re not in the Countdown of course, so we’re hoping to play spoiler and be a bit of a wild card. We’re not focused on winning a championship. Our focus is on continuing to work towards putting ourselves in the best possible position for next season when we’re out here running full-time. But, we’re going to spare no time doing so. We definitely want to show that we’re strong contenders, and not to count us out just because we’re new. We want to go more rounds, go quicker and faster, and just improve on what we’re doing. Indy left us wanting more.”