JCM Racing Pre-Race Report: Richmond

PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals

Event 9 of 20

Virginia Motorsports Park

North Dinwiddie, Va.

June 22 – 23, 2024

TONY SCHUMACHER

Driver of the Waltrip Brewing Co./Leatherwood Distillery Top Fuel Dragster

Virginia NHRA Nationals Event Highlights:

• 2008 event winner  

• Four-time No. 1 qualifier (2006, 2007, 2008, 2018)

2022 Virginia NHRA Nationals Event Recap:

Qualified 11th; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Justin Ashley in E1; defeated by Steve Torrence in E2)

Note: The NHRA Mission Foods Series did not compete at Richmond in 2023

Last Event (Bristol):

Qualified 12th; Event champion (defeated Jasmine Salinas in E1, Shawn Langdon in E2, Clay Millican in E3, Doug Kalitta in E4)

2024 Statistics:

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

Career Statistics:

563 races; 87 wins, 88 No. 1 qualifiers

Noteworthy:

• Schumacher enters the Virginia Nationals as the most recent Top Fuel winner on tour after having powered to victory at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. less than two weeks ago

• With the win, Schumacher tied Funny Car racer Ron Capps for winningest professional driver at the facility (seven wins)

• Before racing to the winner’s circle in Bristol, Schumacher successfully advanced to the final round in Epping, N.H. the weekend prior. He will be seeking his third consecutive final round appearance this weekend, and fourth of the year

• By advancing beyond the semifinals in Bristol, the Waltrip Brewing Co./Leatherwood Distillery team secured a spot in the Richmond running of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge

• Schumacher already has one Mission Foods specialty race win in 2024 (Phoenix)

• Schumacher debuted a new co-branded Waltrip Brewing Co./Leatherwood Distillery livery in Bristol. The original intention was to run the co-branded car one more time in 2024 at the NHRA Carolina Nationals (Charlotte 2), but the JCM team wants to capitalize on their recent success in the dual livery and will banner the beer and bourbon brands again this weekend in Richmond

• Leatherwood Distillery recently launched a new sales promotion in which fifty cents of every bottle sold is donated to A Soldier’s Child with an additional fifty cent contribution going toward a separate veteran-supporting organization. This promotion runs through Veteran’s Day

Fan Events:

Saturday, 9:00 – 9:30 a.m., Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge driver autograph session at the Mission Foods midway display

Quotable:

“I’m excited to get back to Virginia. It’s been a few years since we raced there, and I always enjoy seeing old friends in places where we’ve raced in the past. The facility does a great job maintaining the track, it’s always very smooth. We’re feeling really good right now coming off of that nice win in Bristol. That was a major confidence boost for our team. We earned the right to compete in another Mission Foods challenge this weekend, and it would be awesome to kick off the weekend with a solid qualifying outing and another Mission trophy on Saturday before we get into eliminations on Sunday. We’ll be back in the Waltrip Brewing Co./Leatherwood car again this weekend, and I was so excited when I heard we were keeping that paint scheme going for another race because not only does it look great, but the fans loved it as well. Hopefully we can go two-for-two in that car and park it in the winner’s circle once again.”