Racing on a 1,000-foot strip for the first time in NHRA history, Top Fuel dragster Tony Schumacher won Sunday during the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.
Schumacher didn’t need the extra 320 feet of track to get his dragster up to speed, reaching 304 m.p.h in his win over Antron Brown in the finals.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better race car. It was flawless,” said Schumacher, who picked up his sixth victory of the season.
It’s the first time the NHRA has conducted racing at any distance other than a quarter-mile at a national event since the first one was held in 1955.
“I think as an interim measure it achieved our goals,” said Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president of racing operations. “I think we’ve still produced exciting side-by-side, 300-m.p.h plus, close and competitive racing.”
A shorter track added another variable the drivers and their crew had to navigate at tricky Bandimere Speedway. They’re also handcuffed by the higher altitude, which affects the amount of horsepower the engines can make.
Schumacher and his U.S. Army crew were able to solve the track’s complicated equation.
“I’m not saying I’m a gifted driver,” Schumacher said. “I’m saying I have a gift of driving the Army car and a gift of having the best team that’s ever been assembled. That comes from a group of guys with a great vision and with great goals.”
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