| AS INDY’S BIGGEST WINNER, TONY SCHUMACHER LOOKS FOR TURNAROUND AT CORNWELL QUALITY TOOLS NHRA U.S. NATIONALS
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 1, 2026) – The season has not gone as planned thus far for Top Fuel standout Tony Schumacher. But all of that can change in an instant at this weekend’s prestigious 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
It’s a race that helped shape Schumacher’s legacy of the winningest and most successful Top Fuel driver in NHRA history. As NHRA celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2026, Schumacher’s incredible success is a big part of it, from his eight world championships to his remarkable 10 victories at The Big Go.
It is the most in NHRA history, as one of the sport’s biggest stars has shined the brightest on the sport’s biggest stage.
Which goes back to how quickly Schumacher could turn around a season that’s had its share of rough moments. Currently 12th in points in the loaded Top Fuel ranks in his 12,000-horsepower American Communications Construction dragster for Rick Ware Racing, Schumacher and his team are eager to get their season on track. An 11th Indy victory would unquestionably do the trick.
“I’ve been here in this position before where it just wasn’t quite right and you’re one decision or one little thing away from going fast,” Schumacher said. “We’ll get there and we’ve got a lot of smart guys on this team who have won a lot of races. We’ll get it figured out.
“I don’t have another thought process but going and winning Indy. We tested after Brainerd and the car ran well. We made some big changes, but we’re walking into (Indy) thinking we can win this race.”
Last year’s Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals saw Austin Prock (Funny Car), Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) win the world’s biggest drag race. This year’s event will once again be broadcast on FS1 with qualifying and the NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout throughout the weekend. Monday’s eliminations will be broadcast on FOX beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
It is the last of 14 races in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season, with the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs right around the corner. An epic U.S. Nationals is on tap as well, with special 75th anniversary highlights including:
- Appearances from NHRA legends Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Joe Amato, Shirley Muldowney, Larry Dixon, Darrell Gwynn and many more.
- A celebration of NHRA’s 75-year history with exhibition runs on Friday and Sunday from the classic Rat Trap and Bradford’s Fiat nitro Fuel Altereds.
- Plus, push-start cackle cars on Friday and Sunday driven by NHRA legends.
- The Sox & Martin Hemi Challenge returns as the longest-running continuous specialty race in NHRA history, featuring exciting heads-up, wheelstanding, and side-by-side racing of Hemi-powered ’68 Super Stock Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas competing in the NHRA SS/AH class.
- Free parking for all fans in attendance for the entire weekend.
- Night qualifying on Friday, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday and the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday before Labor Day raceday.
Schumacher knows plenty about surreal moments at Indy. His Top Fuel debut came at The Big Go in 1996, advancing to the final round after qualifying 16th in the field, just seven days after getting his license.
His first Indy win came in 2000, signaling a run of dominance on drag racing’s grandest stage. He won eight times during that decade, with Schumacher’s most recent Indy victory coming in 2026. An 11th U.S. Nationals victory would do wonders for a team and a season that’s included just four round wins through 13 races.
Schumacher will also have to take on the lights of points leader and reigning world champ Doug Kalitta, who has won three straight races in 2026, Shawn Langdon, Tony Stewart, Leah Pruett, Antron Brown, Ashley and rookie sensation Maddi Gordon.
But Schumacher knows a bit about Indy magic and never counts out the possibility of it happening again.
“This is my 30th year of racing at Indy and it’s such a special place,” said Schumacher, who has an unprecedented 88 career Top Fuel victories. “It’s done some special things for me. This is where it started.
“A lot guys on my team are very young and I hope they understand this is part of the journey. If it wasn’t so frustrating at times, the wins wouldn’t be so amazing. The car went down the track three times in a row during testing (in Brainerd) and it went fast, so we’re encouraged by that.” |
