Route 66 NHRA Nationals
Event 9 of 24 (Chicago)
Route 66 Raceway
Joliet, Illinois
June 1-3, 2018
Noteworthy:
- Ron Capps returns as the defending Funny Car event champion
- Capps has raced for the Chicago FC Wally the past two years in a row, finishing as the runner-up in 2016
- All DSR Funny Car final in 2017 (Capps vs. Tommy Johnson Jr.)
- Both Antron Brown and Johnson have advanced to the final round at Route 66 Raceway in three of the past four years
- Chicago 2017 was the start of five consecutive final round appearances for Brown
Tony Schumacher is the winningest (five) Top Fuel driver in Chicago history: 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2015
Note: 2005 victory was at the discontinued Fall event - Schumacher leads the TF class in number of No. 1 qualifiers (seven) at Chicago: 2003, 2005 (Spring and Fall), 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012
Note: 2005 No. 1 qualifier was at the discontinued Fall event - Brown has both TF and Pro Stock Motorcycle Wallys from Chicago
- Brown and Leah Pritchett will compete against ‘Papa’ John Schnatter in the Papa John’s Charity Challenge to benefit the Infinite Hero Foundation on Saturday
- Hometown track for the Schumacher family
(Excerpt)
DSR Driver Information:
Funny Car:
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger R/T
NHRA Chicago Event Highlights:
2015 event champion
Three-time runner-up (2003, 2014, 2017)
Two-time No. 1 qualifier (2006, 2014)
2017 Chicago Recap:
Qualified sixth; Event runner-up (defeated John Force in E1, J.R. Todd in E2, Tim Wilkerson in E3; defeated by Ron Capps in E4)
Last event (Topeka):
Qualified sixth; Quarterfinal finish (defeated John Force in E1; defeated by Robert Hight in E2)
2018 Season Statistics:
Ten round wins; Ranked sixth in points
Career Statistics:
430 races; 17 wins (two Top Fuel); 15 No. 1 qualifiers (one Top Fuel)
Notable:
Has advanced to the final round at Route 66 Raceway in three of the past four years, winning in 2015, and finishing as the runner-up in 2014 and 2017
Quotable:
“Chicago is a race I always look forward to. We always seem to do well there, and run really well. We’ve been to the Chicago final round the last several years, so I think (this weekend) would be a great opportunity to get our season kicked off with a win. It’s always a special place to me, since it’s close to (my home state of) Iowa, and it would be nice to win with everyone there.”
About Don Schumacher Racing
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., fields seven professional NHRA teams. In Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher, the Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster driven by three-time world champion Antron Brown and the Mopar/Papa John’s Pizza/Pennzoil/FireAde/U.S. Army dragster driven by Leah Pritchett; and in Funny Car, 2016 world champion Ron Capps in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T; two-time world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T, and 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in Terry and Doug Chandler’s Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge and the Chandlers’ Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr.
DSR also campaigns two Sportsman teams. The two-car Factory Stock Showdown duo is piloted by Pritchett and veteran Pro Stock racer Mark Pawuk. Both drivers compete in Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Paks.
DSR has won 320 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at Shoeracing.com, on Twitter and Instagram at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.