Park Ridge native Schumacher doesn't mind flying under the radar

Posted February 15, 2009 10:00 pm

By Mike Spellman

He drives a car that, if he had enough fuel and the Kennedy was a straight line and free of traffic, could get from Woodfield to downtown Chicago in about four minutes. Yeah, that's about two football fields per second.

It's a car that accelerates quicker than the space shuttle and routinely tops 330 mph thanks to its 8,000 horsepower engine.

If he drove that beast through your neighborhood at 2 a.m., car alarms would go off, walls would shake and 911 operators would be overwhelmed.

He's the all-time winningest driver in Top Fuel drag racing history. He just won a record sixth career world title and is going for No. 7, yet if you saw the Park Ridge native walking down the street you probably wouldn't recognize him.

Say hello to Tony Schumacher, one of the most under-the-radar champions you'll ever want to meet.

The Bulls win six titles and the town goes gaga. Schumacher wins his sixth title last year and there's barely a blip in the newspapers or on the news.

It's nothing new for the face of the U.S. Army Top Fuel team, just the way his hometown operates.

"Chicago's a stick-and-ball town, I'm all right with it," Schumacher said from his back yard as he watched his three kids play with their bikes. "Some of the tracks we go to it's insane. We're mauled by people.

"Drag racing is a different sport. Everyone gets a pit pass. Could you imagine if Michael Jordan was playing and people could go down, not on the court, but on the bench - during the game. That's what our fans are allowed to do.

"Do I wish it was huge in Chicago? I don't know. I like to be able to go out to the grocery store and not get recognized. I'm happy that when I go to the mall, four or five people come up to me - at any mall, everywhere in the country - and say, 'Hey, good job,' kind of under the radar quietly.

"I couldn't imagine it any other way."

This season, which began last week, he's going for his seventh title with a new crew chief (Mike Green) and some new crew members after longtime crew chief Alan Johnson left amicably to start his own team.

"He was outstanding, fantastic," Schumacher said of Johnson. "We worked so well together. It was just the right time for him business-wise. And like he said, 'We've won everything, set every record, what are we going to do next year, just do it again?' "

Well, actually, yes, that's the plan. The champion inside Schumacher always is looking forward to a challenge.

It's what keeps him striving, keeps him dominating. It's certainly not for the hardware or the prestige anymore.

But just how does the 39-year-old continue to perform at such a high level?

The final race of the 2006 season - and what he learned from it - continues to play a big role in his success.

"I was getting buckled in the car for the last run of the year and to beat (Scott) Kalitta for the championship I had to win the race and we had to set the world record," he said.

"Everyone dreams of coming up in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded. I remember thinking, 'This is so big. How do you pull this off?'

"I kind of laughed and said it's not about the trophy or the money or any of that junk; it's just the fact that when I was 16 years old, I couldn't wait to go racing. It's hard to remember that. I just thought, 'Relax, be cool and enjoy it.' Ever since then I've kind of kept that mentality.

"I just love racing."

It runs in the family.

One of Schumacher's fondest memories growing up was when his dad, Don, the owner of Don Schumacher Racing and a former funny car racer before retiring when Tony was 5, would invite drivers over to the family's house.

"Just hearing these stories from these guys you see on TV about how much they love racing - how they'd do anything to get to the track," Schumacher said.

"They'd drop off videotapes like "And They Walked Away" or "Fabulous Floppers," all the cool crashes.

"At a young age, that was awesome. Watching a guy flip over upside down on fire and then get out and put his arms up, that was too cool."

It wasn't until he was 16 that the racing bug really hit. That was when Schumacher and some friends went up to Union Grove, Wis., and started drag racing.

He hasn't stopped.

But someday soon he will.

"A couple of years," Schumacher said of when he might call it quits. "It has nothing to do with the car - I could drive it into my 50s. I have three beautiful kids, planning on a few more.

"When they get into their "I need daddy to coach me through life" phase, I'm outta here, man.

"Racing is cool. It's a great ego sport - go 330 mph and people tell you you're great - but as important as that is for the moment, when my kids start playing baseball, you couldn't get me in a race car if I was going to miss a ballgame."

Minivans don't cover two football fields per second, but it's hard to imagine Schumacher will mind that at all.

Schumacher's speed put to the test Tony Schumacher may be able to do a quarter-mile in less than five seconds in his Top Fuel car, but how quickly can the Park Ridge native navigate through a Daily Herald Rapid Reply session? The green light is on, Tony: Cubs or Sox? Cubs Favorite non-NHRA driver? Emerson Fittipaldi Your nickname before becoming "The Sarge"? "Schu" Will the Blackhawks advance a round in the playoffs? I hope to God they do. Who are you rooting for in the Daytona 500? Ryan Newman, my teammate in the United States Army, baby Best golf course you've ever played? Shadow Creek in Las Vegas Favorite golfer? Gotta go with Tiger Woods; the guy is amazing. Softball: 16-inch or 12-inch? I play 16-inch, but I love 12-inch. Blagojevich? (expletive)

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