Tony Schumacher sets NHRA Top Fuel No. 1 qualifying record

By Feb 21, 2015, 10:14 PM EST
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One day after setting a career best low elapsed time mark, Tony Schumacher recorded a NHRA Top Fuel record by earning his 77th No. 1 qualifying position Saturday in advance of Sunday’s final eliminations of the CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals in suburban Phoenix.

Schumacher, who won his eighth NHRA Top Fuel championship last season, earned the No. 1 spot in his category, while fellow 2014 champs Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Erica Enders-Stevens (Pro Stock) were top qualifiers in their respective classes.

Schumacher on Friday set a career-quick run of 3.722 seconds at 325.61 mph. He had two other runs in the 3.7-second range on Saturday at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz.

“It is great that we went down the track on all four runs and got every point except one,” Schumacher said in an NHRA media release. “It is more impressive that the run was my career-best.

“The car is making good, quality runs down the track and it is being consistent. If we can continue to do that we’ve got a good chance of going out and winning some races.”

Schumacher will start Sunday’s eliminations facing Jenna Haddock, a rematch from last season’s race in when Haddock beat Schumacher in her first career start.

“We’ll go out there and do our job, not try to smoke the tires in the first round like we did in Denver,” Schumacher said. “That was an exciting win when she beat me in Denver – I just don’t want her to get used to it.”

In Funny Car, Hagan overtook Courtney Force, who earned the provisional pole in Friday’s qualifying. Hagan recorded a track record elapsed time Saturday with a run of 3.978 seconds (at 320.28 mph).

Hagan, who is also Schumacher’s teammate, is looking to make it two wins in a row, having won the season opener in Pomona, Calif., two weeks ago.

“It speaks volumes of why we are a championship team,” said Hagan, who will face Jeff Diehl in Sunday’s first round. “That thing was just really digging and posted some great numbers.

“This team continues to grow and we are really coming together and have great chemistry. I am very excited what this year has to hold for us and I think we are going to win a lot of races this season.”

In Pro Stock, Enders-Stevens earned her second No. 1 qualifier position of the season and 14th of her career, as no driver on Saturday could beat her best effort on Friday of 6.545 (at 211.20 mph).

Enders, who won this race last season, faces Joey Grose in the first round Sunday.

“It’s just a great start to the year … a better start to the year than we had in 2014,” Enders-Stevens said. “It would definitely be great to win early in the year. It, obviously, doesn’t determine where you end up, but it certainly helps boost confidence and morale.”

SUNDAY’S FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS

Top Fuel: 1. Tony Schumacher, 3.722 seconds, 325.69 mph  vs. 16. Jenna Haddock, 4.015, 295.59; 2. Doug Kalitta, 3.733, 329.02  vs. 15. Clay Millican, 3.924, 311.34; 3. Richie Crampton, 3.739, 324.51  vs. 14. Troy Buff, 3.905, 306.81; 4. J.R. Todd, 3.753, 323.97  vs. 13. Terry McMillen, 3.844, 310.27; 5. Antron Brown, 3.753, 318.69  vs. 12. Dave Connolly, 3.804, 321.58; 6. Shawn Langdon, 3.755, 319.37  vs. 11. Leah Pritchett, 3.794, 317.72; 7. Steve Torrence, 3.760, 325.85 vs. 10. Brittany Force, 3.792, 323.81; 8. Larry Dixon, 3.778, 324.05  vs. 9. Spencer Massey, 3.791, 321.81.  Did Not Qualify: 17. Steven Chrisman, 4.410, 218.90.

Funny Car: 1. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.978, 320.28  vs. 16. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, 4.866, 264.96; 2. Courtney Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.996, 321.58  vs. 15. Shane Westerfield, Charger, 4.558, 273.22; 3. Del Worsham, Toyota Camry, 3.997, 319.98  vs. 14. John Hale, Charger, 4.194, 307.23; 4. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.000, 313.58  vs. 13. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.060, 310.13; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.003, 315.27  vs. 12. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.047, 309.63; 6. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.020, 316.30  vs. 11. Chad Head, Camry, 4.043, 309.13; 7. John Force, Camaro, 4.025, 315.05  vs. 10. Robert Hight, Chevrolet Camaro, 4.038, 318.47; 8. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.032, 306.60  vs. 9. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.034, 314.39.  Did Not Qualify: 17. Terry Haddock, 5.082, 181.84.

Pro Stock: 1. Erica Enders-Stevens, Chevy Camaro, 6.545, 211.26  vs. 16. Joey Grose, Camaro, 6.689, 207.05; 2. Rodger Brogdon, Camaro, 6.545, 211.63  vs. 15. Deric Kramer, Dodge Avenger, 6.643, 208.91; 3. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.548, 211.20  vs. 14. Matt Hartford, Pontiac GXP, 6.632, 209.14; 4. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.551, 211.36  vs. 13. Jimmy Alund, GXP, 6.626, 209.69; 5. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.559, 210.54  vs. 12. V. Gaines, Dart, 6.620, 209.95; 6. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.562, 211.59  vs. 11. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.586, 210.87; 7. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.565, 211.46 vs. 10. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.578, 210.34; 8. Larry Morgan, Camaro, 6.569, 211.89  vs. 9. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.578, 210.67.  Did Not Qualify: 17. Jeff Isbell, 6.718, 205.98.

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With throaty roar, NASCAR Next Gen Camaro is taking Le Mans by storm on global stage

Associated PressJun 8, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT
Le Mans 24 Hour Race - Car Parade
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
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LE MANS, France — The V8 engine of the NASCAR Chevrolet Camaro has a distinct growl that cannot go unnoticed even among the most elite sports cars in the world at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

When the Hendrick Motorsports crew fired up the car inside Garage 56, NASCAR chairman Jim France broke into a huge grin and gave a thumbs up.

“The only guy who didn’t cover his ears,” laughed seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.

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France has been waiting since 1962 – the year his father, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., brought him to his first 24 Hours of Le Mans – to hear the roar of a stock car at the most prestigious endurance race in the world.

A path finally opened when NASCAR developed its Next Gen car, which debuted last year. France worked out a deal to enter a car in a specialized “Innovative Car” class designed to showcase technology and development. The effort would be part of NASCAR’s 75th celebration and it comes as Le Mans marks its 100th.

Once he had the approval, France persuaded Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear – NASCAR’s winningest team, manufacturer and tire supplier – to build a car capable of running the twice-around-the-clock race.

The race doesn’t start until Saturday, but NASCAR’s arrival has already been wildly embraced and France could not be more thrilled.

“Dad’s vision, to be able to follow it, it took awhile to follow it up, and my goal was to outdo what he accomplished,” France told The Associated Press. “I just hope we don’t fall on our ass.”

The car is in a class of its own and not racing anyone else in the 62-car field. But the lineup of 2010 Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller, 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button and Johnson has been fast enough; Rockenfeller put down a qualifying lap that was faster than every car in the GTE AM class by a full three seconds.

The Hendrick Motorsports crew won its class in the pit stop competition and finished fifth overall as the only team using a manual jack against teams exclusively using air jacks. Rick Hendrick said he could not be prouder of the showing his organization has made even before race day.

“When we said we’re gonna do it, I said, ‘Look, we can’t do this half-assed. I want to be as sharp as anybody out there,” Hendrick told AP. “I don’t want to be any less than any other team here. And just to see the reaction from the crowd, people are so excited about this car. My granddaughter has been sending me all these TikTok things that fans are making about NASCAR being at Le Mans.”

This isn’t NASCAR’s first attempt to run Le Mans. The late France Sr. brokered a deal in 1976, as America celebrated its bicentennial, to bring two cars to compete in the Grand International class and NASCAR selected the teams. Herschel McGriff and his son, Doug, drove a Wedge-powered, Olympia Beer-sponsored Dodge Charger, and Junie Donlavey piloted a Ford Torino shared by Richard Brooks and Dick Hutcherson.

Neither car came close to finishing the race. McGriff, now 95 and inducted into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame in January, is in Le Mans as France’s guest, clad head-to-toe in the noticeable Garage 56 uniforms.

“I threw a lot of hints that I would like to come. And I’ve been treated as royalty,” McGriff said. “This is unbelievable to me. I recognize nothing but I’m anxious to see everything. I’ve been watching and seeing pictures and I can certainly see the fans love their NASCAR.”

The goal is to finish the full race Sunday and, just maybe, beat cars from other classes. Should they pull off the feat, the driver trio wants its own podium celebration.

“I think people will talk about this car for a long, long time,” said Rockenfeller, who along with sports car driver Jordan Taylor did much of the development alongside crew chief Chad Knaus and Greg Ives, a former crew chief who stepped into a projects role at Hendrick this year.

“When we started with the Cup car, we felt already there was so much potential,” Rockenfeller said. “And then we tweaked it. And we go faster, and faster, at Le Mans on the SIM. But you never know until you hit the real track, and to be actually faster than the SIM. Everybody in the paddock, all the drivers, they come up and they are, ‘Wow, this is so cool,’ and they were impressed by the pit stops. We’ve overachieved, almost, and now of course the goal is to run for 24 hours.”

The car completed a full 24-hour test at Sebring, Florida, earlier this year, Knaus said, and is capable of finishing the race. Button believes NASCAR will leave a lasting impression no matter what happens.

“If you haven’t seen this car live yet, it’s an absolute beast,” Button said. “When you see and hear it go by, it just puts a massive smile on your face.”

For Hendrick, the effort is the first in his newfound embrace of racing outside NASCAR, the stock car series founded long ago in the American South. Aside from the Le Mans project, he will own the Indy car that Kyle Larson drives for Arrow McLaren in next year’s Indianapolis 500 and it will be sponsored by his automotive company.

“If you’d have told me I’d be racing at Le Mans and Indianapolis within the same year, I’d never have believed you,” Hendrick told AP. “But we’re doing both and we’re going to do it right.”

Le Mans 24 Hour Race - Car Parade
Fans gather around the NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that is the Garage 56 entry for the 100th 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe (Chris Graythen/Getty Images).

General Motors is celebrating the achievement with a 2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition and only 56 will be available to collectors later this year.

“Even though Chevrolet has been racing since its inception in 1911, we’ve never done anything quite like Garage 56,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “A NASCAR stock car running at Le Mans is something fans doubted they would see again.”

The race hasn’t even started yet, but Hendrick has enjoyed it so much that he doesn’t want the project to end.

“It’s like a shame to go through all this and do all this, and then Sunday it’s done,” Hendrick said. “It’s just really special to be here.”