Yahoo Autos Tony Schumacher's Win at Houston Throws Wrinkle in NHRA Home Stretch
Tony Schumacher won his 85th Top Fuel event on Sunday, while Pro Stock racer Aaron Stanfield won his first.
The event at Houston Raceway Park was the second-to-last race weekend on a crazy 2020 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule.
Tommy Johnson Jr.'s win in Funny Car was the 13th race win in a row for Don Schumacher Racing, dating back to 2019.
Tony Schumacher is used to being the one trying to win a championship on the second-to-last race weekend of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
As far as playing the role of spoiler, not so much.
Schumacher played that spoiler role to perfection on Sunday and knocked off two-time defending NHRA Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence in the finals of the Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas.
The was was Schumacher's NHRA-record 85th Top Fuel Triumph and first since a win at Bristol on June 17, 2018. It was also Schumacher's third career win at Houston Raceway Park and first since 2009.
If you had put money on Schumacher winning this week, raise your hand.
Liar.
"We’ve been through three race cars in six races," said Schumacher, who is running Leah Pruett's backup cars at Don Schumacher Racing this season. "We qualified excellent, then lost our car after Leah (Pruett) broke one. We had to take a new car out, and that’s just the second race on it. That car hasn’t made two dozen runs down a racetrack and Mike Green and this Okuma/Sandvik Coromant Toyota team just went out and figured out how to win a race with it. Unbelievable.
"That’s about as rewarding of a day as anybody can have."
TOP FUEL STANDINGS
Points after Sunday's NHRA SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park. One race weekend remains in the 202o season, Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at Las Vegas.
Steve Torrence, 868
Doug Kalitta, 767
Billy Torrence, 675
Leah Pruett, 670
Shawn Langdon, 544
