NHRA TOP FUEL DRIVER TONY SCHUMACHER NOMINATED FOR ESPY AWARD

GLENDORA, Calif. (June 26, 2007) – NHRA Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher, four-time NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel world champion, has been nominated for the ESPY Best Driver award, it was announced today.

The ESPY Awards, for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly, was created by ESPN in 1993. Sports fans can vote for Schumacher and other sports heroes in each of the different categories via an online poll at THE 2007 ESPYS

Schumacher, driver of the U.S. Army dragster, finished the 2006 season in dramatic fashion by winning his third consecutive and fourth overall Top Fuel championship on the final run of the season. On that final pass at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona , Schumacher set a national elapsed time record of 4.428 seconds and defeated final round opponent Melanie Troxel for the victory to claim the championship title by 14 points over rival Doug Kalitta. Media quickly labeled his effort “The Run,” and called it the most meaningful and memorable single performance in NHRA history.

Schumacher’s historic championship-winning run put the finishing touches on an unbelievable mid-season comeback, where he was more than 330 points behind the championship leader and basically written-off of the championship list with less 12 races to go. From there he reeled off five victories in eight final round appearances to clinch the championship.

Schumacher, from Chicago , joins John Force, Tony Pedregon, Greg Anderson and Melanie Troxel as the only professional drag racers ever to be nominated for the prestigious ESPY Awards. No drag racer has ever won the ESPY Best Driver award.

“This is a real honor to be singled out for such a prestigious award as Best Driver,” said Schumacher. “I hope I do the NHRA family proud and win it. I really look forward to representing the U.S. Army and all of our soldiers on the big stage in Hollywood next month.”

Joining Schumacher on the ESPY Best Driver ballot include NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon and IRL drivers Dario Franchitti and Sam Hornish Jr.

Schumacher is the fifth NHRA driver to be nominated for the ESPY Awards. Last year Troxel became the first NHRA driver to be nominated in multiple categories, for Best Driver and Best Female Athlete. Anderson, the three-time defending Pro Stock world champion (2003-’05) was nominated in 2005. Pedregon, the 2003 Funny Car world champion, was nominated in 2004. Force, a 13-time Funny Car world champion and winner of an NHRA-record 120 events, was nominated for the ESPY Best Driver award in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.

Past ESPY Best Driver winners include stock car racers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, a three-time winner, Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett, and open wheel drivers Jimmy Vasser, Al Unser, Jr., Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher.

The 2007 ESPY winners will be announced during the ESPY Awards at the spectacular Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on July 11. The ESPYs will be televised on ESPN on July 15 at 9 p.m. ET. The ESPYs will be co-hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel and basketball star LeBron James.

Tony Schumacher Career Highlights:
* Four-time NHRA POWERade Series world champion, including last three in a row (1999, 2004, ’05, ’06)

* Only second driver in NHRA history (also Joe Amato) to win three consecutive Top Fuel championships

* Five-time winner of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the world’s most prestigious drag race
* Named the winner of the Fourth Quarter Driver of the Year Award for all of motorsports in 2006
* Holds national records for time (4.428 seconds) and speed (336.15 mph) in Top Fuel
* Has earned 36 career NHRA victories
* Has earned 40 career NHRA No. 1 qualifying awards
* Son of Funny Car pioneer Don Schumacher

Past ESPY Best Driver winners: 2006 – Tony Stewart, NASCAR

2005 – Michael Schumacher, F1
2004 – Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR
2003 – Tony Stewart, NASCAR
2002 – Michael Schumacher, F1
2001 – Bobby Labonte, NASCAR
2000 – Dale Jarrett, NASCAR
1999 – Jeff Gordon, NASCAR
1998 - Jeff Gordon, NASCAR
1997 – Jimmy Vassar, IRL
1996 – Jeff Gordon, NASCAR
1995 – Al Unser Jr., IRL
1994 – Nigel Mansell, F1
1993 - Nigel Mansell, F1