COUNTDOWN CLOCK TICKING FOR U.S. ARMY TEAM

MORRISON, Colo., July 10 - With just a handful of races remaining before the cut off for the NHRA's new Countdown to the Championship, U.S. Army drivers Tony "The Sarge" Schumacher, Angelle Sampey and Antron Brown will be looking to build some momentum here this weekend in the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycles) are currently qualified for the Countdown, but Brown (Pro Stock Motorcycles) is 22 points out of the coveted eighth spot in the standings.

While Schumacher has five national events to go before the top eight in points is established, Sampey and Brown have but four races left to claim a spot in the title chase.

The Countdown to the Championship begins at the 18th race of the season -- the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend in Indianapolis.

The Mopar Mile-High Nationals outside of Denver is the first of three straight races that make up the NHRA's annual "Western Swing." After Denver, the tour moves to Seattle and Sonoma, Calif. on successive weekends.

Top Fuel

Schumacher, who is the defending NHRA POWERade world champion, is coming off a first round loss at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway last weekend. It was his seventh first round loss in 12 events.

"As I always say, first round losses are big-time killers," said the Chicago native as he prepared for a pre-Denver trip to Los Angeles for the ESPY Awards (he's a Best Driver award nominee). "Fortunately, they're not as damaging this year since we have the Countdown."

Schumacher presently holds fifth-place in the standings, but he'd rather not rest on his laurels.

"No way," he added. "We need to start running better as we get closer to the start of the Countdown and, perhaps, even move up a few spots in the order. I believe that will happen. I've got the best team and crew chief in the business."

Schumacher would like nothing better than to deliver a fourth straight title to the hard working men and women of the U.S. Army.

"We're going to try our best to make that happen," he said. "After all, they protect our freedom on a daily basis."

Pro Stock Motorcycles

Following a semifinal round appearance in Norwalk, Ohio two weeks ago, Sampey resides in second-place behind leader Matt Smith.

"Like Tony and his team, we want to keep improving as the cut off approaches (at Reading, Pa. the end of August)," offered the three-time world champion. "The real goal is to be running our best when the whole thing begins."

Of immediate importance, Sampey would like to grab a win this Sunday at Bandimere Speedway, a place where she started her professional career in1996.

"It's hard to believe that I've been at this for over 10 years," she said. "It seems like yesterday that I was making my first lap out there."

Like Schumacher, Brown was a first round loser in his last race - at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk. It dropped the New Jersey native to 10th-place in the standings.

"We're all staying positive despite the struggles of late," he said. "We're just a little over a round of racing out of eighth-place, which is really not much of a deficit. As long you get in the Countdown, you give yourself a chance to win the championship. I can tell you that I want in the show in the worst way."

Brown battled with eventual world champion, Andrew Hines, into the last race of 2006 before having to settle for second.

"I want to have the opportunity to battle it out again this year and, hopefully, go one step further."