Brainerd Pre-Race Report
NHRA Brainerd Nationals
Event 15 of 22
Brainerd International Raceway
Brainerd, Minn.
Aug. 19-21, 2022
Event 15 of 22
Brainerd International Raceway
Brainerd, Minn.
Aug. 19-21, 2022
TONY SCHUMACHER: Driver of the Okuma Top Fuel Dragster
Noteworthy:
Schumacher recently piloted the DSR Performance-powered Okuma dragster to victory in Seattle, followed by a quarterfinal finish in Topeka last weekend
The eight-time world champ launched three spots in the point standings, moving from 12th to ninth since the start of the Seattle event, and is looking to maintain his Top 10 ranking this weekend
The winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA history returns to Brainerd for the first time since 2018
Schumacher leads the Top Fuel class in No. 1 qualifiers (six) at BIR
Quotable:
"Brainerd has been an awfully kind track to me over the years. The fans there are second-to-none, it always draws a great crowd. But man, I’ve really done some damage there before. Gone out, qualified No. 1 several times, and won that race. This is one of those races that really, really matters because Indy is next and that’s points-and-a-half, so you need to be in the best position possible heading into Indy because let me tell you, every point matters when you get into the playoffs. Getting moved up a few spots to start the Countdown does matter. I’ve won championships and I’ve lost championships by less than one round, so don’t kid yourself into thinking that where you start the Countdown doesn’t matter.”
About Maynard Family Racing:
Established in 2022, the Maynard Family Racing organization (JCM) is a single-car NHRA Top Fuel team owned by Joe and Cathi Maynard, along with their partners Eric and Kim Lehman, all of Clarksville, Tenn. The Maynards first became involved in NHRA Drag Racing in 2021 as an associate sponsor of Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) before expanding their involvement to an ownership level during the 2022 NHRA season. It was announced in July 2022 that the Maynards and Lehmans had partnered with Don Schumacher to assume a majority ownership stake of the multi-time championship-winning team.Headlining the Maynard Family Racing team is eight-time world champion and 86-time NHRA national event winner Tony Schumacher, the most decorated Top Fuel driver in the history of the sport. The team competes on the 22-race NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series circuit thanks to the support of Scag Power Equipment and Okuma.
For more information, visit @Maynard_Racing on Twitter, @MaynardFamRacing on Facebook, and @MaynardFamilyRacing on Instagram.
