Photo By Alun Thomas | Tony Schumacher, 8-time National Hot Rod Association champion and current U.S. Army...... read more read more
CHANDLER, Ariz. – As an eight-time National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) champion, Tony Schumacher has few peers in the world of drag racing.
Schumacher, who has been driving the U.S. Army sponsored dragster since 2000, has won a record 83 event titles over his career and adds a winning edge to everything he does on and off the track.
He also lends his talents to U.S. Army recruiting efforts, where he participates in the Youth and Education Services program, which allows high school students to learn about career opportunities in the Army at NHRA events.
Schumacher was on hand to assist the Phoenix Recruiting Battalion on their recruiting mission over a three day span, Feb. 23-25, at an NHRA event held at the Wild Horse Pass Motor Sports Park, Chandler, Arizona.
Speaking to an audience of current U.S. Army Soldiers, future Soldiers and invited guests, Feb. 24, Schumacher talked about the people behind the scenes, who help make him one of the fastest drivers in the sport.
“These machines are the fastest in the world. We have smart people who put them together and make them go faster in ways that I can’t believe,” Schumacher said. “We train better, we practice harder and we have more discipline. I get asked all the time, how do you win so many races?
Because the people around me are perfect at what they do.”
Schumacher drew a correlation between his crew and Science, Technology and Math (STEM), which is a huge priority for the Army.
“This is STEM in the NHRA world. These are clever people who make progress,” he said. “I do my job well because of the people around me, who are the best at what they do. Just like the Army, who the best trained at what they specialize in.”
Schumacher said his crew enabled him to record the fastest time in NHRA history on Feb. 23, when he ran a 336.57 mph run at 3.667 seconds.
“Until yesterday no car had ever gone that fast. It’s an evolutionary process. Smart people make rules and abide by them in every way,” he said.
Schumacher said his goal in life is basic; to reach the finish line faster than anyone he competes against.
“My life is simple. People ask me ‘what’s your goal?’ I tell them, ‘to reach the finish line,’” he continued. “It sounds easy, but I have to get there faster than anyone in the world, people who practice all the time. It’s not impossible – it’s just something I have to do.”
Schumacher said he tries to encourage today’s youth to consider the Army as an option, even if it seems like a huge life decision.
“Something I like to tell our youth is ‘play the game.’ It might be a game you don’t understand, but you might end up liking it,” Schumacher added. “The Army is one of those things. Don’t write it off … give it a chance. Talk to people who’ve done it. Learn from them.”
Teaching youth is vital, in any aspect of life, he said.
“What I love about life is we can teach them, explain things to them. We’ll give you the lessons we’ve learned, what we’ve seen – it’s just up to you to listen to it,” Schumacher said.
Schumacher said he never takes his military experiences for granted, having been able to engage in a variety of activities in his long association with the Army.
“I’ve probably had the opportunity to do more things than most Soldiers because of my job -- jumping out of planes, driving tanks, shooting weapons with Special Forces groups – and I treasure all of them,” he said.
“I enjoy what I do and I enjoy talking to people … big groups, small groups, they all like to listen," he concluded.
| Date Taken: | 03.16.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.16.2018 15:37 |
| Story ID: | 269704 |
| Location: | CHANDLER, AZ, US |
| Web Views: | 123 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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