Schumacher driving for millions

Friday, April 4, 2003 | 9:51 a.m.

NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals schedule

TODAY

1:30 p.m: Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying

3 p.m.: Pro Stock qualifying

3:30 p.m.: Nitro qualifying (Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster)

5 p.m.: Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying

6 p.m.: Pro Stock qualifying

6:30 p.m.: Nitro qualifying (Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster)

SATURDAY

7 a.m.: Pit and spectator gates open

7:30 a.m.: Sportsman eliminations

9:30 a.m.: Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying

11 a.m.: Comp Eliminator (Round 1)

11:30 a.m.: Pro Stock qualifying

Noon: Nitro qualifying (Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster)

1 p.m.: Comp Eliminator (Round 2)

1:30 p.m.: Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car (Round 1)

2:30 p.m.: Pro Stock qualifying

3 p.m.: Nitro qualifying session (Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster)

4 p.m.: Comp Eliminator (Round 3)

4:15 p.m.: Sportsman eliminations

SUNDAY

7 a.m.: Pit and spectator gates open

10 a.m.: Pre-race ceremonies

11 a.m.: Final eliminations

Several drivers on the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing circuit will be looking to turn around their seasons with a victory at this weekend's NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

But maybe one driver in the field has more incentive than most to reach the winner's circle on Sunday.

Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher said he is aching to pick up his first victory of the season for his sponsors -- all 1 million of them. Schumacher drives the United States Army-sponsored dragster and the way he sees it, every man and woman who serves in this country's armed forces is a partner in his team.

"I don't have a beverage company behind me; I have a million people behind me," Schumacher said. "And not only the million people now serving in the military, but how about the millions of people that have served previously?"

Knowing that many of the soldiers he has come in contact with through his sponsorship are in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan, Schumacher said he feels an overwhelming desire to honor them with a victory.

"I'm very proud to be driving this car," he said. "The car's running good but I wish it was running better because those guys are over there doing the most intense thing you could ever do in your life and I need to win some races for them.

"I have a lot of friends now in the Army because I spend a lot of time with them. I do a lot of speeches with them. I travel with them. Everything from privates to generals, I've made a lot of really good friends and I truly enjoy the people. I enjoy the times I have with them and I feel like winning for them right now. It's a big deal to me."

Schumacher's association with the Army has gone far beyond making a few token appearances on behalf of his sponsor. During the past 2 1/2 years, he has driven tanks, flown in fighter jets and rappelled from helicopters, tossed hand grenades, fired automatic weapons and gone through a simulated boot camp.

In late December, Schumacher traveled with fellow racers Jerry Nadeau and Geoffrey Bodine to Afghanistan and rang in the New Year with U.S. troops taking part in Operation Enduring Freedom.

" I felt it was my responsibility -- and a privilege -- to go to Afghanistan and see a lot of these guys," he said. "It was awesome. I wish everybody could take a few days and go do that because I think people would be extremely surprised at what they see.

"All I can say is that I'm proud of what they're doing. We went over to Afghanistan (and) you come back here a whole new person. There's no more 'Oh, I'm tired' or 'I had a rough day' because you don't know a rough day until you go over there and see what they're doing to make sure you have a free day."

Schumacher feels an added kinship with the U.S. soldiers deployed in the Middle East because of his work on behalf of the Army's recruiting effort.

"Not only have I met a lot of them, but I'm sure I have helped in asking them to join the Army -- it's what I do," he said. "I just got back from Washington, where I went to see five injured soldiers who had stepped on mines in Afghanistan and Kuwait and had grenades thrown in their trucks, so I do know them.

" A lot of these guys -- Delta Force, Special Ops, Navy Seals -- we're watching them on the news every day now. We're enjoying the success that they're having and we're feeling remorse for the losses. All this stuff that is happening ... these are my buddies. I consider them my friends and I've never met one of them hasn't been a great man of honor."