2012 NHRA Season Review – Don Schumacher Racing

Ending the season with one NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series title is quite an accomplishment. Ending the season with two nitro championships in the same season is extraordinary, but Don Schumacher Racing has now accomplished the feat twice: first in 2005, when Tony Schumacher won the Top Fuel title and Gary Scelzi won the Funny Car championship; second, in 2012, with two other drivers taking the titles. Here’s a wrap-up of the successful season at DSR.

Antron Brown – Brown became the first African-American driver to win a major U.S. motorsports title when he took the Top Fuel crown at the season finale at Pomona. Brown was fast right out of the gate in Pomona in February, moving into the finals at four of the first six races and winning once. In total, Brown made 11 finals, winning six times and earning three No. 1 qualifiers; he had an impressive round record of 49-17.

Tony Schumacher – With “The Sarge’s” luck at coming from behind to win championships, he was a threat to overtake Brown right up until the final round at Pomona – his loss to Brandon Bernstein gave Brown the title by just seven points. Schumacher, who went winless in 2011, went to four final rounds in the first nine races of the season, finally earning the win at the 10^th race in Bristol. Schumacher went to the finals nine times in 2012, winning twice – the second win coming at the U.S. Nationals at Indy, his ninth win at the historic race; he ended the season with a round record of 43-21.

Spencer Massey – Massey finished third in the points standings behind his two teammates after winning three events in the season’s first five. Massey went on to record four wins in nine final-round appearances with a round record of 45-19. Massey was let go by Schumacher shortly after the season was over.

Jack Beckman and Ron Capps – Beckman took his first Funny Car title by a mere two points over Capps, after their seasons were entangled from nearly the beginning. Following Capps’ DNQ at Las Vegas, the boss made a complete switch of teams – crew chiefs, crew members and cars – with Capps teaming up with Rahn Tobler and Beckman getting new hire Todd Smith. The dividends paid off in different ways for the two drivers, but in the end, Beckman’s consistency in both qualifying and in races got him the title – a fast car didn’t hurt either, as Beckman picked up 20 bonus points for resetting the national e.t. record at Reading in October. Beckman ended the season with three wins in four final round appearances and a round record of 38-19, while Capps earned five Wallys in eight final round appearances and a round record of 46-17.

Johnny Gray – Gray quietly earned himself a sixth-place finish in points on the strength of two wins in four final rounds. After a rough start at Pomona and Phoenix, Gray went to the finals in Gainesville and boosted himself up to fourth in points, a spot he managed to maintain for much of the “regular season.” Gray earned a round record of 28-21 in the 2012 season.

Matt Hagan – After winning the Funny Car title in 2011, Hagan never even made it to the Countdown to the Championship in 2012. Hagan never made it past the second round of eliminations until the 14^th race of the season at Sonoma, where he went to the finals and lost to Gray. Things got better for the team starting at Sonoma, as Hagan made four finals in the last 10 races of the season, but it was too little, too late when it came to fighting his way into the top 10 for the “playoffs.” Hagan went winless in 2012, with a round record of 24-22.

Sources: “2012 NHRA Driver Performance Supplement – Top Fuel,” NHRA Media

“2012 NHRA Driver Performance Supplement – Funny Car,” NHRA Media

Paula is a long-time auto racing fan who also covers the NHRA at Examiner.com.