Tony Schumacher has a ready answer when fans wonder how much longer the 54-year-old, three-time world champion will keep climbing drag racing’s ladder in the National Hot Rod Association.
“About 10 years,” Schumacher said. “That’s what I’ve told them for the past 20 years.”
Age is just a number in drag racing, where cars hurtle down the track for a quarter-mile at more than 300 mph (483 kph), a blur of speed and roaring noise that is over in a few seconds before a parachute helps bring the vehicles to a stop.
Such terrifying speeds are far above those seen in Formula 1, NASCAR and IndyCar, but those races last far longer. That is part of the reason drivers in their 70s and even 80s can rely on their talent and experience to safely pilot a Top Fuel or Funny Car for a few moments and keep on winning long after traditional drivers on ovals and road courses call it a career.
“In our sport, unlike many of them, it’s mental,” Schumacher explained. “I feel like I got better with age.”
He is not alone. Ron Capps, 59, has won at least one Funny Car event for 15 straight years starting in 2009. Antron Brown, 48, has 75 career Top Fuel victories, winning titles in 2012, 2015 and 2016. Matt Hagan, 41, picked up his 50th Funny Car victory in April and the reigning champ was nominated as “Best Driver” for an ESPY.
