Experience pays off for Schumacher Racing at Four-Wide Nationals

Experience once again paid off Sunday for Don Schumacher Racing at zMax Dragway.

Antron Brown and Jack Beckman gave team owner Don Schumacher another sweep of the Nitro division titles Sunday at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.

Brown won his second straight Four-Wide Top Fuel title and Beckman won his second Four-Wide Funny Car title since 2011.

Also winning Sunday were Larry Morgan in the Pro Stock division, and Andrew Hines in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Brown’s and Beckman’s wins gave Schumacher Racing its second Four-Wide Nationals sweep – the first came in 2013, its fourth at zMax Dragway and the team’s 47th overall.

It also gives Schumacher Racing 15 titles at zMax Dragway – eight coming in the Four-Wide Nationals – and extended its domination over the early part of the National Hot Rod Association season, sweeping the Nitro division titles for the third straight event.

“It’s just the cohesiveness that we have,” said Brown, who has three wins at zMax Dragway. “It’s taken a long time to get to where it’s at, (but) Don’s put all the right people in the right places.”

Brown picked up his first Top Fuel win this season and the 32nd of his career by beating Steve Torrence, Richie Crampton and Clay Millican in the final. Brown crossed the line in 3.749 seconds, nearly a tenth of a second ahead of Torrence (3.847 seconds).

“It’s definitely been a long road, because we’ve been fighting some combinations all year,” said Brown, who leads teammate Tony Schumacher by 26 points in the standings (354-328). “But to lay the gauntlet down on that last run and bring the win home, it felt pretty good.”

Beckman also won his first Funny Car title this season and the 16th of his career, and ended a 54-race winless streak dating to 2012. It also was Schumacher Racing’s 100th Funny Car win.

Beckman beat Del Worsham – who took a two-point lead over Matt Hagan in the standings (305-303) – Chad Head and Tommy Johnson Jr. in the final, crossing in 3.983 seconds, 0.029 seconds better than Worsham (4.012 seconds).

“It’s a little bit surreal,” Beckman said. “You never know when your last win is your last win. I was starting to wonder, but now I’m done wondering.”

Morgan snapped a 120-race winless streak in taking the Pro Stock title, beating Mooresville’s Greg Anderson, Jonathan Gray and Vincent Nobile in the final. Morgan crossed in 6.464 seconds for his 11th career title, edging Anderson by 0.011 seconds (6.475 seconds).

Hines won his second straight Four-Wide Pro Stock Motorcycle title, his fourth at zMax Dragway and the 26th of his career, beating teammate Eddie Krawiec, Hector Arana Jr. and Scotty Pollacheck in the final. Hines crossed in 6.805 seconds, beating Krawiec by 0.007 seconds (6.812 seconds).

Other winners: Winning in the Four-Wide Nationals’ sportsman division races Sunday were Mia Tedesco of Murrysville, Pa., (top alcohol dragster), Sweden’s Jonnie Lindberg (top alcohol Funny Car), David Rampy of Piedmont, Ala., (super stock), Joel Warren of Clinton (stock eliminator), Puerto Rico’s Andre Nunez (super comp), Jim Perry of Niota, Tenn., (super gas), and Lynn Ellison of Central City, Ky. (top dragster).

This story was originally published March 29, 2015 at 9:03 PM with the headline "Experience pays off for Schumacher Racing at Four-Wide Nationals."