SCHUMACHER'S NASCAR ASPIRATIONS?
Sun, 2007-04-15 16:17
Tony Schumacher, winner of
the past three POWERade Series Top Fuel
championships, showed Friday that he can also turn
left. The Chicago resident spent the down time
during Friday's qualifying by making laps at Las
Vegas Motor Speedway
at the Richard Petty Experience. The veteran Top
Fuel driver said he has no plans to switch fulltime to oval racing, but that he will compete in two NASCAR
Grand National West Series events for famed Bill
McAnally Racing.
"I just want to learn," Schumacher said. "It's just so different. I've run Formula Fords at Skip Barber's school. But it so different. Every word, everything you do is the opposite of what we do. Tony Schumacher, winner of the past three POWERade Series Top Fuel championships, showed Friday that he can also turn left. The Chicago resident spent the down time during Friday's qualifying by making laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the Richard Petty Experience. The veteran Top Fuel driver said he has no plans to switch fulltime to oval racing, but that he will compete in two NASCAR Grand National West Series events for famed Bill McAnally Racing.
"I just want to learn," Schumacher said. "It's just so different. I've run Formula Fords at Skip Barber's school. But it so different. Every word, everything you do is the opposite of what we do.
"I'll give you one example. I pulled in the pit and (the instructor) told me, 'you have a left tire going down. I want you to pull in the pit and line up with me." It doesn't get any clearer than that. I pulled in and the guy keeps moving towards the wall, so I just keep moving with him, because I used to lining up the nose of my car with him. Then he jumps over the wall. Then it hit me; he meant the side of the car.
"It's just a whole different thing. I told them, 'Guys, I go 330 mph and I'm good at doing that. Well, I can drive a stock car, going 180 mph. But what my mind is used to doing, and what this car is capable of doing, are two different things. I told them, 'Just teach me.' But believe it or not, learning to drive in that car, will make me better driving (in Top Fuel)."
"I just want to learn," Schumacher said. "It's just so different. I've run Formula Fords at Skip Barber's school. But it so different. Every word, everything you do is the opposite of what we do. Tony Schumacher, winner of the past three POWERade Series Top Fuel championships, showed Friday that he can also turn left. The Chicago resident spent the down time during Friday's qualifying by making laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the Richard Petty Experience. The veteran Top Fuel driver said he has no plans to switch fulltime to oval racing, but that he will compete in two NASCAR Grand National West Series events for famed Bill McAnally Racing.
"I just want to learn," Schumacher said. "It's just so different. I've run Formula Fords at Skip Barber's school. But it so different. Every word, everything you do is the opposite of what we do.
"I'll give you one example. I pulled in the pit and (the instructor) told me, 'you have a left tire going down. I want you to pull in the pit and line up with me." It doesn't get any clearer than that. I pulled in and the guy keeps moving towards the wall, so I just keep moving with him, because I used to lining up the nose of my car with him. Then he jumps over the wall. Then it hit me; he meant the side of the car.
"It's just a whole different thing. I told them, 'Guys, I go 330 mph and I'm good at doing that. Well, I can drive a stock car, going 180 mph. But what my mind is used to doing, and what this car is capable of doing, are two different things. I told them, 'Just teach me.' But believe it or not, learning to drive in that car, will make me better driving (in Top Fuel)."
Categories:
