Harry Schmidt, whose iconic “Blue Max” Ford Mustangs were among the most popular Funny Cars in drag racing history, lost his personal battle with prostate cancer a year-and-a-half ago, but his memory and his legacy live on through the Harry M. Schmidt Foundation
 
Created by his family and friends as a means of providing financial assistance to other men battling prostate cancer, the foundation will conduct a launch event for its fundraising effort this Thursday at the Dallas Arboretum with NBC 5 on-air personality Scott Murray serving as emcee.
 
Seven-time NHRA World Champion Top Fuel dragster driver Tony Schumacher will be a special guest in advance of his competitive appearance Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the 28th annual AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex.

 
Harry Schmidt, whose iconic “Blue Max” Ford Mustangs were among the most popular Funny Cars in drag racing history, lost his personal battle with prostate cancer a year-and-a-half ago, but his memory and his legacy live on through the Harry M. Schmidt Foundation
 
Created by his family and friends as a means of providing financial assistance to other men battling prostate cancer, the foundation will conduct a launch event for its fundraising effort this Thursday at the Dallas Arboretum with NBC 5 on-air personality Scott Murray serving as emcee.
 
Seven-time NHRA World Champion Top Fuel dragster driver Tony Schumacher will be a special guest in advance of his competitive appearance Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the 28th annual AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex.
 
Also attending will be native Texan Raymond Beadle, a member of the foundation’s Advisory Board, who won three NHRA Funny Car World championships as owner and driver of the Blue Max after Schmidt retired to pursue his other interests.  A replica of one of the “Blue Max” race cars also will be on display.
 
Information on attending the invitation-only event and supporting the cause is available at info@HarryMSchmidtFoundation.org.  All of the money raised by the foundation goes to applicants who otherwise would be unable to afford treatment.
 
In addition to Beadle, one of the other Advisory Board members is producer Ken Kragen whose professional clients have included Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, Trisha Yearwood, Olivia Newton-John, The Bee Gees, Burt Reynolds and the Smothers Brothers, among others.
 
Schmidt, a talented crew chief and mechanic who worked with some of the early Funny Car legends including “Big Mike” Burkhardt, commissioned a car of his own in 1969 and ultimately christened it the “Blue Max” after seeing a movie of the same name starring George Peppard.
 
The “Blue Max” actually was the colloquial name applied to the Pour le Merite, Germany’s highest military honor from the days of the Prussian Empire through 1918 and World War 1.  The medal itself, which was reproduced on the sides of all subsequent “Blue Max” race cars, consisted of a blue enamel Maltese Cross with eagles between the arms.

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