Tony Schumacher, driver of the ARMY Top Fuel dragster, shrugged saying, “I got nothing.”

Nothing but the No. 1 starting position for the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Int'l Raceway. Schumacher's 3.818 second, 317.05 mile per hour pass lifted him past Doug Kalitta, who couldn't improve on his 3.825 second pass on Friday.

“We missed by a mile,” Schumacher said when asked about his run. “And, everybody did. I was talking to Mike (Green). We were just dead soft. And, you get out of the car and say, 'man, number one qualifier with a run so far off' it just goes to show you we're all missing it.

Tony Schumacher, driver of the ARMY Top Fuel dragster, shrugged saying, “I got nothing.”

Nothing but the No. 1 starting position for the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Int'l Raceway. Schumacher's 3.818 second, 317.05 mile per hour pass lifted him past Doug Kalitta, who couldn't improve on his 3.825 second pass on Friday.

“We missed by a mile,” Schumacher said when asked about his run. “And, everybody did. I was talking to Mike (Green). We were just dead soft. And, you get out of the car and say, 'man, number one qualifier with a run so far off' it just goes to show you we're all missing it.

“This track is better than you're giving them credit for,” Schumacher added. “When you really think about it, there are only a couple cars that have run quicker than that. To me that is one of those runs we should have gone out there and try to run a 75.”

Timing prevented Schumacher from making a run at the 75. The team went with what they had and was happy.

“The fact that Mike knew when we ran that he were off is good to know,” said Schumacher. “It wasn't like you go back, look at the computer and said 'we missed it' we knew we were dead soft before the car ever got started. We just didn't have the time to change it.”

The effort was the 59th No. 1 qualifying spot for Schumacher, who shies away from counting numbers. “I don't think if you look back in history of the sport on how maybe won from the number one spot, it's not that big. No. 1 is not what gets me. It's about showing up tomorrow and racing.”

Schumacher will show up tomorrow, ready to win for himself and every member of the United States Army because in the big picture, winning the war is the final mission.