Don Schumacher, famed NHRA Drag Racing car owner, died after a lung cancer struggle.
Schumacher was 79 years old. His teams had won a total of 19 NHRA titles.
Don Schumacher, a famed NHRA team owner and one of drag racing’s most prominent characters, died on Wednesday as a result of complications from his secret fight with lung cancer. He was 79.
Schumacher started his career as a Funny Car match racer in the 1960s and 1970s, running many entries for prominent drivers as the owner of Stardust Funny Cars. Schumacher would subsequently abandon the competition to focus on expanding his company, Schumacher Electric, until rejoining the NHRA in 1998 with son Tony Schumacher.
Don Schumacher Racing won its first title in 1999, just one year after making its debut at the 1998 U.S. Nationals, and immediately established itself as one of the top drag racing programs ever. Schumacher’s teams have won 19 NHRA world championships and 367 Wally awards, five of which were gained with Schumacher at the wheel.
Schumacher is also recognized with pioneering various safety advancements for Funny Cars. During his driving career, Schumacher devised a roof-mounted escape hatch so that drivers could swiftly flee their car in the case of a fire. He also created a lever on his cars’ brake handles to engage a fire-suppression system so that a driver could use both while maintaining
Later, Schumacher spearheaded an effort to create a protected, enclosed canopy for Top Fuel dragsters.
Schumacher received several honors for his career and services to racing, including induction into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, the International racing Hall of Fame, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. In 2022, Schumacher received the NHRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Memorial plans for Don Schumacher, including a celebration of life ceremony, will be announced at a later date.
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