Happy, busy holiday for DSR Don Schumacher Racing heads into the holidays with many happy memories of a banner year that is topped by the improving health of team owner Don Schumacher. Certainly on Santa’s good list are the NHRA world championships won by the U.S. Army Top Fuel and Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Funny Car teams. The jolly old man (Santa not Don) had to revise his list after the Mopar/Rocky team with driver Matt Hagan and crew chief Dickie Venables recorded the quickest Funny Car run ever on Dec. 8 while testing at Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida. Hagan’s previous best run of 3.986 seconds and 322.27 mph was obliterated when his Dodge completed the last run of 2014 in 3.954 seconds at a blazing 323.97 mph. Another on-track, off-season accomplishment was produced by Tommy Johnson Jr. when he won a Nostalgia Funny Car title two weeks ago at Sydney Dragway in Australia. That was off the best NHRA season of his career when he won an event title and finished third in DSR’s Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T with crew chief and fellow Ottumwa, Iowa, native John Collins. But it was Tony, Matt and their teams whose December calendars were altered by winning NHRA Mello Yello championships. For Matt, he was grand marshal for a Christmas parade in Pulaski, Va., on Dec. 4 near his home in Christiansburg. He got to ride in a dump truck that pulled his championship Dodge. Next up for Matt is hosting an open-to-the public party at Matt Hagan Outdoors in Radford, Va., from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday (Dec. 19). Tony made the arduous trek from his new home in Austin, Texas, to New York City on Dec. 9 to appear early the next morning on the Fox Network’s Fox & Friends morning show. Tony and his U.S. Army dragster starred in the 2-minute, 40-second segment. He then had to contend with weather-related flight delays on the way home. The last official functions of the year for DSR were the annual bowling event to benefit Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health on Dec. 10 and the DSR employee holiday party the following night in Downtown Indianapolis. We at “Shoe’s News” close by wishing all a happy and safe holiday season, and continued success in Don’s continued progress down the road to recovery from surgery. #ShoePower Staggering stats for DSR in 2014 DSR now owns 13 world championship trophies and 240 NHRA event titles, which is the most by any team in the sport. DSR finished the year with 21 event titles (14 in Top Fuel, 7 in Funny Car) DSR swept nitro titles at four events this year bringing its total to 41 double- ups The U.S. Army team won the Traxxas Nitro Shootout in Top Fuel during the U.S. Nationals In this year’s Countdown to the Championship six-race playoff, DSR’s U.S. Army and Mopar/Rocky teams each won three titles in their respective categories. In Top Fuel, DSR won five of the six titles with the Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher and Matco Tools teams also visiting the winner’s circle. Consider these statistics since the first Countdown playoff in 2007: DSR has won five of the eight Top Fuel championships with the U.S. Army team and driver Tony Schumacher winning it four times; In Funny Car, DSR has won three world titles and no team has won more in the past eight years and that includes DSR winning three of the last four championships including Matt Hagan winning this year and in 2011, and Jack Beckman winning in 2012; This year, DSR won five of six Countdown titles in Top Fuel and three in Funny Car; The Mopar/Rocky team’s record in elimination rounds was an astounding 18-3 and not far back was the U.S. Army team with a 15-3 mark. Tommy Johnson Jr. with the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T team finished third in points for T.J.’s best career finish since turning pro in 1989. Spencer Massey in the Red Fuel dragster shot up to second in points after winning the title at Las Vegas two weeks before Pomona and finished the year ranked third in Top Fuel. Antron Brown and the Matco Tools team led the Top Fuel category with six titles including five of the first 18 events. Ron Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team led by crew chief Rahn Tobler and assistant Eric Lane will remember a strong finish to 2014 that included a 4.005-second qualifying run at Pomona that earned the No. 3 seed. Their final ranking of eighth for the season is misleading because the team finished only 61 points out of third. Indy drag racing community strikes big for Riley Kids at DSR’s ‘This Is How We Roll: Bowling for Riley’ event The Indianapolis racing community opened their hearts and bowling bags on Wednesday night to raise $10,246 for Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health and Camp Riley at an annual event staged by Don Schumacher Racing with support from several of the area’s top professional drivers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Combined with $50,572 raised on Aug. 29 during the ninth annual DSR Open House, this year’s total contribution through DSR to Riley reaches $60,818 and more than $300,000 over the past 10 years. “This Is How We Roll” included 200 participants along with NHRA drivers Jack Beckman, Antron Brown, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Spencer Massey of DSR, who were joined by Shawn Langdon of Al-Anabi Racing, Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec of Vance & Hines Screamin’ Eagle Harley- It was a pressure free night of bowling for NHRA drivers, from left: Andrew Hines, Jack Beckman, Eddie Krawiec, Antron Davidson team and Leah Brown and Tommy Johnson Jr. Pritchett of Dote Family Racing. Bob Wildt of the NAPA Indianapolis Distribution Center is a major contributor to the event and was the night’s emcee. The honorary first rolls were by Riley Kids A.J. Stinger, Maeci Young and Riley Lesh. Major supporters of the event for Riley included Brownsburg NAPA & Machining, Carlyle Tools by NAPA, Sandvik Coromant, Jeg's, Hangsterfer's Laboratories Inc., Titanium Metal Supply, Performance Forged Inc., ARS Rescue Rooter, NitroSew, Specialty Insurance Group, Mahle Clevite and Freelance Graphics. Riley Kids, Maeci Young, A.J. Stinger and Riley Lesh with DSR senior vice The winning Lone’s Rangers team was awarded a president Mike Lewis. unique trophy created by DSR fabricator Tom Patsis (ColdHartArt.com) was presented to the foursome of Paul Dodson, Marsha Lone, Eric Stephens and Shaun Huddleson. To learn more about Riley Kids or to make a donation, visit: RileyKids.org Prock, Medlen join Beckman at DSR for 2015 Mello Yello season Jack Beckman will start the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season with an all- star cast leading his charge in a Don Schumacher Racing 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car. Joining Beckman is veteran crew chief Jimmy Prock, who will be joined by longtime friend and co-worker John Medlen, who is the team’s assistant. “I feel like Santa made an early stop and left three wonderful gifts under the tree,” Jack said. “It’s been a while since we started the season knowing we had funds for the entire season. “And to find out Jimmy Prock was coming on board. I never thought in my wildest dreams I would be driving for him one day. “Then the third gift was when Santa dropped John Medlen off. Jimmy Prock John and I have a very special history. I’ve emceed the Eric Medlen Nitro Night Charity dinner for Sonoma Raceway the last two years and have become very close to John and his family. “Having those two guys up in our crew chief’s lounge is just unbelievable. I feel when I go in there I’m going to want to ask for their autographs.” Prock won Funny Car championships at John Force Racing in 2009 and 2013, and Medlen won it in 2003 with driver Tony Pedregon at JFR. Jack and DSR’s other six teams will test Jan. 12-16 at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Fla., and compete that Friday and Saturday night in the fifth annual PRO Winter Warm-up. Driver Jack Beckman, left, and sponsors Karen and The 2015 NHRA Mello Yello season Rodger Comstock were honored for the Best Appearing opens Feb. 6-8 at Pomona, Calif. Car at the Finals with their Veterans Trust Dodge Charger R/T. Party scheduled on Dec. 19 in Radford to celebrate Virginia’s two- time NHRA Funny Car champ, cattle farmer Matt Hagan A special celebration is scheduled to celebrate NHRA Funny Car driver Matt Hagan’s second world championship. This Friday (Dec. 19) from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the public is invited to meet Matt, see the championship Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car and enjoy an open house at Matt Hagan Outdoors (7327 Peppers Ferry Blvd., Radford, Va.). “I’m really excited to have my friends, family and my hometown supporters out to celebrate what our Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots team accomplished this year,” Matt said. “The community gives me a lot of support and it will be nice to celebrate with them.” DSR certain to start 2015 with a new champion It isn’t often a champion is crowned in December but Don Schumacher Racing will have to find room for another trophy in the lobby at headquarters.