Tony Schumacher

Through most of the last decade, Tony Schumacher ruled the world of top-fuel drag racing. He won a record six consecutive titles from 2004 through 2009, giving him seven overall. And he was runner-up to Larry Dixon last year. So it's more than a little surprising that he came into the season-ending Auto Club National Hot Rod Assn. Finals at Pomona playing the role of a spoiler. Even more surprisingly, he went through all 21 of the NHRA Full Throttle Series events before this one without a victory, despite making it to six elimination-round finals.

Tony Schumacher ruled the world of top-fuel drag racing for six years. He was known as "The Sarge" not only for his U.S. Army sponsorship but because, in his father's words, "he looks like a soldier" with his crew cut and ramrod-straight posture. Schumacher was on top, setting every major record in the sport's fastest and most elite division. The records included six consecutive top-fuel championships from 2004 through 2009, giving him a record seven overall, and most career top-fuel wins with 67. Then came 2011 and . . . nothing.

Tony Schumacher ruled the world of top-fuel drag racing for six years. He was known as "The Sarge" not only for his U.S. Army sponsorship but because, in his father's words, "he looks like a soldier" with his crew cut and ramrod-straight posture. Schumacher was on top, setting every major record in the sport's fastest and most elite division. The records included six consecutive top-fuel championships from 2004 through 2009, giving him a record seven overall, and most career top-fuel wins with 67. Then came 2011 and . . . nothing.

Del Worsham can now call this a dream season, as he wrapped up the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series top-fuel national championship in dramatic fashion at the National Hot Rod Assn. Finals in Pomona. After establishing himself as a solid favorite during the final day of qualifying on Saturday, Worsham had said, "If it is really going to be a dream season, we need to finish it off like we want to. " On Sunday, it was mission accomplished once he defeated his closest rival, Spencer Massey, in the third of four elimination-round runs on a picture-perfect day at Auto Club Raceway.

Drag racer Larry Dixon and his crew chief Alan Johnson will arrive in Pomona this weekend in much better spirits than when they left in February. Dixon is only one point behind reigning champion Tony Schumacher as the National Hot Rod Assn.'s premier Full Throttle Series closes its season at Auto Club Raceway, with Dixon trying to snap Schumacher's remarkable streak of five consecutive titles. The series also had opened its season in Pomona in February, when Dixon - a two-time champion from Van Nuys - and Johnson started with a whimper by failing to even qualify for the event's final eliminations.

Tony Schumacher qualified only ninth in the opening round for top-fuel drivers Thursday in the Auto Club NHRA Finals at the Pomona Fairplex, but it was a long step toward clinching his first Winston Drag Racing series championship. All Schumacher needs to win the $200,000 champion's bonus is to qualify for the 16-car field, and his run of 4.712 seconds at 300.13 mph all but assures him of a spot in Sunday's eliminations.

Sebastian Vettel won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and Mark Webber hung on for second to give Red Bull a one-two finish in the final Formula One race of the season. Brawn GP driver Jenson Button, who had already wrapped up the drivers' championship, was third after pushing Webber to the line. Rubens Barrichello and BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld rounded out the top five at the new Yas Marina circuit. Toyota driver Kamui Kobayashi, filling in for the injured Timo Glock, was sixth and earned his first Formula One points, finishing ahead of teammate Jarno Trulli and Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi.

Ferrari's decision last season to give up on the title chase and begin looking ahead paid off when Fernando Alonso led the Italian team to a one-two finish at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir on Sunday. The two-time world champion from Spain passed teammate Felipe Massa at the second corner after the start, then overtook pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel on the 34th lap for the lead, which he never relinquished. After two frustrating years with Renault, Alonso pounded his chest after jumping on top of his car as Ferrari got off to its best start since 2004, when Michael Schumacher led a 1-2 start.

Tony Schumacher is afraid of heights. So afraid that when he agreed a few years ago to go skydiving with the U.S. Army's elite Golden Knights, an arrangement made through his sponsor, the instructor used deception to get him out of the plane. "He grabs me and says we're going on three," the drag racer recalled. "And then he says, 'One, two ... ' and we're out of the gate on two. We never got to three."

In a sport that measures wins and losses in fractions of seconds, Tony Schumacher displayed a massive power surge in his top-fuel dragster Friday with a 327.03-mph run during qualifying for the 35th Auto Club NHRA Finals at the Pomona Fairplex. His speed is the fourth fastest in drag racing history--Schumacher also had the three faster runs--and virtually assured the Park Ridge (Ill.) driver of his first Winston Drag Racing championship when the season ends Sunday.

Through most of the last decade, Tony Schumacher ruled the world of top-fuel drag racing. He won a record six consecutive titles from 2004 through 2009, giving him seven overall. And he was runner-up to Larry Dixon last year. So it's more than a little surprising that he came into the season-ending Auto Club National Hot Rod Assn. Finals at Pomona playing the role of a spoiler. Even more surprisingly, he went through all 21 of the NHRA Full Throttle Series events before this one without a victory, despite making it to six elimination-round finals.

Ferrari's decision last season to give up on the title chase and begin looking ahead paid off when Fernando Alonso led the Italian team to a one-two finish at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir on Sunday. The two-time world champion from Spain passed teammate Felipe Massa at the second corner after the start, then overtook pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel on the 34th lap for the lead, which he never relinquished. After two frustrating years with Renault, Alonso pounded his chest after jumping on top of his car as Ferrari got off to its best start since 2004, when Michael Schumacher led a 1-2 start.

Even after winning an unprecedented six consecutive NHRA top-fuel championships, Tony Schumacher still is driving scared -- much to his rivals' chagrin. "I'm afraid to lose right now," he said Friday. "[My title streak is] going to end at some point, I just don't want it to end this year." This year starts this weekend with the 50th Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, the season opener for the National Hot Rod Assn.'s Full Throttle Series. The series' fastest class is top fuel -- dragsters that reach 320 mph -- and Schumacher, 40, is top fuel's preeminent driver and reigning champion.

They had colorful nicknames like "The Mongoose" and "The Snake," initially raced mostly for glory in light of skimpy prize money and became legends as professional drag racing's popularity expanded nationwide. As the National Hot Rod Assn. holds the 50th anniversary of the Winternationals this week, here's a look at some of drag racing's most notable drivers over the decades in the premier top-fuel and funny car classes, some of whom will appear to help celebrate this year's Winternationals in Pomona: 1960s "Big Daddy" Don Garlits In the Winternationals' first 10 years, and for decades after that, Garlits was the driver even casual fans knew as being synonymous with drag racing.

Drag racer Larry Dixon and his crew chief Alan Johnson will arrive in Pomona this weekend in much better spirits than when they left in February. Dixon is only one point behind reigning champion Tony Schumacher as the National Hot Rod Assn.'s premier Full Throttle Series closes its season at Auto Club Raceway, with Dixon trying to snap Schumacher's remarkable streak of five consecutive titles. The series also had opened its season in Pomona in February, when Dixon - a two-time champion from Van Nuys - and Johnson started with a whimper by failing to even qualify for the event's final eliminations.

Sebastian Vettel won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and Mark Webber hung on for second to give Red Bull a one-two finish in the final Formula One race of the season. Brawn GP driver Jenson Button, who had already wrapped up the drivers' championship, was third after pushing Webber to the line. Rubens Barrichello and BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld rounded out the top five at the new Yas Marina circuit. Toyota driver Kamui Kobayashi, filling in for the injured Timo Glock, was sixth and earned his first Formula One points, finishing ahead of teammate Jarno Trulli and Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi.

If top-fuel driver Tony Schumacher doesn't win the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series championship this weekend, the world will not end. But if he does, the world will be his. He will have completed the National Hot Rod Assn.'s greatest comeback. He will have won his fourth title overall, and his third in succession, matching Joe Amato as the only men to three-peat in closed-course racing's fastest class.

Top-fuel driver Tony Schumacher guaranteed that he would break his own elapsed time record and win the National Hot Rod Assn.'s final event, the 42nd Auto Club Nationals. And then he did it. Schumacher reeled off a record pass of 4.428 seconds at Pomona Raceway on Sunday, with a speed of 327.98 mph, to win his fourth championship and complete the greatest comeback in NHRA history. It was Schumacher's third title in a row, matching Joe Amato, and his 35th career victory, tying Don Garlits.

As drag racing picks up where it left off last year, in Pomona, the focus is on some key personnel changes in the National Hot Rod Assn.'s fastest class -- top fuel. The NHRA's premier level -- which includes the top fuel, funny car, pro stock and pro motorcycle divisions -- is now called the Full Throttle Series after the energy drink's parent, Coca-Cola, switched its drag racing sponsorship from its Powerade drink.

Top-fuel driver Tony Schumacher guaranteed that he would break his own elapsed time record and win the National Hot Rod Assn.'s final event, the 42nd Auto Club Nationals. And then he did it. Schumacher reeled off a record pass of 4.428 seconds at Pomona Raceway on Sunday, with a speed of 327.98 mph, to win his fourth championship and complete the greatest comeback in NHRA history. It was Schumacher's third title in a row, matching Joe Amato, and his 35th career victory, tying Don Garlits.