TRIBUTE
Don Schumacher 1944 – 2023
By Alli McCormick and Nate Van Wagnen
Don Schumacher , one of the most iconic drivers and team owners in the history of the NHRA , passed away on December 20 , 2023 . Schumacher had spent the past several months privately battling lung cancer before succumbing to illness-related complications at age 79 .
Schumacher leaves a lasting legacy on not only the NHRA community , where he etched his name as one of the sport ’ s most successful team owners and a champion for the advancement of safety innovation , but on the motorsports community as a whole . Schumacher ’ s contributions to the auto racing industry reach far beyond drag racing and have been widely recognized .
In November 2022 , Schumacher was honored at the NHRA Awards Ceremony , where he was presented with the NHRA ’ s Lifetime Achievement Award . In 2019 , he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Daytona Beach , Florida , and in May 2013 , he was enshrined into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega , Alabama . He also joined a prestigious list of straight-line racing legends when he was invited into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2007 .
A fierce Funny Car match racer in the 1960s and ‘ 70s who fielded multiple entries with topnotch drivers to fulfill the demand for bookings of his “ Stardust ” Funny Cars , Schumacher took a departure from motorsports in the early ‘ 70s to grow the family business , Schumacher Electric . While operating Schumacher Electric , he grew the business into a global corporation . Schumacher increased the company value more than ten-fold and employed thousands of people around the globe . He was known as a fierce and compassionate leader to all who worked with him .
In 1998 , he returned to NHRA Drag Racing to build a team with son Tony Schumacher . Don
Schumacher Racing ( DSR ) made its competition debut at the 1998 U . S . Nationals in Indianapolis , and by the time the 1999 season had wrapped , DSR had clinched its first of many championship titles . Soon after , the single-car team exploded into a multi-car powerhouse .
As the patriarch of DSR , Schumacher was a force to be reckoned with . More than 25 drivers have raced for the legendary team owner . He created champions , introduced new personalities to the sport , and was responsible for the resurgence
Tom Patsis of Cold Hard Art with Schumacher
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK J . REBILAS , MARC GEWERTZ , AND DI ARCHIVES
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