TRIBUTE : DON SCHUMACHER
father , business owner . This man wore the hat for whatever he needed to be in the moment . I ’ m a better man for having known him . The sport was built on the backs of these men . We owe a great debt to the paths they paved .”
“ To arguably the greatest mover , shaker , and competitor our world had ever seen ,” started Leah Pruett , who competed in Top Fuel with DSR for several years while also winning the 2018 Factory Stock Showdown championship with the team . “ Thank you , Don , for so many racing opportunities , a world championship , and mentorship along the way . Godspeed .”
“ I ’ m so thankful that Don took a chance on me and believed in me ,” said Antron Brown , who rode one of DSR ’ s U . S . Army Pro Stock Motorcycles in the early 2000s , then returned to the team after moving to Top Fuel , where he raced for DSR until he launched his own team in 2022 . “ I wouldn ’ t be where I am today without all his support . He had such an incredible impact on our sport and for that I ’ ll be forever grateful .”
Former Pro Stock standout Mark Pawuk , who returned to NHRA competition in 2018 to join DSR ’ s Factory Stock Showdown program , was a longtime friend of Schumacher before the two raced together .
“ I lost a true friend this past week ,” Pawuk said .
“ Don was a big part of our family and we ’ ve been friends for almost two decades . He brought me back to the sport I love so much in 2018 and gave me an opportunity to win another Wally . We had many great times together , whether it was spending holidays with our families or going on trips , playing golf , or socializing . There will always be a void in our hearts , an empty spot on the starting line , and a missing member in our foursome for one of my best friends .”
Brett Underwood , the VP of sales and chief development officer at Drag Illustrated , counted Schumacher as one of his best friends for many years . Both avid fishermen and golfers , the two played countless rounds of golf together and enjoyed numerous fishing trips with a tightknit
Schumacher with Mark Pawuk , Joe Amato and Kenny Bernstein
group of friends .
“ Our sport lost a great man . I lost a great friend ,” Underwood said . “ Rest in peace , old friend . I will miss you .”
Richard Shute , whose Auto Imagery photography business supplied DSR with thousands of images over the years , noted the impact Schumacher had on businesses other than fellow race teams .
“ I am at a loss for words . Truly a good friend and mentor has passed . I ’ ve known Don for over 50 years ,” Shute said . “ He could appear gruff and he could be gruff . He demanded from those
around him to put in the same effort as he would . I ’ ve always respected him as a businessman and I enjoyed his friendship . He always gave 100 %. I was blessed with the fact that he entrusted me with providing the images of his DSR empire for over 20 years . I both feared and admired him . R . I . P . Don Schumacher .”
Tom Patsis , who was a Pro Stock Motorcycle crew member and later fabricator at DSR before launching Cold Hard Art , also shared how Schumacher played a role in his business . Patsis sourced materials for his unique artwork , fabricated out of expired racing components , from the scrap bins at DSR . He ’ s created numerous pieces to be auctioned off at the annual DSR open house benefiting Riley Hospital for Children .
“ Hearing of the passing of Don Schumacher is tough to take on multiple levels ,” Patsis said . “ The loss of him to his family is very sad . The loss of him to drag racing will definitely have an impact on all the people who have worked at DSR at some point . Even to us , simply Cold Hard Art wouldn ’ t exist . Working at DSR for 11 years ( more than 25 % of my life ) definitely impacted my family ’ s life even today . One of the proud highlights of my art career was when I got the word I would get to make a Lifetime Achievement Award for Don from NHRA in 2022 .”
Marc Gewertz , a photographer who has captured incredible drag racing images for years and provided some of the images accompanying this tribute , also spoke to Schumacher ’ s legacy .
“ Don Schumacher drove the famous ‘ Stardust ’ and ‘ Wonder Wagon ’ Funny Cars in the ‘ 60s and ‘ 70s , but it ’ s what he did after his driving career that ’ s most impressive ,” Gewertz began . “ Schumacher became a team owner who helped make the sport safer , brought in new sponsors , and created a super-team of drivers that went on to win 367 national events and 19 NHRA world championships . Simply amazing .”
In 2022 , Schumacher sat down with Drag Illustrated Founder and Editorial Director Wes Buck for an in-depth interview about his evolving role in the sport . The interview touched on his impact and legacy , allowing Schumacher to candidly reflect on his time in the sport .
“ I ’ ve been blessed with being able to surround myself with great people that have done a great job for me ,” Schumacher said . “ That means every crew chief , every driver , every crew person , every management person , all my hospitality staff – all of that has been a very rewarding situation for me . Forget about the championships and the many race wins that I ’ ve had out there . Those are all overwhelming numbers . I never imagined that I would win Indy in 1970 , no less the amount of NHRA national meets that I ’ ve won .
“ It ’ s been an unbelievable blessing ,” Schumacher continued . “ I have no idea how it really happened . I put my head down , I worked hard , surrounded myself with great people , they did great things for me and the company , and I ’ ve been blessed .”
In lieu of flowers , the Schumacher family suggests making a donation to MD Anderson Cancer Center . DI
58 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 186