PALM BEACH, Jan. 18, 2011:SCHUMACHER TESTS ENCLOSED CANOPY AT PBIR !
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Jupiter, Fla. (January 18, 2012) –

The look might be considerably different but to Tony Schumacher, the first of the Don Schumacher Racing capsule-quipped dragster product line is absolutely the “coolest” dragster he’s ever driven.

“I can tell you this [prototype] doesn’t belong on any other car to start with but the Army car for the first appearance,” explained Schumacher. “For all the awesome technology and data they [U.S. Army] have, this is a fitting car for the debut of this canopy.”

Schumacher has been a passenger in an F-16 fighter before but experienced the ride from the back seat. This time he is front and center in the experience.

“It’s just bad to the bone and when they close you up in there, you can hear the engine so much better,” said Schumacher. “It’s so much quieter that you can actually hear the engine in better detail, doing what it is supposed to do.”

The plan over the next few days will be to give Schumacher’s teammates Antron Brown and Spencer Massey seat time within the enclosed cockpit.

“We’re going to get a consensus from them and run it by the NHRA, two, three or seven times before we move forward and then we’ll get after it,” Schumacher said. “We just want to make sure it all works. We’ve never seen how it works in a crash. I know I don’t want to be crash dummy.”

Schumacher certainly has enough experience with runs going awry in the past and not necessarily of his own doing.

“I’ve hit two birds, had [Gary] Scelzi crash next to me, Kenny Bernstein crash, dodged parts and pieces, and to me this thing appears bulletproof,” said Schumacher after an initial 3.80-second pass in the car. “We don’t know for sure because we haven’t had anybody shoot at it yet. It’s pretty stout. You get in there and you feel the difference.”

Aside from the crash-testing or chasing down an errant bird, one of the major keys as to whether the design will work will come when the team makes test runs tonight.

“We really don’t know how the vision will be or how to deal with the canopy fogging up,” explained Schumacher.  

Schumacher said the team is currently working on preventative measures to ensure visibility will always remain at an optimum.

Schumacher remains grateful that his father Don never gave up on the project of building a safer cockpit when faced with the controversy of the previous phase of the movement in shrouding the drivers. The NHRA first approved the shroud design and then disallowed it amidst allegations it offered an aerodynamic advantage. The NHRA later rescinded its decision in allowing a modified version.

The enclosed cockpit was the next phase of the project.

“When you’re in it, you feel safer unless you’re claustrophobic,” explained Schumacher. “I am glad he never gave up on this project. He’s not a quitter. He may change his mind, but he doesn’t give up.

The elder Schumacher, after watching the car make its initial test runs, is glad he kept working towards the safer cockpit amidst discouragement.

“I guess that’s just the kind of person I am,” Don Schumacher said. “You have to remain dedicated to the safety stuff which will take the sport to the next level.”

And, according to Don Schumacher, Funny Car will be his next conquest. -Credit to Competition Plus.com

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About Palm Beach International Raceway:
Palm Beach International Raceway, formerly Moroso Motorsports Park, was purchased by a group of real estate and corporate investors. The newly re-branded and re-designed state-of-the-art venue is rapidly becoming one of the most popular raceways in the country for racers and spectators alike. As a leader in its operating form and function, PBIR seeks to provide its drivers with a higher level of challenge, excellence and opportunity. PBIR boasts three completely refurbished, exceptionally designed tracks, including a high-performance road course, an all-concrete drag strip and a 7/10’s mile karting track and new karting center. The technologically superior two-mile road course features some of the fastest and most challenging corners and straight-aways offered by any track in North America. PBIR is currently sanctioned by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and is pending certification by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the governing body for many major racing events. For more information on PBIR, please visit the venue’s website at www.RacePBIR.com.