NHRA star Tony Schumacher returns for limited schedule with Rick Ware Racing’s Top Fuel team: I can’t wait to get behind the wheel

Eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher is returning to NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series in 2025 with Rick Ware Racing on a limited schedule. Schumacher is the winningest driver in Top Fuel racing history, with 88 victories under his belt. While the details of the number of events he will compete in remain undisclosed, he is treating the 2025 season as a preparation to return to the grid full-time in 2026.

In 2024, Tony Schumacher placed eighth in the Top Fuel points standings and won two events for JCM Racing at Bristol Dragway and World Wide Technology Raceway.

Rick Ware Racing has gone from being the underdogs when they joined the series in 2022 to serious title contenders in just two years. The inclusion of Schumacher has only strengthened their lineup for the upcoming season.

"This opportunity with Rick Ware Racing gets me back in a Top Fuel car where I can compete at a high level immediately. The passion and commitment Rick and his group have for racing is incredible, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel. A limited schedule this year allows us to prepare for 2026 and show people what we’re capable of," Tony Schumacher said (via NHRA).

Schumacher will join Rick Ware Racing alongside the team's full-time Top Fuel driver, Clay Millican. Millican has been with RWR since the team first joined the series in 2022 and has driven the team to all of its four victories so far.

"I’m really looking forward to teaming up with Clay. He’s an incredibly talented racer with a ton of experience, and having both of us under one roof is only going to make us stronger. We’ll be able to push each other, share data, and work together to make RWR better," Schumacher added.

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Rick Ware speaks about the impact of bringing Tony Schumacher into the team's lineup

NHRA: Tony Schumacher at the Thunder Valley Nationals - Source: Imagn

In the past, Rick Ware has credited Clay Millican for RWR's success in drag racing. He believes bringing Tony Schumacher into the fold means that the team now has two of the most successful drag racers in the lineup for 2025.

According to Ware, this move will only help the team build on the momentum it has generated since it joined the Drag Racing series.

"Tony Schumacher is a huge addition to RWR. Bringing a driver of his caliber into our race team strengthens our overall program. We now have two of the best NHRA drivers and sponsor ambassadors in the sport. With Clay and Tony working together, they can feed off each other’s strengths, provide detailed feedback, and collaborate on what they’re experiencing in the car, and that just elevates our entire operation," Ware said (via NHRA).

Having placed eighth in the championship last year, Schumacher was expected to compete in the Top Fuel All-Star Callout bonus event ahead of the season-opening event, the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. However, he withdrew from the event, promoting the ninth-placed driver, Tony Stewart, into the eighth and final spot for the All-Star Callout grid.

Tony Schumacher's schedule for the 2025 season with RWR is expected to be announced in the coming days.