Tony Schumacher talks about breaking Joe Amato's record of 52 NHRA Top Fuel wins after his 53rd victory earlier this season. Photo by Brandon W. Mudd.This had to happen for the award to maintain any semblance of respectability. Sarge was, hands down, the most dominant driver in motorsports in 2008. Granted, this was an impressive year for drivers with Jimmie Johnson earning his third-consecutive Cup Series title, Carl Edwards finishing runner-up in two different series, and Lewis Hamilton becoming the youngest-ever F1 champion.
The fact is, though, Schumacher made a complete mockery of the NHRA Top Fuel class this year as he earned his fifth-consecutive title and sixth overall with 15 wins and a stretch of 31 consecutive round wins. Had Kyle Busch won the Cup Series title, I think there would be a good argument for his earning this honor, but after his implosion in the Chase, Schumacher was the only candidate worth considering.
Johnson's titles are impressive, but his season, overall, didn't really stand out and Edwards was considered primarily for his winning nine Cup Series races, the most of any driver in 2008. But fresh in my mind still is the 2003 award that was given to Ryan Newman because he won eight races...but finished eighth in the overall points with several DNFs. What made that award really stand out in the fact it was awarded to the wrong driver was that 2003 was the year J.J. Yeley earned the USAC Triple Crown, becoming only the second driver to ever do so, behind Tony Stewart.
This year, the voters for the award got it right, naming Shoe as only the third-ever NHRA racer to receive it (Greg Anderson-2004, John Force-1996). It will be interesting to see if the U.S. Army team will see the same success next year without tuner Alan Johnson, but for now, let's let Tony enjoy the fruits of an historic season and let next year take care of itself.
