What is Tony Schumacher’s Net Worth?
Tony Schumacher is an American drag racer who has a net worth of $100 million. Tony Schumacher is an eight-time NHRA Champion. He began his racing career in the mid-2000s after growing up around racing. He is the son of the late Don Schumacher, an NHRA legend and businessman who grew battery charger company Schumacher Electric into a global empire. He holds the world record for the fastest ¼ mile top fuel run. His intense personality and buzzcut have earned him the nickname “Sarge” in the world of drag racing.
Early Life
Tony Schumacher was born on December 25, 1969 to Susann and Don Schumacher. His father was a famed drag racer and NHRA champion himself so Schumacher grew up around racing. Both of his parents supported him in his desire to also become a professional racer. He did not have any siblings growing up, but later gained siblings through his father’s remarriage following the death of his mother in 2003.
He attended Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Illinois. He later enrolled at St. John’s Military Academy and then went to Oakton Community College before devoting himself to his career in racing.
(Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images)
Career
Schumacher began racing in 1996 in the NHRA Top Fuel Class. The very first race he qualified for was at the MAC Tools U.S. Nationals. Tragedy struck during his first race as fellow racer Blaine Johnson was killed in an accident. Schumacher would have raced Blaine the following day. In order to honor Blaine’s life, Schumacher idled down the track rather than making a full pass in an emotion-filled moment witnessed by all in attendance. He made it all the way to the finals that year before losing to his teammate, Cory McClenethan.
From 1996 to 1997, he raced for Peek Brothers racing before ultimately deciding to join his father’s team. In 1999, he became the first driver to exceed 330 mph in competition. Early on in his career, he landed a sponsorship for several years from the U.S. Army and also earned the nickname “The Sarge” given his buzz-style haircut and his intense personality.
Schumacher improved steadily over the years. In 2004, he won his first NHRA Top Fuel championship. In 2005, he set the world record for fastest ¼ mile top fuel run which he earned at Brainerd, Minnesota. In 2006, Schumacher was in close contention with racer Doug Kalitta, with Kalitta qualifying as number one and Schumacher number two. Schumacher ultimately won his races and set a new Top Fuel national record, winning the final race and the championship.
In 2007, he experienced another championship season though initially he struggled with losing in the first round of races, as he had 12 first round losses that year. In the final race of the season, Schumacher was in fourth place and managed to win all the necessary races to secure the championship win by 19 points.
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In 2008, he had the most dominant season in Top Fuel ever. He won 15 events, seven in a row, and visited 18 final rounds. He won at least one round at every race that year. He passed Joe Amato for most championships with six and most race wins, with 53 wins in total. At the end of the 2008 season, he parted ways with longtime crew chief, Alan Johnson. Many fans thought Schumacher would struggle to experience the same level of success he had had in previous years without Johnson. However, this proved to be incorrect as Schumacher continued winning many races. The same year, he also worked with racers John Force and Kenny Bernstein to help develop a sensor that detected engine backfire to help reduce driver deaths.
In 2009, Schumacher again had a successful season. He was in contention for the championship when he entered the last race of the season at Pomona, California. He was tied for first place with his longtime rival, Larry Dixon. Throughout many of the qualifying rounds, Dixon was leading by one or two points, though by the end of qualifying, Schumacher was leading by two points. Ultimately, both Dixon and Schumacher advanced to the semifinals before Dixon was defeated by Spencer Massey. Schumacher then went on the win the Top Fuel championship. This marked the sixth consecutive time he won the NHRA Top Fuel championship.
In 2010, he was not so lucky. Though he was in contention all year, he would not win the championship over Larry Dixon. The Schumacher team as a whole finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the Top Fuel rankings. Since then, Schumacher has won two more NHRA Top Fuel championships, making him one of the most dominant racers in the sport in history.
Personal Life
Schumacher married his wife, Summer, in Austin, Texas in 2021. He has three children and resides with his family in Texas.
Schumacher’s mother, Susann, passed away in 2003. His father remarried to a woman named Sarah, by which Schumacher gained two half-siblings – Tara and Samantha – and a stepsister named Megan. His father passed away in 2023.
