NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Tony Schumacher, the winningest driver in NHRA Top Fuel history, had some great seasons from 2006-2009, racking up 31 events wins in 94 races and collecting four straight NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel championships, but reigning Top Fuel champ and current points leader Steve Torrence is coming close to matching those numbers, according to new stats shared by Torrence’s Capco Contractors team.

According to the numbers, Torrence is halfway through a season in which he is on pace to eclipse Schumacher’s records. He'll have to win four more times in the next 11 events to exceed Schumacher's pace. 

During his best four years, Schumacher won 21 more races than any other Top Fuel driver. During his current run, Torrence has won 16 more races than anyone else. And while Torrence may have a better winning percentage, Schumacher is still the far-and-away leader in performance numbers such as No. 1 qualifying berths and low e.t.s

Schumacher won a Top Fuel record seven straight races and followed with a string of five straight.  Torrence won six straight tour events while sweeping last year’s Countdown and, but for a broken crankshaft in the final round at Bristol, Tenn., likely would be racing next week for his eighth straight “Wally” instead of just his second. 

Last year, when he won 11 times, Torrence was perfect in final rounds, a performance that earned him a nomination for a “Best Driver” ESPY this year along with Lewis Hamilton from Formula 1, Scott Dixon from Indy Car racing and Kyle Busch from NASCAR. Schumacher enjoyed the same recognition three times during the era in which he set the Top Fuel record for races won in a single season with 15 (2008).

Schumacher was 36 when he started his four-year run and 39 when it ended
Schumacher went to the final round every 2.41 races from 2006-2009
Schumacher won every 3.0 races from 2006-2009

Torrence was 33 when he finished third in 2016. He now is 36.
Torrence has gone to the final round every 2.18 races from 2016 to the present
Torrence has won every 2.96 races from 2016 to the present