Don Schumacher, the successful NHRA team owner and drag-racing pioneer, has passed away at 79 after privately battling lung cancer.
NHRA.com revealed his death Thursday, saying the Motor Sports Hall of Famer succumbed to ‘to illness-related complications.’
Born in Michigan and raised in Chicago, Schumacher went on to become a drag racer and helped found the Funny Car class, winning approximately 70 percent of the 560 matches in which he raced, according to the Hall of Fame.
But it’s as a car owner, that he may be best remembered, having amassed 19 NHRA world championships and 362 Wally trophies in addition to the five he won driving a Funny Car.
Although his was one of the most decorated careers in NHRA history, Schumacher took a break from the sport in early 1970s to build his family’s electric company, which he developed into a global corporation.
Don Schumacher (left), the NHRA team owner and drag-racing pioneer, has passed away at 79
Don Schumacher, in his Stardust Plymouth Cuda, grabbed the Funny Car title in 1973
Don Schumacher’s Star Dust Barracuda funny car is pictured at the 1969 Winternationals
When he returned in 1998 as a car owner, it was his son Tony who became the family’s most celebrated driver, winning 86 events.
Schumacher will also be known for his safety innovations, such as a roof-mounted escape hatch allowing drivers to avoid being burned in a car fire. He also developed a lever on the brake handle that allowed drivers to activate a fire suppression system in the car without removing their other hand from the wheel.
A grandfather, Schumacher was an avid fisherman and golfer, who ran benefits for Indiana’s Riley Hospital for Children for seven years.
He also developed the family’s auto parts brand, DSR Performance.
Schumacher previously battled cancer in 2015, but was able to return to the track, much to the delight of the drivers.
‘This is the best therapy,’ said Antron Brown, the first African-American champion in drag racing history and one of the Schumacher team’s 25 different drivers. ‘You can see the smile on his face and the joy in his heart for being part of this sport of NHRA drag racing.’
Antron Brown (right) became the first African-American driver to win the world title in 2015, and he did so while competing for Don Schumacher’s (left) NHRA team
When Schumacher returned to drag racing in 1998 as a car owner, it was his son Tony (pictured) who became the family’s most celebrated driver, winning 86 events
‘I love what I do, and I will continue to do what I do,’ Schumacher said in that same year. ‘I’m a businessman, and that’s what I do. I love racing. I love the sport of NHRA. I love my businesses. I love my family. I love what I do in life.’
Schumacher’s death prompted an outpouring of grief on social media.
NHRA announcer Alan Reinhart described Schumacher as a revolutionary figure within the sport.
‘Even though he has scaled back his personal involvement the last few years, this is a tremendous blow,’ Reinhart wrote on X. ‘His influence will be felt for generations to come. And the company he built will continue to supply the sport.’