{"id":13256,"date":"2015-03-16T10:55:51","date_gmt":"2015-03-16T17:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=13256"},"modified":"2015-04-07T13:34:01","modified_gmt":"2015-04-07T20:34:01","slug":"dsr-nitro-teams-win-for-schumacher-at-2015-gatornationals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dsr-nitro-teams-win-for-schumacher-at-2015-gatornationals\/","title":{"rendered":"DSR Nitro Teams Win for Schumacher at 2015 Gatornationals"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"15GatornationalsSpencerMasseyCelebrationPHOTO\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photos<\/strong>: Courtesy of NHRA<\/p>\n

Spencer Massey and Ron Capps gave their boss, Don Schumacher, an injection of the best medicine\u00a0ever by\u00a0winning the nitro categories, respectively, at the Amalie Oil Gatornationals. Schumacher made it to his first race of the season after\u00a0undergoing\u00a0cancer treatments. He was welcomed back with open arms by\u00a0his teams and fellow competitors.<\/p>\n

In the other classes, Greg Anderson ended a 60-race Pro Stock losing streak, and Karen Stoffer came back to win the Pro Stock Motorcycle season opener.<\/p>\n

TOP FUEL<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"15GatornationalsSpencerMasseyCar<\/a><\/p>\n

The normal jovial Spencer Massey got his chance to really deliver for DSR and\u00a0Don Schumacher, personally, this weekend. \u00a0 The Gatornationals is a big race, and this was Massey’s\u00a0first win at the stoic Auto-Plus Raceway.\u00a0 To be able to hand Schumacher\u00a0his Wally after successful cancer surgery and treatment that ended on Feb. 20, was just what the doctor ordered for both owner and driver.<\/p>\n

The Red Fuel DSR team, led by crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler ,showcased a strong performance all throughout the warm, sunny weekend en route to Massey’s 18th career Top Fuel title, tying him with Darrell Gwynn and Shirley Muldowney.<\/p>\n

After qualifying second with a 3.793-second lap at a track record 329.02 mph, Massey\u00a0and team improved in the opening round of Sunday’s eliminations with a 3.768-second lap at 329 mph.<\/p>\n

But it wasn’t an entirely easy day for the Red Fuel team. There were problems in the DSR pits between rounds that had to be addressed.<\/p>\n

“We went to go warm the car up before that second round and we found that we had some issues in the clutch,” Spencer said. \u00a0“We ended up getting Matt Hagan’s Mopar Express Lane team over and we all work well as a team. \u00a0That’s how all of Don Schumacher Racing works, if anyone has a problem there is going to be other teams coming over to help.<\/p>\n

Spencer faced DSR teammate Tony Schumacher in the final round and now has a 4-1 record against the eight-time champ in final round appearances. \u00a0He used a .020 reaction-time against Schumacher to get a holeshot win over the defending series champion.<\/p>\n

“Running Tony Schumacher in the final round, that car has been running extremely strong,\u201d said Massey.\u00a0 \u201cWe know how well that car can run and Tony can be deadly on the starting line. \u00a0I had to do whatever I had to do. \u00a0It worked out. \u00a0It’s just crazy. \u00a0I never want it to end.”<\/p>\n

Massey’s win was No. 245 for DSR, and he had a special message for the team owner.\u00a0“Don, to have you here, for us both to have won, it’s really what it’s all about. You have no idea how hard our hearts were hurting for you and how much we were thinking about you this entire time. \u00a0To not have you there is totally different. \u00a0To see you show up yesterday, it brought a tear to my eye. \u00a0To sit here with you, thank you.”<\/p>\n

The other big news of the weekend was \u00a0three-time Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon’s spectacular crash in Saturday\u2019s qualifying round. The\u00a0Bob Vandergriff Top Fueler literally split in half in front of the foot box, and Dixon was very<\/em> fortunate to be able to walk away from the accident.\u00a0 After going airborne, and propelling his car lengthwise nearly 700 feet in the air, it went out of control near the finish line crashing back on the ground violently before stopping. \u00a0The entire crowd let out a sigh of relief when Dixon emerged unharmed.<\/p>\n