Rick Ware Racing NHRA program is preparing a unified push toward the prestigious Gatornationals, with both Top Fuel dragsters ready for the season opener in Gainesville, Florida. The team has focused on standardizing their cars, giving Clay Millican and Tony Schumacher nearly identical machinery as they look to capitalize on the consistency that can make the difference in a sport where margins are razor-thin.
Building Consistency with Mirror-Image Racecars
In the fiercely competitive world of NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Rick Ware Racing (RWR) has embraced the philosophy that uniformity helps drive results. At RWR’s Mooresville, N.C. headquarters, both the No. 51 Parts Plus dragster piloted by Clay Millican and the No. 15 American Communications Construction dragster driven by Tony Schumacher feature the same chassis. This approach reduces variables and streamlines the work for the team’s crew chiefs. The only factors differentiating the two cars are the drivers’ weights—Millican at 142 pounds and Schumacher at 175 pounds.
To prepare for the Gatornationals, each driver adapted to new equipment. For Schumacher, it was about transitioning to a chassis he hadn’t previously used, matching Millican’s setup. Meanwhile, Millican tackled the challenge of moving from an open cockpit to a canopy-topped cockpit, a feature that Schumacher pioneered back in 2012.
“RWR is one team that operates two cars,”
Clay Millican, Driver.
“Our cars are exactly alike. The only difference is in what Tony weighs and what I weigh. That makes it easier for our crew chiefs to take the information they get and transfer it to both cars.”
– Clay Millican, Driver
Safety and Performance Gains with the Canopy Cockpit
The addition of the closed-top canopy on RWR’s dragsters has offered practical benefits beyond aesthetics. For Millican, it provided more safety, less cockpit noise, and improved competitive balance with Schumacher’s car. The canopy mimics the design of an F-16 fighter jet and is made of Kevlar and carbon fiber, including a thick ballistic polycarbonate windshield. This innovation, introduced to Top Fuel by Schumacher in partnership with Aerodine Composites, weighs 25 pounds but significantly enhances driver protection and visibility.
“Tony is obviously committed to the canopy. There’s no way he’s going to run in an open-cockpit car,”
Clay Millican, Driver.
“But I also know it’s quieter and it’s safer, so from that standpoint alone, adopting it made sense. It also made sense from a competition standpoint because it’s another element that makes our cars the same.”
– Clay Millican, Driver
Schumacher reflected on the experience, describing the adjustment needed for the enclosed space and recognizing the advantages the canopy brings.
“When I first ran the canopy, it was pretty intense,”
Tony Schumacher, Driver.
“You were closed in, obviously, and it was quieter, and the vision was substantially better. When Clay got in it, he said he could hear better and see better. Most everything about the canopy is a positive, other than its weight. Twenty-five pounds is a lot of weight in the middle of the car.”
– Tony Schumacher, Driver
Unified Crew Leadership and Testing Ahead of the Big Event
Minimizing car-to-car differences simplifies the job for Rick Ware Racing’s crew chiefs. The Oberhofer brothers—Jon Oberhofer with Millican and Jim Oberhofer with Schumacher—requested a duplicate chassis setup so data and adjustments could be easily shared between cars. Both drivers benefit from shared insights, allowing tuning decisions to be made with more confidence across each run throughout the race weekend.
“The Oberhofers wanted an exact replica of the car Clay was used to running. I was all for it, and I made the switch immediately,”
Tony Schumacher, Driver.
“Our cars are really close – not exact, because of our weights – but as close as they can be. So when we both go out and Jim and Jon run the numbers, it was kind of insane to see how close we are.”
– Tony Schumacher, Driver
Preparation ahead of the Gatornationals included significant testing at Gainesville Raceway from February 17-20. Both Clay Millican and Tony Schumacher completed 11 runs each to ensure comfort and consistency in the new setups. For Millican, transitioning to a closed cockpit capped decades of racing with a different feel.
“For me, testing was all about getting used to the closed cockpit,”
Clay Millican, Driver.
“It had been 27 years driving an open-cockpit car. It was a really big change for a guy who’s made thousands of runs in one particular type of car. So it was good for me to make that many runs with the closed cockpit. After a few runs, I kind of forgot about them shutting the lid and sending me down the racetrack. Now, I’m ready to go for Gainesville.”
– Clay Millican, Driver
Aiming for Drag Racing’s Grand Slam
The Gatornationals holds special weight this year as it launches the NHRA’s landmark 75th season. The event is renowned for its “stadium” atmosphere and large crowds, drawing top drivers who see it as one of three drag racing “majors.” Schumacher, a five-time Gatornationals victor, praised the event’s magnitude and the encouragement from fans who turn out in force.
“Gainesville has a super stadium feel,”
Tony Schumacher, Driver.
“You get in there and you look around and there’s so many fans. They really show up.”
– Tony Schumacher, Driver
Millican, who has captured victories at both the Winternationals in California and the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, is chasing his first Gatornationals win to achieve drag racing’s version of a Grand Slam—a feat that would see him join Schumacher with wins at all of the NHRA’s most prominent stops.
“If you put it in golf terms, there are three majors in drag racing – the U.S. Nationals, the Winternationals and the Gatornationals. I’ve checked two of those boxes, and the Gatornationals is still out there for me to get,”
Clay Millican, Driver.
“It’s one of the biggest races on the calendar, and the amount of people that come to it, I mean, it’s massive. The race is an absolute must-attend event. It’s a must-win event, as well.”
– Clay Millican, Driver
Race Weekend Schedule and Coverage
The quest for success at Gainesville begins Friday, with two Top Fuel qualifying rounds scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET. Saturday follows with two more qualifying sessions at 12:35 p.m. and 3 p.m., interspersed with the Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, featuring rounds at 12:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m., and a final at 3:30 p.m. Sunday’s eliminations start at 11 a.m., spotlighting the push toward victory for both Rick Ware Racing dragsters. Coverage will be available live on NHRA.tv, with FS1 airing Saturday’s All-Star Callout and broadcasting Sunday’s qualifying and eliminations.
The Legacy of Rick Ware and His Racing Stable
Rick Ware’s deep roots in motorsports began at the age of six, branching out over decades from SCCA Trans Am road racing to iconic events like the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American at Riverside International Raceway, where he demonstrated his driving prowess. In 1995, Rick Ware, alongside his wife Lisa, transitioned into team ownership, establishing Rick Ware Racing as a mainstay across disciplines—from NASCAR Cup Series to the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, as well as other series like the Progressive American Flat Track and FIM World Supercross Championship.
Today, RWR operates as a multi-front organization, with teams competing at the highest levels in both oval and drag racing. With a focus on teamwork, innovation, and driver adaptability, the organization continues to make its mark, aiming for glory at blue-chip events like the Gatornationals.
Looking Ahead: Significance of the Team’s Unified Effort
The alignment of the Rick Ware Racing NHRA program’s Top Fuel entries places the team in a strong position heading into Gainesville. By minimizing differences between Millican’s and Schumacher’s dragsters, maximizing safety with advanced canopies, and fostering data sharing among the crew chiefs and drivers, RWR showcases how precision teamwork and shared technology can influence standout results. As the 75th NHRA season dawns, all eyes are on Gainesville to see if RWR’s unified charge can secure new milestones for its veteran drivers and for the team as a whole.
