DRO: Do you have any feelings about Pro Modified class in NHRA?

Schumacher: Well, they're only out here for ten races a year. I'm impressed by the way the fans stay in the grandstands when the Pro Mods come up to do their exhibition runs. Hopefully, NHRA will keep that class around and see what the future is with that class or that exhibition class. They're unique people. Unique cars. They're exciting cars to watch and race. We're in the entertainment business, out here. We need to have different things to entertain the fans and I enjoy 'em. And, the fans seem to enjoy them. So that's about the best I can say about 'em.

DRO: Is there anything you can tell us about Scotty Cannon that we don't already know?

Schumacher: He's a great guy. I think everybody would be totally shocked at what a nice person he is and how capable he is at controlling his own destiny. He had a rough time coming over here in the fuel funny car rank. There were great expectations. He lived up to many of them, but I'm sure he wasn't pleased with what his final results were here in the funny car class. Hopefully, he'll be back some day soon.

DRO: If you could change one thing about NHRA drag racing, what would it be?

Schumacher: (Long pause) There are too many things. (chuckles) Way too many things to even begin with. I mean we need to take the sport to the next level.

DRO: Who's going to be that leader that's going to do that? Is it going to be a multi-car team owner like you?

Schumacher: It has to be within NHRA. There is not a multi-team owner or people outside of NHRA that have the ability to actually make the changes. That goes for PRO or any of us. It really has to come from inside of NHRA, somebody with a great vision and ability and desire to take the sport to another level. Tom Compton has done a great, great

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job. And, we need to keep excelling at what he has accomplished and then take it to the next level.

DRO: If Tom has a vision, which picked up from what Wally Parks created, besides Tom Compton, who is going to help take it to that next level? Are there key people within NHRA who are missing?

Schumacher: You always look for great leaders and Tom is one of the great leaders in this sport, to say the least. Tom is really the one that has to decide whether he's got the people around him that makes it possible for his to take it to the next level. He's working on that. They're working on that. There have been substantial personnel changes inside of NHRA over the last three years. You're not going to accomplish any of these goals in a one-year period. So, Tom is working very hard at it, and is going to continue to make changes I'm sure, to bring this sort to the next level. He works very hard at it.