HELLO, GREATNESS; TONY SCHUMACHER SETS RECORDS AT THE U.S. NATIONALSBY ROB GEIGER.(NEWS0)

For the better part of three days, the rest of the NHRA's Top Fuel class was able to dream big.

Five-time and reigning series champion Tony Schumacher arrived in Indianapolis for the 54th-annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals as the center of attention, but until Sunday afternoon, his U.S. Army dragsterthe same one that carried him to the brink of so much NHRA historywas a dud.

All that changed with a pair of 3.87-second passes that finally earned him a spot on the elimination grid. That did not place him near the top of the performance sheets, where he has been for most of the season, but it did earn him a chance to race on Monday.

That was all he needed.

Schumacher and crew chief Alan Johnson came to life before a boisterous Labor Day crowd and broke all of the records set before them. By day's end, Schumacher set class marks for wins in a season (11), consecutive wins (six) and the longest string of elimination-round wins (24 and counting).

He won the event by outrunning Doug Kalitta in the final, 3.916 seconds at 309.13 mph to 4.036 seconds at 299.86 mph, which tied him with drag-racing legend Joe Amato at 52 career Top Fuel wins. It was Schumacher's seventh win at drag racing's most prestigious event, all of which have come since 2000.

"I'm trying to figure out [the best] reason for smiling, Schumacher said. "I just won Indy, I tied Joe, and got the sixth win in a row and 11th of the year. Man, I feel blessed. Today was special. It'll go down as one of the best days ever.