UPDATED - U.S. Army looking to re-enlist with Tony Schumacher in 2013

The U.S. Army’s reallocation of marketing dollars that caused the team to break ties with the Stewart-Haas Racing NASCAR program with Ryan Newman should not affect the NHRA sponsorship with Tony Schumacher – as reported to Motorsport.com by John Myers, Director, Marketing Support Element, Army Marketing and Research Group.

Myers said that the Army intends to sign a new sponsorship deal with Don Schumacher Racing for Tony Schumacher's NHRA Top Fuel mount for 2013, as the current deal with DSR end at the end of the fiscal year 2012.

"We have every intention of pursuing a new agreement with DSR for 2013," Myers said. "We need to put pen to paper and I think that we can get this done in a couple of weeks instead of a couple months. Tony has been a great ambassador for the U.S. Army and we intend to try and continue this program."

The U.S. Army joined forces with Tony Schumacher’s NHRA Top Fuel dragsters at the U.S. Nationals in 2000 and the driver that is known as ‘The Sarge’ went on to reel off six consecutive series championships. The promising news tempers the loss of the Fram sponsorship that currently serves as the primary sponsor of Spencer Massey’s Top Fuel machine.

Tony Schumacher, 2010 US Army DSR Dragster

Photo by: Ted Rossino

A tireless advocate for the U.S. Army and its soldiers, Schumacher and his team has gone on parachute jumps with Army soldiers and routinely hosts Army personnel at team events.

“We pride ourselves at DSR on having several of the longest running relationships with great sponsors in all of motorsports,” said team owner Don Schumacher. “We offer unique opportunities with our full-service hospitality staff and equipment, along with in-house marketing, business development, graphic design and public relations departments. And our fabrication and machine shops rival any in our industry.”

Massey is the current NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel series points leader after his victory in last weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio. Massey leads his teammate Tony Schumacher by 29 points.

Spencer Massey, Preston/FRAM Dragster

Photo by: Michael C. Johnson

“While we are saddened that FRAM decided to leave our sport, we had four very successful and enjoyable years with them,” told new International Hall of Fame inductee Don Schumacher. “We plan on continuing to put everything we have behind each of our seven professional teams including Spencer Massey and crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler, and their entire team to not only win the championship this year but to continue running that team in 2013.”