POMONA, Calif. -- Tony Schumacher won a record eighth Top Fuel world championship on Saturday at the NHRA Finals.
Schumacher secured his first season title since 2009 when closest challenger Spencer Massey failed to improve on his sixth-place qualifying position. Schumacher qualified ninth and will face Larry Dixon in the opening round of eliminations.
Schumacher holds a 104-point lead over second-place Massey with a maximum of 100 points available to a single driver on Sunday.
Richie Crampton (Top Fuel), Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are the top qualifiers in their categories.