ESPN NHRA

Can you believe it's time to fire up the engines for another exciting NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season? While it was three months ago, it seems like it was just yesterday that the U.S. Army Top Fuel team was celebrating its fourth straight world championship.

I'm happy that ESPN.com invited me back to offer prerace diaries throughout the upcoming campaign. Here's hoping that you will continue to enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at NHRA drag racing.

With the 2008 season opener -- the CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals -- set for this weekend at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif., I can't help but first look back at last year's exciting finish.

In fact, as I was watching the final exciting moments of Sunday's Super Bowl between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, I suddenly had a flashback to the '07 season finale.

Like Eli Manning, who directed the Giants to an improbable win over the previously unbeaten Patriots, we also had to pull off some last-minute heroics in the final round of the last race to secure another POWERade world championship.

Talk about similarities -- Eli and the Giants went down to the wire and so did we. The Giants came out of nowhere as a wild-card team to win it all and we had to come from fourth place in the standings at the last race to get the title.

After the game, I happened to run across an interview with Manning that was very telling -- he actually described how I felt going into the pressure-packed matchup with Bob Vandergriff Jr. at the Auto Club Finals.

Eli said he wanted the ball late in the game with a chance to win. That's exactly what I was thinking about as I got strapped into my dragster. I wanted to be able to control my own destiny. I wanted the ball in my hands at that point. Those are the opportunities you dream of as you come up through the ranks. I'm pretty sure that Eli had been playing out that situation in his head since he was on the field as a child.

Although last year's title run is still dancing around in everyone's mind, we'll have to quickly find a way to change gears with the '08 season opener looming.

We're all back to square one. Right now, every team is tied for the top spot. We definitely want to get off on the right foot in Pomona, and we want to serve notice that we're going to be a serious player in the Countdown to the Championship.

I have been reminded that this year I have a chance to break Joe Amato's Top Fuel class record of five career championships. Man, that's not even on my radar screen since it's only February. If we're in a position to do that come November, we'll certainly think about then.

We know that we're going to be engaged in a tough, competitive battle the next 10 months. Every team will be looking to cut us down early and often. Like our soldiers do every day, we're going to have to stay focused on the mission. And, of course, our mission is to take home another POWERade trophy.

With that, it's time to prepare for the first road trip of the New Year. "The Sarge" would like to extend his usual group salute. We'll be back with you in a couple weeks just prior to heading for Phoenix.

Until then, please stay well and remember to say a prayer for our soldiers.

Five-time world champion Tony "The Sarge" Schumacher drives the U.S. Army-sponsored Top Fuel dragster in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series and is providing a diary for ESPN.com throughout the 2008 season.