Photo courtesy NHRA/National Dragster

Preparations for the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season are well underway at Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) headquarters near Indianapolis and team owner Don Schumacher announced the following changes to the DSR team roster today.

Accomplished tuner Mike “Zippy” Neff joins DSR as crew chief on the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster of eight-time NHRA champion Tony Schumacher. Neff had prior success at DSR winning the 2005 championship as crew chief on Gary Scelzi’s Dodge Funny Çar team. Neff’s initial stint at DSR was from 2001-’07 before joining rival John Force Racing where he helped earn the 2010 NHRA Funny Car crown with Force. He also won one Funny Car race in 2009 as a driver/tuner.

Former U.S. Army crew chief Mike Green, who guided Schumacher to 27 event titles and championships in 2009 and ’14, will remain at DSR. Green’s guidance on safety and performance projects have been vital to the organization’s success.

“We welcome Mike Neff back to the DSR family,” team owner Don Schumacher said. “We know Mike will be a great asset to DSR and feel he will help the Army team run for a championship in 2018. Mike knows DSR and we know his talents as a crew chief.

“Mike Green will continue to play an important role at DSR, including working with all seven of our teams. Mike developed the enclosed cockpit dragster that all the DSR cars and others in the sport run. Mike’s passion for the sport will help make the DSR cars safer and perform at a higher level next season. We thank Mike for helping us win two NHRA championships with Tony and the Army.”

The Matco Tools/U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster driven by three-time champion Antron Brown will be tuned by Mark Oswald and Brad Mason in 2018. Brown enters the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season with 49 career Top Fuel victories.

“Mark is a very talented person. He can drive, tune, fabricate and do many, many things on these race cars. He is an asset to DSR and this is a great opportunity for Brad to move up as he has been waiting his time to move into the assistant crew chief seat.”

DSR also has promoted NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car car chief Dustin Heim to be Rahn Tobler’s assistant crew chief for the NAPA Dodge driven by 2016 champion Ron Capps. Heim has been at DSR since 2009.

DSR’s seven race teams amassed 25 wins, 22 runners-up, 19 poles and one Traxxas Funny Car Shootout win last season. They will begin the 2018 season with preseason testing near Phoenix on Jan. 31, 2018, before the 24-race NHRA season begins on Feb. 9 at Pomona, Calif. Last February, DSR’s Leah Pritchett and Matt Hagan swept the nitro titles at the historic NHRA season-opener.