The final event of the 2005 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season was a record-breaker for the Don Schumacher Racing Team, and all its drivers, crew members and sponsors, like Gates.

Gates is an associate sponsor of the Schumacher Team, and is the exclusive supplier of its Poly Chain® belt, which for the past two decades, has been the brand of choice for the engine blower belts used by nearly every NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car team.

Tony Schumacher (left), son of team owner Don Schumacher, put the finishing touches on another dominating season in the Top Fuel category with a victory at the Auto Club of Southern California Finals. The event officially gave Schumacher his second straight and third overall POWERade Series world championship with nine victories behind the wheel of his U.S. Army dragster.

He set single-season NHRA Top Fuel records for consecutive victories (5), consecutive final rounds (7), No. 1 qualifiers (11), consecutive round wins (20) and overall margin of victory (415 points, over Larry Dixon). 

Schumacher also set performance records for elapsed time (4.437 seconds) and speed (336.15 mph). 

In the Funny Car category, Gary Scelzi (right), another Schumacher Racing Team driver, held off NHRA legend John Force and teammate Ron Capps to win the closest Funny Car world championship chase in NHRA history. 

Scelzi finished eight points ahead of Capps and 32 ahead of Force. His season was highlighted by three wins and six No. 1 qualifiers. He also led the class with six low elapsed time (ET) runs. 

With his first career Funny Car championship, Scelzi joined Kenny Bernstein as the only two drivers in NHRA history to have won titles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car.

This gave the Don Schumacher Racing Team both the Top Fuel and Funny Car season championships, in addition to a second-place finish in Funny Car with driver Ron Capps.