BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Antron Brown and the Matco Tools team could not have picked a better time than last weekend to win a second consecutive NHRA Top Fuel event title.

It did more than enable the team to extend its lead in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff over Don Schumacher Racing teammate Spencer Massey to 21 points with only three events left in the season, including this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa.

It is enabling Brown to gain more attention for Matco’s “Tools for the Cause” campaign to help the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization fight breast cancer.

October is “Breast Cancer Awareness” Month and pink is the featured color. That’s why Brown, whose mother-in-law is and friends are breast cancer survivors, will don a pink firesuit and pink helmet while driving a pink DSR dragster this weekend at Maple Grove. Brown’s Matco Tools crew will wear pink shirts throughout the weekend.

“Wearing my pink suit and driving that pink dragster will be just like flying Matco’s red, white and blue colors. It’s great to be part of Matco and be able to help others,” Brown said.
“That’s God’s way and the American way.”

The pink attire will be put on eBay.com with all proceeds going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® after the season.

Brown wants to do everything to help support “Tools for the Cause” and knows that winning another No. 1 qualifying position and event title like he did last weekend near St.Louis will enhance those opportunities.

“We want to do whatever we can to beat breast cancer and promote Matco’s “Tools for the Cause, and winning sure would be a great way to do it,” said Brown, who flew from his home in Pittsboro, Ind., to Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday help Matco Tools employees kick off the campaign at the company’s headquarters in Stow, Ohio.

He remains focused on winning his first NHRA season championship. Reading is the third of six events in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship playoff. Brown’s Matco/Aaron’s Dream Machine team with crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald have been nearly flawless since a normally reliable part broke near Charlotte in the Countdown opener three weeks ago that eliminated the team in the first round.

But after winning the title in Dallas, the Matco team followed up last weekend by winning the pole with the third quickest time ever in NHRA and wrapping it up on Sunday by beating DSR teammate Spencer Massey to extend the points lead to 21 points after the drivers were tied leaving Dallas.

“Matching up against my teammate in the final was big – we’ve been back and forth in the points all season,” Brown said.

“It’s great to have six wins, but right now they’re all in the past. We need to go back to the shop and get focused on these last three races. It’s just so competitive out here – and this points race is going to go down to the last race.”

The following are Brown’s statistics and other notes:

ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools “Tools for the Cause” dragster
Career at Maple Grove: Wins 0, Runner-ups 1 (2004-bike), Poles 3 (2004-bike, 2009, 2011)
2011 at Maple Grove: Qualified No. 1; lost in second round
2012 Pts Races Titles Rup Poles DNQ Win/Loss
1st 20 6 4 3 0 46-14
Career Races Titles Rup Poles DNQ Win/Loss
259 37* 35 32 2 440-220
*21 Top Fuel

NHRA FULL THROTTLE STANDINGS
Countdown to the Championship
(Thru Sept. 30, 2012; DSR drivers in CAPS)
TOP FUEL
1. ANTRON BROWN, 2,378
2. SPENCER MASSEY, 2,357
3. TONY SCHUMACHER, 2,295
4. Shawn Langdon, 2,274
5. Brandon Bernstein, 2,238
6. Morgan Lucas, 2,205
7. Steve Torrence, 2,180
8. Doug Kalitta, 2,168
9. David Grubnic, 2,152
10. Bob Vandergriff Jr., 2,117

NEXT FULL THROTTLE EVENT: Reading, Pa.
(Times are ET)
Friday: Qualifying, 2 p.m., 5 p.m.
Saturday: Qualifying, Noon, 3 p.m.
Sunday: Championship eliminations, 11 a.m.

ON ESPN2
(Times are ET)
SUNDAY: Qualifying, 12:30 a.m., 6 p.m.
SUNDAY: Eliminations, 7 p.m.

WEATHER.COM FORECAST
FRIDAY: High 80; 10 percent chance of rain
SATURDAY: High 64; 40 percent chance of showers
SUNDAY: High 55; 40 percent chance of showers

UPCOMING FULL THROTTLE EVENTS
Oct. 25-28, Big O Tires NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas
Nov. 8-11, Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Pomona, Calif.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer. Today, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® works to end breast cancer in the U.S. and throughout the world through ground-breaking research, community health outreach, advocacy and programs in more than 50 countries. Visit komen.org. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.