READING, Pa. – Antron Brown and the Matco Tools “Tools for the Cause” Top Fuel Dragster team posted their second quickest run ever at 3.758 seconds, and he qualified seventh.
The combination of near perfect atmospheric conditions and the proven Maple Grove Raceway track led to pending national records for elapsed time in Top Fuel and Funny Car.
David Grubnic of Kalitta Motorsports equaled the quickest run ever of 3.728 seconds.
But most important to Matco crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald was that their team rallied from two disappointing runs on Friday to post two impressive runs Saturday including a 3.793 in the early afternoon session.
Brown, winner of the last two events, climbed the ladder with each run during qualifying. The current Top Fuel points leader will look to make it three straight wins Sunday.
“We did what we needed to do today on a track that just keeps getting better and better,” said Brown, who is driving a special pink Matco “Tools for the Cause” dragster to help the Susan G. Komen Fight for the Cure campaign to battle breast cancer.
“Brian and Mark said the track was so good it started eating us up a little bit on our second run. The car actually wore the clutch out on that run, but it was really good to put up that 3.758. That got us into the top of the field and that will give us lane choice in that first-round matchup.”
Brown started the Reading event with a 21-point lead over DSR teammate Spencer Massey and has extended it to 24 points heading to Sunday’s championship eliminations.
The following are Brown’s results from Maple Grove and notes:
TOP FUEL
No. 1 qualifier: David Grubnic (Kalitta Motorsports) 3.728, 327.11 (quickest ever)
Antron Brown, Matco Tools “Tools for the Cause” dragster
Qualified: No. 7
First-round opponent: Steve Torrence
FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 3.844 sec., 317.87 mph
Session 2: 4.871, 147.91
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 3.793, 322.73
Session 4: 3.758, 325.14
NHRA FULL THROTTLE STANDINGS
Countdown to the Championship
(Thru Oct. 6, 2012, 2012; DSR drivers in CAPS)
TOP FUEL
1. ANTRON BROWN 2,411
2. SPENCER MASSEY 2,387
3. TONY SCHUMACHER 2,335
4. Shawn Langdon 2,311
5. Brandon Bernstein 2,274
6. Morgan Lucas 2,247
7. Steve Torrence 2,212
8. Doug Kalitta 2,208
9. David Grubnic 2,193
10. Bob Vandergriff 2,149
FULL THROTTLE AT MAPLE GROVE
Sunday: Championship eliminations, 11 a.m. (ET)
ON ESPN2
(Times are ET)
SUNDAY: Qualifying, 6 p.m.
SUNDAY: Eliminations, 7 p.m.
WEATHER.COM FORECAST
SUNDAY: High 54; 60 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.