CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 10, 2013) – After the third event of the NHRA Mello Yello Series, Antron Brown was first in points after winning the Top Fuel title at Gainesville, Fla. Four races later, the reigning Top Fuel world champion won at Atlanta and was second in points.
The native of New Jersey and resident of Pittsboro, Ind., hopes a return to southern cookin’ helps kick-start his Toyota dragster tuned by crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald this weekend at the Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte.
The team, which won six titles last season, has been mired in a run that has led to first-round exits in 10 of 18 regular-season events including at the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day after a daring run the night before earned the team its second No. 1 qualifying position of the season.
“We were really disappointed after how we qualified,” Brown said of his team’s 3.811-second qualifying run. “After running that 3.81 we just built off that and were going up there hoping to run a 3.77. The track just ate us up a little bit.”
But Brown’s second pole of the season was enough to let him know his Toyota dragster was ready for the six-event Countdown in which he is seeded No. 6 among the 10 qualified drivers.
“Now it’s time for the Countdown. This is where it all counts for the championship, and we’re sitting right in the middle of the field. We have our work cut out for us, but there isn’t anything that we can’t handle. We’re going to head in there with our heads up and bring our ‘A’ game.
“We have to head into the Countdown with the attitude that we have nothing to lose, and we don’t. We’re going to go out there and give it all we’ve got and have fun. We’re looking forward to getting to Charlotte.”
The No. 1 qualifying spot at Indy was the Toyota team’s first since starting on the pole at the fourth race of the season and marked its only top-five start since a No. 2 position near Atlanta at the season’s seventh race of the year.
“We’re definitely heading in the right direction,” said Brown, who won the fall race at zMAX in 2011 and was runner-up in 2008.
“We’re not going backward, we’re going forward. It’s a good thing. We’re right there where we need to be. We know what it takes to go out there to do what we need to do. We just have to go there, qualify well again and take it another step up.”
ANTRON BROWN, TOYOTA TOP FUEL DRAGSTER
Last event (Sept. 2, Indianapolis): Qualified No. 1; lost in first round to Morgan Lucas.
Last race at zMAX Dragway (April 21, 2013, Four-Wide): Qualified No. 7; lost in first round.
Last September at zMAX: Qualified No. 10; lost in first round to Khalid alBalooshi.
Career at zMAX: Wins 1 (Fall-2011); runner-ups 1 (2008); poles 0
Pts Events Titles Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ Win/Loss
2013 6th 18 2 1 4 1 10 2 0 20-16
CAREER 279 39* 37 58 80 64 34 2 463-239
*23 Top Fuel/16 Pro Stock Motorcycle
Best Time, Speed: 3.701 sec.*/** (10- 8-12, Reading, Pa.), 328.78 mph (10-8-12, Reading); Quickest ever, NHRA record
CAROLINA NATIONALS
Friday: 5:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m., nitro qualifying
Saturday: 1 p.m., 3:15 p.m., nitro qualifying
Sunday: Noon, championship eliminations
ON ESPN2 (times are ET)
Saturday: TBD, qualifying, delayed
Sunday: 8:30 p.m., championship eliminations, delayed
WEATHER.COM FORECAST
Friday: High 85 degrees; 20 percent chance of rain
Saturday: High 77 degrees; 10 percent chance of rain
Sunday: High 79 degrees; 0 percent chance of rain
NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Sept. 13-15 – zMAX Dragway, Charlotte, N.C.
Sept. 19-22 – Texas Motorplex, Dallas
Sept. 27-29 – Gateway Motorsports Park, St. Louis
Oct. 3-6 – Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.
Oct. 24-27 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas
Nov. 7-10 – Auto Club Raceway, Pomona, Calif.
COUNTDOWN STANDINGS
(Reset for start of six-event playoff that starts Sept. 13 near Charlotte; DSR drivers in CAPS)
TOP FUEL
1. Shawn Langdon, 2,110
2. SPENCER MASSEY, 2,080
3. TONY SCHUMACHER, 2,070
4. Doug Kalitta, 2,060
5. Khalid alBalooshi, 2,050
6. ANTRON BROWN, 2,040
7. Clay Millican, 2,030
8. Morgan Lucas, 2,020
9. Steve Torrence, 2,010
10. Bob Vandergriff, 2,000
NHRA MELLO YELLO SERIES REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS
(Final regular season after 18 events through U.S. Nationals; DSR drivers in CAPS)
TOP FUEL
1. Shawn Langdon, 1,488
2. SPENCER MASSEY, 1,273
3. TONY SCHUMACHER, 1,238
4. Doug Kalitta, 1,086
5. Khalid alBalooshi, 1,074
6. ANTRON BROWN, 1,035
7. Clay Millican, 979
8. Morgan Lucas, 968
9. Steve Torrence, 893
10. Bob Vandergriff, 821
2013 TOP FUEL WINNERS: Langdon, SCHUMACHER, BROWN, SCHUMACHER, MASSEY, Vandergriff, BROWN, Langdon, Langdon, Steve Torrence, MASSEY, SCHUMACHER, alBalooshi, MASSEY, Langdon, Lucas, MASSEY, Langdon.
About Toyota
Toyota, the world’s top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we’ve built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ nearly 40,000 people (more than 37,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships sold more than 2.3 million cars and trucks in 2012 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company’s extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. (NYSE:TM) For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About Matco Tools
Matco Tools manufactures, distributes and services premium quality automotive equipment, tools and tool storage for the professional technician. The company has more than 60 years of national brand experience in the automotive equipment industry and a vast product line of more than 13,000 of the highest quality, innovative tools and accessories. The company’s franchise offering has been ranked as the #1 tools distribution franchise for five of the past seven years by Entrepreneur Magazine. Initial corporate and ongoing local training create and build outstanding value for the franchisee’s business. For more information on Matco Tools products or franchise opportunities, visit www.matcotools.com.
About Don Schumacher Racing
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., fields seven professional teams in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. In Top Fuel, the 2012 NHRA Top Fuel world champion Matco Tools dragster driven by Antron Brown and the U.S. Army dragster driven by seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher and the Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher dragster driven by Spencer Massey; and in Funny Car, 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Valvoline Max Life/MTS Mail for Wounded Warriors Dodge Charger R/T, 2011 world champion Matt Hagan in the Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Pitch Energy Dodge of Johnny Gray.
DSR has won 216 NHRA national event titles and 11 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing andFacebook.com/shoeracing.