KENT, Wash. (August 3, 2016) – Antron Brown is satisfied with the direction his Matco Tools/U.S. Army team is headed as the annual NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Western Swing heads to its final stop near Seattle this weekend.

Despite a quarterfinal finish at last weekend’s Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Brown feels his Matco Tools team is pushing it each weekend on the Mello Yello tour as they look to defend their 2015 Top Fuel world championship.

“One thing about this Matco Tools/U.S. Army/Toyota team is we challenge for it every weekend,” Brown said. “Like our U.S. Army soldiers you can’t ever count us out. We persevere and out here with the competition the way it is, that’s what you have to do.

“I think it shows every weekend how tough it is to win out here. It’s a battle each and every weekend and it’s not going to get any easier with the Countdown (to the Championship) coming up.”

Only three races remain before the points standings are reset for the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs that begin near Charlotte after Labor Day. Brown and the Matco Tools/U.S Army team have a 37-point lead over Doug Kalitta. The team leading the points standings after the conclusion of NHRA’s regular season finale at Indianapolis will take a 30-point lead into Charlotte.

Brown has one career Top Fuel title from Pacific Raceways near Seattle. The Matco Tools team has three event titles in six final round appearances this year. If the Matco Tools team turns on a win light on Sunday at the NHRA Northwest Nationals, it will be a milestone for Brown who is one round win shy of 600 career round wins.

“Seattle is unique,” Brown said. “It’s got that little bit of old school feeling to it. You go back in there, it’s in the trees and it’s just different than anywhere else you go. We would really like to send these guys home with a win from this Western Swing. We came close in Denver and we would like to seal the deal in Seattle.

“I don’t think about how many of this or that I have. We are focused.”

ANTRON BROWN: Matco Tools/U.S. Army
Last event: Sonoma, Calif. (July 31, 2016): Qualified No. 2, lost in second round to J.R. Todd
A year ago at Seattle: Qualified No. 8, lost in first round to Shawn Langdon
Career at Seattle: Wins 1 (2009); Runner-ups 2 (2010, 2014); Poles 1 (2011)

         Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ   W/L
2016 1st     15         1       3      3       5       2         1       0    31-12
CAREER   349       57     46    72      92   80         45     3   599-289
Best Time, Speed: 3.680 sec., (first below 3.7, 2015, Brainerd); 331.12 mph (2015, Brainerd)

NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES TOP FUEL STANDINGS
Through 15 of 24 events, wins in parenthesis; DSR DRIVERS IN CAPS
1. ANTRON BROWN (3) 1204 ——
2. Doug Kalitta (3) 1167 -37
3. Steve Torrence (2) 1072 -132
4. Brittany Force (2) 1008 -196
5. TONY SCHUMACHER (1) 971 -233
6. J.R. Todd (1) 897 -307
7. SHAWN LANGDON (2) 836 -368
8. Richie Crampton 754 -450
9. Clay Millican 715 -489
10. LEAH PRITCHETT (1) 586 -618