BROWNSBURG, Ind. (May 3, 2017) – This weekend’s NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga., is the final event in the three-consecutive race “Southern swing” in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
After winning the fourth race of the season at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Antron Brown and the Matco Tools team led by crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald with assistant Brad Mason are looking forward to returning to the facility north of Atlanta where Brown has four Top Fuel event titles.
“We’re starting to pick up speed,” said the three-time Top Fuel champion and host of BBC America’s “Top Gear America” show. “Every weekend, we feel like we have a car to beat and we have been going rounds. We feel like we let that one in Charlotte slip away when we smoked the tires in the second round.”
With six of 24 Mello Yello Series events completed, the Matco Tools team ranks third in Top Fuel points standings with Don Schumacher Racing teammates Leah Pritchett and Tony Schumacher in first and second, respectively.
“DSR dragsters have been strong this year,” he said. “But the competition is tough out here and we just have to keep plucking away at our tune-up.”
For a place typically nicknamed “Hotlanta” NHRA teams will be facing the opposite this weekend at Atlanta Dragway. Friday’s forecasted high is 57 degrees with overcast skies.
“Oh boy,” Brown said. “You can bet all of the crew chiefs are keeping an eye on that. The potential for some great runs is there, but it all comes down to the track. (Track specialist David) Fletcher will be taking a closer look at the track this weekend and letting our crew chiefs know how good it is.
“No matter what, I’m looking forward to this weekend. We’ve had a lot of success there and hopefully we can have some more.”
ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools/U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster – 3X world champion
Last event (April 28-30, Charlotte Four-Wide): Qualified No. 3, lost in second round
A year ago at Atlanta: Qualified No. 5, lost in semifinals to Steve Torrence
Career at Atlanta: Wins 6 (2015, 2013, 2011, 2008, 2006*, 2001*); Runner-ups 1 (2003*); Poles 1 (2006*); * Pro Stock Motorcycle
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L
2017 3rd 6 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 13-5
CAREER 364 62 (46 TF/16 PSB) 48 76 95 80 47 (36/11) 3 636-299
Best time, speed: 3.667 (2017, Phoenix); 331.12 mph (2015, Brainerd)
2017 NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES STANDINGS
(Official after Four-Wide; 6 of 24 events; wins in parenthesis; DSR drivers in CAPS)
Top Fuel
- LEAH PRITCHETT (3) 569 —–
- TONY SCHUMACHER (1) 535 -34
- ANTRON BROWN 501 -68
- Steve Torrence (1) 470 -99
- Doug Kalitta 417 -152
- Clay Millican 330 -239
- Brittany Force 316 -253
- Terry McMillen 267 -302
- Troy Coughlin Jr. 264 -305
- Scott Palmer 212 -357