BROWNSBURG, Ind. (May 16, 2017) – The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to Heartland Park Topeka Friday for the NHRA Heartland Nationals, the eighth of 24 stops on the tour in 2017.
Through seven races, three-time and reigning Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown and the Matco Tools team led by crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald with assistant Brad Mason have one event title and one runner-up with a round win-loss record of 14-6.
Two weeks ago in the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, the team elected to pull out a new chassis built by the fabrication shop managed by Joe Fitzpatrick at Don Schumacher Racing headquarters.
“The bumpy racetrack at Atlanta put some stress on the chassis we were running, Brad (Mason) saw something he didn’t like and we switched chassis,” Brown explained.
“The boys in the fab shop do incredible work and we pulled out that new chassis for Sunday and had no issues. Hats off to them for doing such an incredible job.”
The Matco Tools team is in search of their first Top Fuel title at Heartland Park Topeka this weekend after they were runner-up last year.
“Topeka is still on our to-do list,” Brown said. “We haven’t got a win there yet and we’d like to change that. I’m excited to get back on track. We had that three in a row and we were getting our groove going.”
The Matco Tools team is ranked fourth in Top Fuel points standings heading into this weekend’s Heartland Nationals.
ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools/U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster – 3X world champion
Last event (May 5-7, Atlanta): Qualified No. 3, lost in quarterfinals to DSR teammate Leah Pritchett
A year ago at Topeka: Qualified No. 8, lost in championship round to Doug Kalitta
Career at Topeka: Wins 0; Runner-ups 1 (2016); Poles 3 (2012, 2010, 2009)
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L
2017 3rd 7 1 1 2 3 0 0 0 14-6
CAREER 365 62 48 76 96 80 47 3 637-300
Best time, speed: 3.667 (2017, Phoenix); 331.12 mph (2015, Brainerd)
2017 NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES STANDINGS
(Official after Atlanta; 7th of 24 events; wins in parenthesis; DSR drivers in CAPS)
Top Fuel
- LEAH PRITCHETT (3) 641 —–
- TONY SCHUMACHER (1) 627 -14
- Steve Torrence (2) 592 -49
- ANTRON BROWN (1) 560 -81
- Doug Kalitta 486 -155
- Clay Millican 385 -256
- Brittany Force 347 -294
- Terry McMillen 301 -340
- Troy Coughlin Jr. 295 -346
- Scott Palmer 244 -397