Four-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown’s weekend at the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS came to an end in the opening round of eliminations Sunday at Maryland International Dragway.
Brown and the Matco Tools team opened qualifying with a solid 3.950-second pass at 312.21 mph despite dropping a cylinder near the finish line. The run placed the Matco Tools Eagle Experience Top Fuel dragster in the provisional No. 9 position.
The team improved during the Friday evening qualifying, posting a 3.823-second pass at 329.42 mph to move up to the No. 7 spot.
Saturday’s first session also served as the opening round of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, where Brown faced Leah Pruett in a rematch of their Chicago matchup. Brown held the starting-line advantage with a .073 reaction time to Pruett’s .085, but Pruett drove around him at the finish line with a 3.811-second run to Brown’s 3.848.
In the final qualifying session, Brown’s dragster encountered tire smoke around half-track, preventing any improvement on the leaderboard. The NHRA Top 75 driver ultimately secured the No. 9 qualifying position and a first-round matchup against Justin Ashley.
Prior to eliminations, Brown and Ashley were featured as the NHRA’s marquee matchup. Both drivers are widely regarded as among the best on the starting line, and Brown jokingly noted during pre-race festivities that while Ashley’s sponsor, Scag Power Equipment, is known for mowing grass, “I’m one tough weed.”
The two standout leavers delivered another competitive race in the opening round. Ashley gained the starting-line advantage with a .036 reaction time to Brown’s .057. Brown’s Matco Tools machine began losing traction around half-track, forcing him to pedal the car, while Ashley encountered tire spin near the finish line. Despite Brown’s efforts, Ashley reached the stripe first with a 3.995-second pass at 276.52 mph to Brown’s 4.030 at 283.85 mph.
“The race track did a great job. It showed out. The fans came out, and I’ll tell you what, this is a close thing for a hometown race, so this race is real special,” Brown said. “I’m just really bummed that we went out first round, but we’ll be back next year, and we’ll get after it.
“I loved the feel of it, and can’t wait to come back. We’ve got Epping next week, and we will get back on that saddle.”
Brown and the Matco Tools team will now turn their attention to the NHRA New EnglandNationals presented by bproauto, June 5-7 at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.
This story was originally published on June 1, 2026. 
