Antron Brown, the accomplished driver of the Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, is set to compete in the highly anticipated Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals event this weekend. With an impressive track record, including a 2014 event championship and two runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2015, Brown is primed for another strong performance. Last year, he qualified ninth but faced a first-round exit, and in the recent event in Richmond, he secured a semifinal finish.
In 2024, Brown has participated in nine races, achieving one national event win and two specialty race wins. His career statistics are remarkable, with 513 races, 75 wins, and 50 No. 1 qualifiers. Norwalk holds special significance for Brown and the Matco Tools Top Fuel team, with Matco’s corporate headquarters located nearby in Stow, Ohio, and Summit Racing Equipment’s headquarters in Tallmadge, Ohio. Crew chief Brian Corradi, an Ohio native, owns the popular Master’s Pizza restaurant in the Cleveland area, and assistant crew chief Mark Oswald hails from Cincinnati.
By advancing to the semifinals at the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals last weekend, Brown secured a spot in the Norwalk running of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge. He already has one #2Fast2Tasty win this year from the Las Vegas Four Wide Nationals, in addition to the Pep Boys All-Star Callout victory at the season-opener in Gainesville, Fla.
Fans can look forward to several events, including a driver meet-and-greet and car show at Summit Racing’s Ohio retail store on Wednesday, as well as autograph sessions at the Mission Foods and Toyota Racing Experience midway displays on Saturday.
Brown expressed his excitement, emphasizing the significance of racing in Norwalk and the support from Matco Tools and Summit Racing.
“We always look forward to going to Norwalk, especially with it being the home and the headquarters of Matco Tools right there in Stow, so really excited to get out there and get to their hometown race,” said Brown. “We have all of the people from Matco’s corporate office coming out, a lot of Matco distributor participation. And, it’s also the home track for Summit Racing, and we always look forward to going out and visiting all of the people from Race Winning Brands. We’re energized, ready to go. Coming off of the weekend we had in Richmond, Virginia has us feeling motivated. Our car is running well, our team is really jelling, we can run in the hot conditions, and we can run good when the track gets better too. Super happy about that, and really focused on the prize. Ready to have some fun out there this weekend with my crew chief Brian Corradi and Master’s Pizza, and Corradi’s Scoops. We’re going to have a lot of pizza and ice cream to celebrate with, and we’re looking forward to a great weekend.”
This story was originally published on June 26, 2024.