Antron Brown and the AB Motorsports team recorded some of their strongest runs of the season at the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by MOPAR, qualifying third before advancing to the quarterfinals Monday at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park. Brown also reached a career-best speed of 339.62 mph during the opening round of eliminations.
Brown and the Matco Tools Eagle Experience Top Fuel team opened qualifying Friday with an 8.502-second pass at 69.47 mph after the dragster dropped multiple cylinders downtrack. The run placed Brown 13th, but the team improved significantly in the second session, posting a 3.779 at 331.86 mph to move into the No. 10 position.
Rain interrupted Saturday’s schedule, but improved weather eventually produced ideal conditions. Brown ran a 3.740 at 331.86 mph during the third qualifying session to move to ninth. He then closed qualifying with a 3.673 at 338.09 mph, tying the fastest elapsed time of his career. The run moved Brown to the No. 3 starting position and earned the team two bonus points.
Persistent rain postponed eliminations from Sunday to Monday. Brown faced Clay Millican in the opening round and powered to a 3.682-second pass at a career-best 339.62 mph. Millican ran into trouble shortly after the starting line, allowing Brown to advance to a quarterfinal meeting with Tony Stewart.
Brown left the starting line first against Stewart, but the Matco Tools dragster began dropping cylinders before a damaged piston forced the car to shut off. Brown crossed the finish line in 4.054 seconds at 212.46 mph, while Stewart advanced with a 3.653 at 343.51 mph.
“We made some leeway here. Our car is running well, and I feel like we can be super competitive. We can run with anybody out there right now,” Brown said. “First round, we went out there and ran a 3.68. On this run, we tuned it up to run between a 3.64 and a 3.66. I believe we could have easily run a 3.64 to a 3.66 without question.
“We hurt a piston on that one, and that is what made the car shut off. It broke right after 330 feet, and we still went three-flat at 260-something mph to half-track. That gives us some promise and some hope, knowing what we know now going into the next race. The crew chiefs and the entire team are doing a great job. We will go back, reevaluate, make some things better and come out swinging. We have five races left, and we just have to get into a groove. We really thought we had a good shot at winning this race this weekend.”
Brown and the AB Motorsports team will continue the three-race stretch Sept. 25-27 at the inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, North Carolina.
