Antron Brown, driver of the Matco Tools Top Fuel Dragster, returns to Route 66 Raceway for the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance, May 16–18, seeking to defend his 2024 event win and continue his impressive history at the Joliet facility.
Brown, a three-time Top Fuel world champion, boasts an outstanding record at Route 66 Raceway, having secured six victories across two different NHRA categories. He earned four Top Fuel wins in 2012, 2014, 2016, and notably in 2024, and previously claimed two victories in Pro Stock Motorcycle in 2000 and 2001. With this success, Brown is tied with Jeg Coughlin Jr. as the winningest Mission Foods Series driver at Route 66 Raceway.
The 2024 victory marked a significant milestone as Brown captured his 75th career win and kicked off a stellar year that included six national event victories for AB Motorsports. Coming into Joliet in 2025, Brown has already secured one win, one runner-up finish, and one No. 1 qualifier across five events this season.
“We’re looking forward to going to Chicago. It’s always been a really good racetrack for this Matco Tools Lucas Oil team,” Brown said. “We peeled off a win there last year, so it feels good to come back. This race always has a lot of special memories and meaning for us. This is the hometown of the late, great Don Schumacher, who started a lot of our careers out in drag racing and let us live that dream and win championships. We’re going to go out there and race hard and try to bring it home. We want to honor Don Schumacher and all of the things he’s done for us in the past. I’m looking forward to having a good weekend.”
Brown heads into Joliet fresh off a semifinal finish at Charlotte, where he qualified fifth and advanced through challenging elimination rounds. His performance secured him a spot in this weekend’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, highlighting his consistent competitiveness in the series.
Fans attending the event will have opportunities to meet Brown during autograph sessions scheduled for Saturday morning:
- 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. at the Mission Foods midway display
- 9:30 – 10:00 a.m. at the Toyota midway display
Qualifying rounds for the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance begin Friday, May 16, with eliminations set for Sunday, May 18.
This story was originally published on May 14, 2025. 
