Antron Brown Wins Top Fuel at the 2022 Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals
photo by NHRA
After a frustrating season as a new team owner, Antron Brown is suddenly the hottest driver in the sport with two wins in the last three races, including his fourth U.S. Nationals crown, Brown, who won Indy in Pro Stock Motorcycle in 2000 and 2004, added a second Top Fuel crown to go with his 2011 triumph when he upset No 1 qualifier Brittany Force in the final, 3.70 to 3.71. Brown is now 4-0 lifetime in U.S. Nationals finals.
"I can tell y'all right now, that was the longest 3.7 seconds in my entire life," he said. "That felt like slow motion. I stepped on the gas, and I'm like, 'Oh, are we ahead?' Then we got to half-track, the car was motivating hard, and I felt it nose over a little bit, 'She just dropped the hole; don't do this,' because you know, Brittany, they run big speed and come on the big end with a hard charge. And then when that light came on, I was like, 'Man, look what this team has come through where we're at, from start to finish.'
"Our team began this year, we start off with everything new from scratch —everything — like we had to put trailers together, cars together, and we started putting this team together. And lo and behold, it all started coming together, and to come out to US Nationals. And just keeping our head down, knowing that we can compete and race win any car out here."
Brown began his quest for his 70th win when he qualified the Matco Tools dragster in the No. 6 then ran 3.72 to beat Gatornationals champ Tripp Tatum and 3.73 to beat defending world and event champ Steve Torrence, who smoked the tires just of the line in the Capco dragster. Crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald then tuned Brown to a 3.69 to edge their teammate, Justin Ashley, in the semifinals.
Force, whose weekend started off with a couple of uncompetitive qualifying passes, found her footing in qualifying, where she ended up No. 1 for the seventh time this season. On race day, Grubnic set the dial to consistency as she ran 3.69 in the first and second rounds for respective wins over Dan Mercier and Josh Hart, then dialed up the power to a 3.67 to beat 2019 Indy winner Doug Kalitta and earn lane choice for the final round.
Source: NHRA
"Our team began this year, we start off with everything new from scratch —everything — like we had to put trailers together, cars together, and we started putting this team together. And lo and behold, it all started coming together, and to come out to US Nationals. And just keeping our head down, knowing that we can compete and race win any car out here."
Brown began his quest for his 70th win when he qualified the Matco Tools dragster in the No. 6 then ran 3.72 to beat Gatornationals champ Tripp Tatum and 3.73 to beat defending world and event champ Steve Torrence, who smoked the tires just of the line in the Capco dragster. Crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald then tuned Brown to a 3.69 to edge their teammate, Justin Ashley, in the semifinals.
Force, whose weekend started off with a couple of uncompetitive qualifying passes, found her footing in qualifying, where she ended up No. 1 for the seventh time this season. On race day, Grubnic set the dial to consistency as she ran 3.69 in the first and second rounds for respective wins over Dan Mercier and Josh Hart, then dialed up the power to a 3.67 to beat 2019 Indy winner Doug Kalitta and earn lane choice for the final round.
Source: NHRA