Brown wants to feast on home cooking this weekend at NHRA Supernationals

May 31

Antron Brown, driver of the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster, hopes a dose of “home cooking” will result in continued success at the NHRA SuperNationals here this weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

The Chesterfield, N.J., native has racked up two victories (2002, 2005), as well as a number-one qualifier (2005), as a Pro Stock Motorcycle pilot and consecutive runner-up finishes (2009, 2010) and a one number-one qualifier (2008) since dropping the bike for a Top Fuel dragster in 2008, at this historic venue.

“It’s definitely good times when I come here, back to New Jersey,” said the 35-year-old Don Schumacher Racing driver. “This track has a lot of history for me and New Jersey is where it all began.

“And racing at home, in front of family and friends, I want to do well. I’m able to lie back, relax and have fun. I’m just excited being here!”

Brown, who has won two races in the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season, looks forward not only to this race, but the upcoming ones during the rest of June.

“I am happy where we are at now as a team,” he said. “Beginning here, we will be going through a stretch (Bristol and Norwalk, Ohio) that I feel real comfortable with, a stretch we always do well in, and a point in the season where we always hit our stride.

“Our class is really tough right now. We do well on race day; just have to qualify a bit better. All in all, I see us coming into our own.”

And, of course, he would like to win his “hometown” race to kick off this period.

“I’ve won it on a Pro Stock Motorcycle; now, of course, I want to win, not finish second, in the Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster,” he added.

Brown heads into Englishtown fifth in the Top Fuel standings behind Del Worsham, DSR teammate Tony Schumacher, Larry Dixon and the other DSR driver, Spencer Massey.
The action begins with the first round of qualifying at 3:45 p.m. Friday, June 2, with Pro Stock Motorcycles, followed by Pro Stock, Funny Cars and Top Fuel, with a second qualifying round scheduled to begin at 6:15. Qualifying continues with two rounds Saturday beginning at noon and final eliminations at 11 a.m. Sunday.