Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Event 8 of 20
Bristol Dragway
Bristol, Tenn.
June 6 – 8, 2025
ANTRON BROWN
Driver of the Matco Tools Top Fuel Dragster
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Event Highlights:
2024 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified third; First round exit (defeated by Doug Kalitta in E1)
Last Event (Epping):
Qualified third; Semifinal finish (defeated Mike Bucher in E1, Dan Mercier in E2; defeated by Tony Stewart in E3)
2025 Statistics:
Seven races; one win, one runner-up finish, one No. 1 qualifier
Career Statistics:
531 races; 81 wins, 51 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:
Fan Events:
Quotable:
“I think when we come out in Bristol, our Matco Tools/Lucas Oil/FVP Toyota is going to be on mean, so we’re looking forward to it and looking forward to getting out next weekend. The next 4-5 weeks, our main deal is to qualify well and get to the semifinals or finals to get where we need to be. Consistency is going to be a big factor, and I think we’re onto some really good stuff. We have to race smart and concentrate on doing things strategically and smart.
“Bristol is one of those places that can make or break you. It can be really hot or it can be cool, and when it’s cool, the track can be very forgiving. We have to go in there and qualify well in that night session, but then we have to race mid-day on Sunday, so we’re going to see all kinds of conditions. That’s a track that sticks out to us because we’ve had a lot of success there, been to a few finals, but we’ve never got the job done. When we go there, we want to get the job done for the first time because it’s one of the only tracks where we’ve never won. We’ll go in there with guns blazing and getting a win, that’s our goal.”
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Event 8 of 20
Bristol Dragway
Bristol, Tenn.
June 6 – 8, 2025
ANTRON BROWN
Driver of the Matco Tools Top Fuel Dragster
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Event Highlights:
- Two-time event runner-up (2011, 2023)
- 2010 No. 1 qualifier
2024 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified third; First round exit (defeated by Doug Kalitta in E1)
Last Event (Epping):
Qualified third; Semifinal finish (defeated Mike Bucher in E1, Dan Mercier in E2; defeated by Tony Stewart in E3)
2025 Statistics:
Seven races; one win, one runner-up finish, one No. 1 qualifier
Career Statistics:
531 races; 81 wins, 51 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:
- Brown has won at every track on the current NHRA tour with the exception of Bristol Dragway and Virginia Motorsports Park near Richmond
- The four-time and reigning world champ currently occupies the No. 3 position in the Top Fuel point standings and is within one competition round of the No. 2 ranked driver
- By advancing to the semifinals at the most recent event in Epping, N.H., Brown secured a spot in the Bristol running of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge
- Brown claimed his 800th round win during the 2023 Bristol event, becoming only the sixth driver in NHRA history to hit that milestone
Fan Events:
- Saturday, 9:30 – 10 a.m., Mission #2Fast2Tasty driver autograph session, Mission Foods midway display
- Saturday, 10:30 – 11 a.m., Team Toyota driver autograph session, Toyota midway display
- Saturday, post-qualifying Fanfest driver autograph session, Nitro Alley
Quotable:
“I think when we come out in Bristol, our Matco Tools/Lucas Oil/FVP Toyota is going to be on mean, so we’re looking forward to it and looking forward to getting out next weekend. The next 4-5 weeks, our main deal is to qualify well and get to the semifinals or finals to get where we need to be. Consistency is going to be a big factor, and I think we’re onto some really good stuff. We have to race smart and concentrate on doing things strategically and smart.
“Bristol is one of those places that can make or break you. It can be really hot or it can be cool, and when it’s cool, the track can be very forgiving. We have to go in there and qualify well in that night session, but then we have to race mid-day on Sunday, so we’re going to see all kinds of conditions. That’s a track that sticks out to us because we’ve had a lot of success there, been to a few finals, but we’ve never got the job done. When we go there, we want to get the job done for the first time because it’s one of the only tracks where we’ve never won. We’ll go in there with guns blazing and getting a win, that’s our goal.”
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