MARTIN, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2026) – 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.
Watch Antron Brown’s full post-race report here.
Qualified: No. 3 (3.673 E.T. at 338.09 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.682 E.T. at 339.62 MPH defeated Clay Millican 9.899 E.T. at 78.58 MPH
E2: 4.054 E.T. at 212.46 MPH defeated by Tony Stewart 3.653 E.T. at 343.51 MPH
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel Point Standings (Unofficial):
MARTIN, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2026) – A weather-compressed schedule at the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by MOPAR gave Angelle Sampey just one qualifying pass before eliminations began Friday evening at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.
Sampey drove the Hangsterfer’s FVP Mission Foods A/Fuel Dragster to a 5.327-second pass at 264.55 mph, placing her No. 8 in the Top Alcohol Dragster field. With rain threatening the remainder of the weekend, the opening round of eliminations was moved to Friday evening.
Sampey faced J.P. Gutierrez in the first round. Gutierrez left the starting line first and held the advantage through the finish, posting a 5.319 at 268.50 mph to defeat Sampey’s 5.446 at 262.54 mph.
“Friday, we only had one round of qualifying, and we went straight into eliminations on,” Sampey said. “We just did not run the number, so I lost first round.
“I know we didn’t get the opportunity to tune on the car with only one qualifying run, so it is what it is,” Sampey added. “There wasn’t a whole bunch we could do about it, but we didn’t run the number. We didn’t get it in there.”
Although Top Alcohol Dragster will not compete at the next two NHRA national events, Sampey will attend the NHRA Nationals at the Rock at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, North Carolina, and the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, as a Mission Foods Ambassador.
“We don’t have the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge going on anymore for the rest of the season, but I’m still here hanging out, greeting fans and doing the Mission thing by bringing people to the starting line when we get a chance,” Sampey said.
Sampey will return to the Hangsterfer’s FVP Mission Foods A/Fuel Dragster at the Texas FallNationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.
“My next event will be in Dallas, which means I only have three events to go for this year,” Sampey said. “I’m looking forward to Dallas.”
Watch Angelle Sampey’s full post-race report here.
Qualified: No. 8 (5.327 at 264.55 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 5.446 E.T. at 262.54 MPH defeated by J.P. Gutierrez 5.319 E.T. at 268.50 MPH
Continue reading...
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.
Watch Antron Brown’s full post-race report here.
Qualified: No. 3 (3.673 E.T. at 338.09 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.682 E.T. at 339.62 MPH defeated Clay Millican 9.899 E.T. at 78.58 MPH
E2: 4.054 E.T. at 212.46 MPH defeated by Tony Stewart 3.653 E.T. at 343.51 MPH
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel Point Standings (Unofficial):
| 1 | Doug Kalitta | 1352 |
| 2 | Shawn Langdon | 1344 |
| 3 | Tony Stewart | 2138 |
| 4 | Antron Brown | 2115 |
| 5 | Leah Pruett | 2112 |
| 6 | Josh Hart | 2093 |
| 7 | Billy Torrence | 2077 |
| 8 | Maddi Gordon | 2074 |
| 9 | Justin Ashley | 2046 |
| 10 | Clay Millican | 2037 |
Angelle Sampey Looks Ahead After Weather-Shortened NHRA Great Lakes Nationals
MARTIN, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2026) – A weather-compressed schedule at the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by MOPAR gave Angelle Sampey just one qualifying pass before eliminations began Friday evening at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.
Sampey drove the Hangsterfer’s FVP Mission Foods A/Fuel Dragster to a 5.327-second pass at 264.55 mph, placing her No. 8 in the Top Alcohol Dragster field. With rain threatening the remainder of the weekend, the opening round of eliminations was moved to Friday evening.
Sampey faced J.P. Gutierrez in the first round. Gutierrez left the starting line first and held the advantage through the finish, posting a 5.319 at 268.50 mph to defeat Sampey’s 5.446 at 262.54 mph.
“Friday, we only had one round of qualifying, and we went straight into eliminations on,” Sampey said. “We just did not run the number, so I lost first round.
“I know we didn’t get the opportunity to tune on the car with only one qualifying run, so it is what it is,” Sampey added. “There wasn’t a whole bunch we could do about it, but we didn’t run the number. We didn’t get it in there.”
Although Top Alcohol Dragster will not compete at the next two NHRA national events, Sampey will attend the NHRA Nationals at the Rock at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, North Carolina, and the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, as a Mission Foods Ambassador.
“We don’t have the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge going on anymore for the rest of the season, but I’m still here hanging out, greeting fans and doing the Mission thing by bringing people to the starting line when we get a chance,” Sampey said.
Sampey will return to the Hangsterfer’s FVP Mission Foods A/Fuel Dragster at the Texas FallNationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.
“My next event will be in Dallas, which means I only have three events to go for this year,” Sampey said. “I’m looking forward to Dallas.”
Watch Angelle Sampey’s full post-race report here.
Qualified: No. 8 (5.327 at 264.55 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 5.446 E.T. at 262.54 MPH defeated by J.P. Gutierrez 5.319 E.T. at 268.50 MPH
Continue reading...
