LAS VEGAS (Nov. 1, 2026) — Antron Brown advanced to the semifinals Sunday at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, earning a pair of close wins before his day ended against Leah Pruett.
Brown qualified No. 10 in the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster. He opened qualifying with a 3.772-second pass at 331.61 mph, then improved to a 3.741 at 325.77 to move into the No. 10 position. Saturday, Brown ran a 3.753 at 326.16 and a 3.738 at 324.90 to secure his place in the field.
Saturday’s qualifying sessions followed the announcement that Matco Tools is extending its partnership with Brown and AB Motorsports.
In the opening round of eliminations, Brown faced Maddi Gordon in a rematch of the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals. Brown won with a 3.690 at 336.74, narrowly edging Gordon’s 3.693 at 340.82.
Brown then earned a holeshot victory over Tony Stewart in the second round. Stewart ran quicker, posting a 3.678 at 336.32 to Brown’s 3.683 at 336.32, but Brown’s starting-line advantage secured the win by 0.0066 seconds, or approximately three feet.
In the semifinals, Brown’s dragster went into tire smoke at the hit, and he tried to pedal it to regain traction. Pruett also had trouble getting off the starting line, but recovered with help from the newly allowed throttle-control device. Brown recorded an 8.902 at 84.38, while Pruett advanced with a 4.871 at 223.76.
“This weekend was a good weekend. It got us off kilter early, but we got back on track. The crew chiefs – Brian [Corradi], Brad [Mason], John [Medlen] and all those guys – did a really good job figuring it out and getting us back on track,” Brown said.
“Vegas was definitely a good race, and we learned a lot at this racetrack. The Matco Tools AB Motorsports team is on the rise, and we’re building toward having a really competitive car next year. The main goal is to run for a championship.”
The 2026 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season concludes Nov. 12-15 at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif.
Watch Antron Brown’s full post-race report here.
Qualified: No. 10 (3.690 E.T. at 336.94 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.690 E.T. at 336.74 MPH defeated Maddi Gordon 3.693 E.T. at 340.82 MPH
E2: 3.683 E.T. at 336.32 MPH defeated by Tony Stewart 3.678 E.T. at 336.32 MPH
E3: 8.902 E.T. at 84.38 MPH defeated Shawn Langdon 4.871 E.T. at 223.76 MPH
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel Point Standings (Unofficial):
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 1, 2026) — Angelle Sampey’s pursuit of her first Top Alcohol Dragster win at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ended with a first-round loss to Melanie Johnson at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.
She opened qualifying with a 5.527-second pass at 257.83 mph to take the No. 14 spot, then improved to a 5.463 at 258.91 to move up to No. 13. A 5.560 at 260.71 in the final session dropped her to No. 16.
In the opening round, Johnson left first with a .008-second reaction time to Sampey’s .042. Johnson ran a 5.278 at 274.39 to advance, while Sampey crossed the finish line with a 5.551 at 253.71.
“We knew going into that round that we had to change something, so we changed everything. We changed the engine, we changed the Mags, we changed everything, and the car still didn’t perform the way we needed it to,” Sampey said. “I’m not real sure what we’re going to do with that going into the final race at Pomona, because we only have one more shot to win a Diamond Wally.”
Sampey will shift her focus to Top Fuel on Monday, when she is scheduled to test Antron Brown’s Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster at The Strip and work toward earning her Top Fuel license.
“My head is mainly focused on Antron Brown’s Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster that I’ll be piloting tomorrow and testing,” Sampey said. “I’m not going to worry about it too much today. I’m just going to have a good time with it tomorrow. Hopefully, all things will go smoothly, we’ll get it down the racetrack, and I’ll get my Top Fuel license. That’s the goal. That’s what I’m hoping and praying for.”
Sampey will close out her season at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15, at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, California.
Watch Angelle Sampey’s full post-race report here.
Qualified: No. 16 (5.463 E.T. at 258.91 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 5.551 E.T. at 253.71 MPH defeated by Melanie Johnson 5.278 E.T. at 274.39 MPH
Continue reading...
Brown qualified No. 10 in the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster. He opened qualifying with a 3.772-second pass at 331.61 mph, then improved to a 3.741 at 325.77 to move into the No. 10 position. Saturday, Brown ran a 3.753 at 326.16 and a 3.738 at 324.90 to secure his place in the field.
Saturday’s qualifying sessions followed the announcement that Matco Tools is extending its partnership with Brown and AB Motorsports.
In the opening round of eliminations, Brown faced Maddi Gordon in a rematch of the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals. Brown won with a 3.690 at 336.74, narrowly edging Gordon’s 3.693 at 340.82.
Brown then earned a holeshot victory over Tony Stewart in the second round. Stewart ran quicker, posting a 3.678 at 336.32 to Brown’s 3.683 at 336.32, but Brown’s starting-line advantage secured the win by 0.0066 seconds, or approximately three feet.
In the semifinals, Brown’s dragster went into tire smoke at the hit, and he tried to pedal it to regain traction. Pruett also had trouble getting off the starting line, but recovered with help from the newly allowed throttle-control device. Brown recorded an 8.902 at 84.38, while Pruett advanced with a 4.871 at 223.76.
“This weekend was a good weekend. It got us off kilter early, but we got back on track. The crew chiefs – Brian [Corradi], Brad [Mason], John [Medlen] and all those guys – did a really good job figuring it out and getting us back on track,” Brown said.
“Vegas was definitely a good race, and we learned a lot at this racetrack. The Matco Tools AB Motorsports team is on the rise, and we’re building toward having a really competitive car next year. The main goal is to run for a championship.”
The 2026 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season concludes Nov. 12-15 at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif.
Watch Antron Brown’s full post-race report here.
Qualified: No. 10 (3.690 E.T. at 336.94 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.690 E.T. at 336.74 MPH defeated Maddi Gordon 3.693 E.T. at 340.82 MPH
E2: 3.683 E.T. at 336.32 MPH defeated by Tony Stewart 3.678 E.T. at 336.32 MPH
E3: 8.902 E.T. at 84.38 MPH defeated Shawn Langdon 4.871 E.T. at 223.76 MPH
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel Point Standings (Unofficial):
| 1 | Shawn Langdon | 2630 |
| 2 | Doug Kalitta | 2523 |
| 3 | Antron Brown | 2394 |
| 4 | Leah Pruett | 2379 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | 2359 |
| T6 | Will Smith | 2293 |
| T6 | Maddi Gordon | 2293 |
| 8 | Justin Ashley | 2278 |
| 9 | Josh Hart | 2254 |
| 10 | Billy Torrence | 2250 |
| 11 | Clay Millican | 2188 |
| 12 | Tony Schumacher | 2140 |
Angelle Sampey Turns Focus to NHRA Finals After Las Vegas Exit
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 1, 2026) — Angelle Sampey’s pursuit of her first Top Alcohol Dragster win at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ended with a first-round loss to Melanie Johnson at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.
She opened qualifying with a 5.527-second pass at 257.83 mph to take the No. 14 spot, then improved to a 5.463 at 258.91 to move up to No. 13. A 5.560 at 260.71 in the final session dropped her to No. 16.
In the opening round, Johnson left first with a .008-second reaction time to Sampey’s .042. Johnson ran a 5.278 at 274.39 to advance, while Sampey crossed the finish line with a 5.551 at 253.71.
“We knew going into that round that we had to change something, so we changed everything. We changed the engine, we changed the Mags, we changed everything, and the car still didn’t perform the way we needed it to,” Sampey said. “I’m not real sure what we’re going to do with that going into the final race at Pomona, because we only have one more shot to win a Diamond Wally.”
Sampey will shift her focus to Top Fuel on Monday, when she is scheduled to test Antron Brown’s Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster at The Strip and work toward earning her Top Fuel license.
“My head is mainly focused on Antron Brown’s Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster that I’ll be piloting tomorrow and testing,” Sampey said. “I’m not going to worry about it too much today. I’m just going to have a good time with it tomorrow. Hopefully, all things will go smoothly, we’ll get it down the racetrack, and I’ll get my Top Fuel license. That’s the goal. That’s what I’m hoping and praying for.”
Sampey will close out her season at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15, at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, California.
Watch Angelle Sampey’s full post-race report here.
Qualified: No. 16 (5.463 E.T. at 258.91 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 5.551 E.T. at 253.71 MPH defeated by Melanie Johnson 5.278 E.T. at 274.39 MPH
Continue reading...
