NHRA St. Louis Pre-Race Report
NHRA Midwest Nationals
Event 18 of 21
Countdown Event 3 of 6
World Wide Technology Raceway
Madison, Ill.
Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2023
Event 18 of 21
Countdown Event 3 of 6
World Wide Technology Raceway
Madison, Ill.
Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2023
ANTRON BROWN: Driver of the Matco's 'Tools for the Cause' Top Fuel Dragster
Photo of last year's Matco's 'Tools for the Cause' Top Fuel dragster during the 2022 NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway
Countdown to the Championship Ranking: 5th
NHRA Midwest Nationals Event Highlights:
Five-time event champion (2009, 2012-2015)
2005 runner-up (Pro Stock Motorcycle)
Two-time No. 1 qualifier
Pro Stock Motorcycle (2001, 2004)
2022 NHRA Midwest Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified ninth; First round exit (defeated by Clay Millican in E1)
Last Event (Charlotte 2):
Qualified second; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Spencer Massey in E1; defeated by Leah Pruett in E2)
2023 Statistics:
17 races; three wins, two runner-up finishes, one No. 1 qualifier
Career Statistics:
500 races; 74 wins, 50 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:Photo of last year's Matco's 'Tools for the Cause' Top Fuel dragster during the 2022 NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway
Countdown to the Championship Ranking: 5th
NHRA Midwest Nationals Event Highlights:
Five-time event champion (2009, 2012-2015)
2005 runner-up (Pro Stock Motorcycle)
Two-time No. 1 qualifier
Pro Stock Motorcycle (2001, 2004)
2022 NHRA Midwest Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified ninth; First round exit (defeated by Clay Millican in E1)
Last Event (Charlotte 2):
Qualified second; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Spencer Massey in E1; defeated by Leah Pruett in E2)
2023 Statistics:
17 races; three wins, two runner-up finishes, one No. 1 qualifier
Career Statistics:
500 races; 74 wins, 50 No. 1 qualifiers
With five Midwest Nationals trophies, Brown returns to St. Louis as the winningest nitro-class driver in the track’s history
After racing to back-to-back victories in Brainerd, Minn. and Indianapolis to close out the NHRA’s regular-season, Brown brought his total win count up to 74 national event victories. He will be seeking a milestone 75th victory this weekend in St. Louis
The No. 5 ranked second-year team owner is pursuing a fourth series title and the first for AB Motorsports
Brown is a 15-time Countdown event winner, the most of any Top Fuel or Funny Car driver
Brown is campaigning a pink 'Tools for the Cause' livery during the month of October to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF):
Throughout October, 15% of the sales from select TFC items sold will be donated directly to BCRF
Since 'Tools for the Cause' began in 2012, Matco has donated over two million dollars to breast cancer research
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to achieving prevention and a cure for breast cancer. They provide critical funding for cancer research worldwide to fuel advances in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, metastasis, and survivorship.
Fan Events:
Thursday, 10:30 a.m. – Student car show and appearance at Ranken Tech College (4431 Finney Ave, St. Louis, MO 63113) This event is free and open to the public
Quotable:
“The gameplan right now at this point in the Countdown is to take it one round at a time. We’re not going to go into St. Louis putting a lot of pressure on ourselves. We know what we need to do. We qualified well in Charlotte and that’s what we want to continue to do in St. Louis so we can put ourselves in the right position heading into race day. We’ll take it one lap at a time, not get ahead of ourselves. We can race with anybody. I feel really comfortable with where we’re at and I can see the eagerness and that hungry look on all of our Matco Tools/Toyota guys. With that being said, we’re feeling good and ready to go in St. Louis.”
About AB Motorsports
Established in 2019, AB Motorsports is a single-car NHRA Top Fuel team owned and operated by three-time world champion Antron Brown. The team competes on the 21-race NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series circuit thanks to the support of Matco Tools, Lucas Oil, Toyota, SiriusXM, Factory Motor Parts and its FVP brand, Hangsterfer’s Metal Working Lubricants, and Summit Racing Equipment.Headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., AB Motorsports made its on-track debut in 2022, racing to three wins in four final rounds to finish second in the standings in its rookie season.
Brown, who serves as both the driver and owner of the AB Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, is the only competitor in NHRA history to have won races in both the Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle categories. Brown is a 74-time NHRA national event winner and became the first Black driver to win a major U.S. auto racing championship when he captured the 2012 NHRA Top Fuel series title.
For more information, visit www.antronbrown.com or @antronbrown on Twitter, and @antronbrowntf on Instagram and Facebook.
