[coverattach=1]MADISON, Ill. (May 2, 2009) - Antron Brown, who owns the Gateway International Raceway track speed record at 331.94 mph, qualified his Mike Ashley-owned DirecTV/Matco Tools dragster seventh Saturday afternoon at G.I.R. The fan-favorite used a qualifying-best elapsed time of 3.906-seconds in his DirecTV rail. Brown has now qualified in the top half of the field at all seven races this season.
A day after losing Friday's two qualifying sessions to afternoon rain showers in the St. Louis-area, Brown and the DirecTV/Matco Tools Top Fuel team took to the track under overcast skies Saturday afternoon at G.I.R. The 19-time NHRA winner used a tune-up from crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald to power the blue and white DirecTV dragster to a lap of 3.949 seconds at 283.67 mph. That placed the Matco Tools flagship driver seventh in the 16-car order with one qualifying session remaining.
Brown's quickest pass of the rain-shortened qualifying came on his final attempt when the three-time Top Fuel winner used Corradi and Oswald horsepower to blast his DirecTV/Matco car to a performance of 3.906 at 298.67 to finish seventh in the qualifying order. There were 18 cars attempting to make the field for the 13th annual O'Reilly Midwest Nationals. Brown's average qualifying position this season is now 3.71. The former college track star has earned two poles this year (Pomona 1 and Houston). Morgan Lucas earned the No. 1 qualifying award Saturday afternoon at Gateway at 3.881-seconds.
"We got our two runs in today to make up for yesterday and this MAR/DirecTV/Matco dragster made two consistent runs," Brown said. "Now, we're looking to race day and we're very confident. Our car continues to be very consistent.
"We know it's going to be a tough first round against Doug (Kalitta), but we wouldn't want it any other way. They got us at this race last year, so hopefully we can make up for that this time."
Brown will face off against No. 10 qualifier Doug Kalitta in the first round of Top Fuel eliminations at 11 a.m. (CT) on Sunday at Gateway. Brown is 1-1 against the 31-time Top Fuel winner this season and 3-3 in his career. Brown fell to Kalitta in the quarterfinals last May at G.I.R. Brown's next round win will be the 270th of his career. He needs two round wins to reach 50 in Top Fuel.
Headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., Mike Ashley Racing fields the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster driven by Antron Brown. MAR proudly represents racing partners Matco Tools, Lend America, DirecTV, BeepBeep.com, Toyota, DataDot USA, Ringer's Gloves, Go Fast Sports, Goodyear, FRAM, Autolite, Suzuki, Connexions Sports and Entertainment, and Forward Sports Marketing.
Mike Ashley Racing supports Autism Awareness through their support of the Hyperbaric Therapy Center. A 2007 Centers for Disease Control report found that 1 in 150 children in America today have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and an estimated 1.5 million Americans and their families are now affected. Autism is a national health crisis, and Mike Ashley Racing is working to help educate the public about ways they can get involved. Visit the Heal Autism Now website for more information about how you can get involved at HEAL! Healing Every Autistic Life : Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Q1 canceled rain
Q2 canceled rain
Q3 3.949 ET, 283.67 MPH No. 7
Q4 3.906 ET, 298.67 MPH No. 6
A day after losing Friday's two qualifying sessions to afternoon rain showers in the St. Louis-area, Brown and the DirecTV/Matco Tools Top Fuel team took to the track under overcast skies Saturday afternoon at G.I.R. The 19-time NHRA winner used a tune-up from crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald to power the blue and white DirecTV dragster to a lap of 3.949 seconds at 283.67 mph. That placed the Matco Tools flagship driver seventh in the 16-car order with one qualifying session remaining.
Brown's quickest pass of the rain-shortened qualifying came on his final attempt when the three-time Top Fuel winner used Corradi and Oswald horsepower to blast his DirecTV/Matco car to a performance of 3.906 at 298.67 to finish seventh in the qualifying order. There were 18 cars attempting to make the field for the 13th annual O'Reilly Midwest Nationals. Brown's average qualifying position this season is now 3.71. The former college track star has earned two poles this year (Pomona 1 and Houston). Morgan Lucas earned the No. 1 qualifying award Saturday afternoon at Gateway at 3.881-seconds.
"We got our two runs in today to make up for yesterday and this MAR/DirecTV/Matco dragster made two consistent runs," Brown said. "Now, we're looking to race day and we're very confident. Our car continues to be very consistent.
"We know it's going to be a tough first round against Doug (Kalitta), but we wouldn't want it any other way. They got us at this race last year, so hopefully we can make up for that this time."
Brown will face off against No. 10 qualifier Doug Kalitta in the first round of Top Fuel eliminations at 11 a.m. (CT) on Sunday at Gateway. Brown is 1-1 against the 31-time Top Fuel winner this season and 3-3 in his career. Brown fell to Kalitta in the quarterfinals last May at G.I.R. Brown's next round win will be the 270th of his career. He needs two round wins to reach 50 in Top Fuel.
Headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., Mike Ashley Racing fields the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster driven by Antron Brown. MAR proudly represents racing partners Matco Tools, Lend America, DirecTV, BeepBeep.com, Toyota, DataDot USA, Ringer's Gloves, Go Fast Sports, Goodyear, FRAM, Autolite, Suzuki, Connexions Sports and Entertainment, and Forward Sports Marketing.
Mike Ashley Racing supports Autism Awareness through their support of the Hyperbaric Therapy Center. A 2007 Centers for Disease Control report found that 1 in 150 children in America today have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and an estimated 1.5 million Americans and their families are now affected. Autism is a national health crisis, and Mike Ashley Racing is working to help educate the public about ways they can get involved. Visit the Heal Autism Now website for more information about how you can get involved at HEAL! Healing Every Autistic Life : Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Q1 canceled rain
Q2 canceled rain
Q3 3.949 ET, 283.67 MPH No. 7
Q4 3.906 ET, 298.67 MPH No. 6
