NHRA Topeka Pre-Race Report
Menards NHRA Nationals
Presented by PetArmor
Event 13 of 21
Heartland Motorsports Park
Topeka, Kan.
Aug. 11-13, 2023
ANTRON BROWN: Driver of the Matco Tools 'Test Drive' Top Fuel Dragster
Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor Event Highlights:
Two-time event champion (2017, 2022)
2016 event runner-up
Four-time No. 1 qualifier (2009, 2010, 2012, 2015)
2022 Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor Event Recap:
Qualified 11th; Event champion (defeated Brittany Force in E1, Josh Hart in E2, Justin Ashely in E3, Steve Torrence in E4)
Last Event (Sonoma):
Qualified third; Event runner-up (defeated Mike Salinas in E1, Brittany Force in E2, Steve Torrence in E3; defeated by Justin Ashley in E4)
2023 Statistics:
12 races; one win, two runner-up finishes, one No. 1 qualifier
Career Statistics:
495 races; 72 wins, 50 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor Event Highlights:
Two-time event champion (2017, 2022)
2016 event runner-up
Four-time No. 1 qualifier (2009, 2010, 2012, 2015)
2022 Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor Event Recap:
Qualified 11th; Event champion (defeated Brittany Force in E1, Josh Hart in E2, Justin Ashely in E3, Steve Torrence in E4)
Last Event (Sonoma):
Qualified third; Event runner-up (defeated Mike Salinas in E1, Brittany Force in E2, Steve Torrence in E3; defeated by Justin Ashley in E4)
2023 Statistics:
12 races; one win, two runner-up finishes, one No. 1 qualifier
Career Statistics:
495 races; 72 wins, 50 No. 1 qualifiers
Brown scored his first win as an NHRA team owner at the 2022 event. He powered past Steve Torrence in the final round to record victory No. 1 for his AB Motorsports team during its rookie season
The 2022 Topeka event was considered a turning point in Brown’s season. Brown entered the 2022 Topeka race in 11th place after a string of nine first-round losses and a DNQ. After winning Topeka, Brown and the ABM team went on to race to victory at the U.S. Nationals two races later before recording a Charlotte win, a runner-up at the season finale in Pomona, Calif., and a pair of semifinal appearances during the Countdown to the Championship to finish the season in second place
Tied with Cory McLenathan for number of Top Fuel poles at Topeka (four)
Brown enters the weekend after having raced to a runner-up finish at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, the most recent race on tour
By advancing beyond the quarterfinals in Sonoma, Brown secured a spot in the Topeka #2Fast2Tasty Challenge presented by Mission Foods
Fan Events:
Saturday, Aug. 12, 12:00 – 12:30 p.m., #2Fast2Tasty driver autograph session at Mission Foods midway display
Quotable:
“Love going to Topeka, love going to Gary Ormsby Drive. We’re the defending champions from last year and we’re coming off of Sonoma with some momentum. We’re going to go in there with our heads down and do what we do. It can get hot, it can get tricky out there like we saw last year. But, we can’t wait to get there and show out. That’s where we turned our season around last year and got on a roll, and we’re looking forward to one last showing out there and gaining some good points and momentum as we approach Indy and the Countdown.”
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 72-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.
