Antron Brown on Sonoma
"What an awesome wave we've been riding all season long. We just want to keep things going this
weekend at Sonoma. Infineon (Raceway) is an awesome track and we hope to go some rounds with the
MAR Matco Tools dragster. Brian (Corradi) and Mark (Oswald) are doing great calling the shots and
we've got a great group of guys. It would be awesome to sweep the swing, but we're just going to
take it one round at a time and not look ahead."
Brian Corradi (crew chief) on Sonoma
"Our team is on a really good roll right now and we really want to keep it going. We don't want to
let up. Things have jelled so well and we really want to win the Sonoma race and sweep the Western
Swing, but we don't want to stop there. The goal is to win the championship, but as always, we'll
try to qualify well and take things one round at a time and try and run our best."
Antron Brown Sonoma NHRA Notebook
Brown enters the Sonoma race riding a hot streak. The six-time Top Fuel winner has won the first
two legs of the Western Swing at Denver and Seattle as he looks to become just the fifth Top Fuel
driver to sweep the grueling three-race set. Last weekend in Seattle, Brown edged six-time series
champion Tony Schumacher in the final round 3.985 to 3.990 to earn his fourth win of the season.
Brown has advanced to the final round at seven of 14 races this year. He also has earned five No. 1
qualifying awards, a category best, along with low E.T. of the meet honors six times and top speed
of the meet seven times.
Brown made his Top Fuel debut at Infineon Raceway last July by racing the Matco Tools dragster to
the pole at 3.805 seconds at 316.45 mph. It was Brown's third Top Fuel No. 1 qualifying award. On
race day, Brown drove the Matco-backed rail to a semifinal finish before falling to Hillary Will in
the semifinals, 4.011 to 4.042. Brown is a two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle finalist at the scenic
Sonoma track.
Brown enters the final race of the Western Swing with his largest lead of the season, 137 points.
The 22-time winner leads Schumacher by 137 and two-time title winner Larry Dixon by 170 points with
10 races remaining on the 2009 NHRA schedule. Brown, Schumacher and Dixon are the only three Top
Fuel drivers to earn a coveted spot in the Countdown to 1. Brown has been atop the standings
following the last five races and nine of 14 races this season.
Antron Brown... Did You Know?
-Brown was a track star at Mercer College in New Jersey competing in the 100 and 200-meters, long
jump, and 55-meter indoor. He ran quick enough to qualify for the U.S. Olympic trails in the
100-meters.
-Brown's first race team owner was former NFL star cornerback Troy Vincent.
-Brown is the only driver in NHRA history to hold the points lead and win races in both Top Fuel
and Pro Stock Motorcycle (4 TF/16 PSM).
-Ashley will return to competition at the final four races on the 2009 NHRA schedule in Top Fuel as
he attempts to become just the 15th driver in NHRA history to win races in both Top Fuel and Funny
Car.
-Brown's co-crew chief, Mark Oswald, won the 1984 NHRA Winston Funny Car championship. Oswald is
one of 14 drivers in NHRA history to have won races in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Oswald won the
Sonoma race in Funny Car in 1988.
Brown's Sonoma NHRA Schedule
Date/Time Event/Location
Thur., July 23, 7-9 p.m. Matco Tools Customer Appreciation Dinner
Iron Eagle Club at Infineon Raceway
Fri., July 24, 4:45/7:15 p.m. TF Qualifying 1/2, Infineon Raceway Sat., July 25, 12:30/3 p.m. TF
Qualifying 3/4, Infineon Raceway
Sun., July 26, 11 a.m. Final Eliminations, Infineon Raceway
