Antron Brown and Matco Tools extend Partnership through 2010
NHRA.com - Jan-09 - Mike Ashley Racing has acquired the racing assets of the Matco Tools Top Fuel team from 3B Racingand Antron Brown will continue to drive the Matco-backed Top Fuel Dragster. Also, Matco Tools has extended its partnership with MAR through the 2010 NHRA season.
Brown, an 18-time NHRA winner, including two Top Fuel wins last season, returns to pilot the bright blue Matco Tools dragster that will now be tuned by co-crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald, the 1984 NHRA Funny Car world champion. Among the assets changing hands include the entire Top Fuel operation, support trailer, Iron Eagle Club hospitality unit, and the team's striking Brownsburg, Ind., race shop. The team will begin its preparation for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Jan. 23 during the National Time Trials at Firebird Int'l Raceway near Phoenix. Brown will continue to make Votech school appearances or participate in tool-truck rides with Matco distributors prior to each race.
"We are committed to Mike Ashley Racing and excited to extend our sponsorship with Antron Brown and the Matco Tools Top Fuel team through 2010," said Matco Tools President Tom Willis. "Matco Tools is fully committed to NHRA Drag Racing. It remains a fantastic base for our 1,500 Matco Tools distributors. We speak directly to our loyal customers through this NHRA program, and we couldn't ask for a better driver and person than Antron Brown."
Last season, Brown became the first driver in NHRA history to earn wins in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Following 10 successful seasons on his Suzuki, which included 16 wins and 11 low-qualifying positions, Brown qualified No. 1 at the season-opening Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals. He won in just his fourth start (Houston) and won two races in five final-round appearances; he also earned three low-qualifying positions and ranked second in the Top Fuel standings for much of the 2008 NHRA season.
"To hear that we're going to be with Matco Tools for another two years is awesome news for not only our new team here at Mike Ashley Racing but also NHRA Drag Racing," said Brown. "We're very excited about the 2009 season. We're just a week away from firing up this Matco Tools dragster and can't wait to hit the throttle to start testing. We're retaining our core group of technicians, and I'm excited to work alongside Brian and Mark and start winning races."
Headquartered in Brownsburg, IN, Mike Ashley Racing also represents racing partners Lend America, Valvoline, Toyota, DataDot USA, Ringers Gloves, Go Fast Sports, Goodyear, Fram, Autolite, Connexions Sports and Entertainment, and Forward Sports Marketing.
Brown Shows Strength in Preseason Testing at Firebird Raceway
Indymarty@aol.com - Teams vying for the Top Fuel Dragster category of the NHRA have much to worry over while trying to gain any advantage over their competition. Chassis and tire setup, rules changes related to the 1000-foot track distance, driver preferences and the seemingly ever-changing, secret “tune-up” being foremost on that list.
Add former Pro-Stock Motorcycle ace pilot Antron Brown to that list. Brown will have to be dealt with during the 2009 NHRA Full-Throttle Drag Racing Series. He shocked the series regulars at last year’s opening-round Winternationals event by posting the low-qualifier e.t. as a rookie, blistering the Firebird Raceway drag strip in his Matco Tools Top Fuel Dragster. His phenomenal 3.781 sec. 316.45 mph pass became the highlight of the third and final day of testing at the NAPA Auto Parts National Time Trials. It was unofficially the second-fastest pass on the newly-adopted 1000 foot race distance. Only Tony Schumacher’s 3.771 sec. pass at Richmond International Dragway during last year’s event was faster.
A tremendously difficult off-season saw the team sold not just once, but twice. The team eventually landed on its collective feet when Mike Ashley purchased the operation. Another blow came when expert tuner Lee Beard was released. Funny Car World Champion-turned-crew-chief Mark Oswald and Brian Corradi replaced him from Roger Burgess’ suspended operation.
Oswald was quick to point out that it was a small amount of tweaking of Beard’s setup that yielded the results seen during the session. “This is everything Lee was running last year, and we just did a couple of little things to it. Everyone knows Lee has a great car, so that wasn’t an issue. It was very well-prepared, and having all of the same personnel here helped make this a good transition.”
Brown’s weekend didn’t get off to a stellar start, as the car only made one pass after suffering internal engine damage during the burnout. But Saturday saw passes of 3.88 and 3.87 sec. under albeit perfect conditions. Sunday’s times were 3.99 followed by an impressive 3.829 final run after some “dialing-in”.
But the car and driver had a little more to prove, and to show in the final days’ attempts. Brown commented, “We’ve just been creeping up on it, we knew that the car had some good numbers that we were capable of if we got a little more aggressive. We made it through the shake zone, and it just took off. When I chopped it at the other end and looked at my scoreboard, I couldn’t believe it said 3.78. I was ecstatic.” When asked to comment about the off-season challenges and changes, Brown quickly turned the subject in a more personal direction, “This is really good for everyone over here after what happened to our team, Mike Ashley stepped in and bought the team and was very motivational, and said we’re going to be a good team. My mother and grandmother told me that whenever the good Lord closes one door and you go through some adverse conditions, he opens two more, and I guess they were right.”
Antron Brown’s adversaries in this year’s NHRA Top Fuel Dragster category will have to hope that they can keep the door closed on Brown’s championship aspirations. Stay tuned, this is going to get exciting before the 2009 NHRA season concludes.