Antron Brown - Driver
Category: Top Fuel
Residence: Pittsboro, IN
Hometown: Chesterfield, NJ
Date of Birth: March 1, 1976
2009 Car: Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster
Crew Chief: Brian Corradi / Mark Oswald
Team Owner: Don Schumacher
2010 Wins/Final Rounds: 1/7
Career Wins/Final Rounds: 25/55 (9/22 TF - 16/33 PSM)
Best Points Finish: 2nd (2001, ’06)
First Start: Gainesville 1998 (PSM) / Pomona 1 2008 (TF)
First Victory: Dallas 1 1999 (PSM) / Houston 2008 (TF)
First No. 1 Qualifying Position: Houston 2001 (PSM) / Pomona 1 2008 (TF)
Career No. 1 Qualifying Awards: 26 (15 TF, 11 PSM)
Career-best Elapsed Time: 4.495 seconds (Pomona 1 2008), 3.777 seconds (Houston 2010)
Career-best Speed: 331.94 mph (St. Louis 2008), 325.37 mph (Pomona 1 2011)

Wife: Billie Jo
Sons: Anson (7), Adler (3)
Daughter: Arianna (9)
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 145 lbs.
Hobbies: RC Boats, Motorcycles, Fitness

Antron Brown grew up at the drag strip, so it’s only fitting he developed into a championship-caliber drag racer. The Chesterfield, N.J. native was raised in the quarter mile racing hot bed of the Garden State and attend races with his family at historic Atco and Englishtown, N.J. and Reading, Pa.

Brown, 33, first operated a motorcycle at four-years-old shortly after learning how to ride a bicycle with training wheels. The 16-time NHRA winner first competed at 12-years-old in an 80-cc class in amateur youth motocross. His first competitive action on the drag strip came during his senior year in high school aboard a Suzuki GSXR 1100 that Brown routinely steered at runs at 9.20 seconds at nearly 160 mph.

While his passion for motorcycles never waned, Brown excelled at track and field. After graduating from Northern Burlington County Regional High School in Columbus, N.J., Brown competed on both the indoor and outdoor track circuit. The scholar athlete competed in multiple events including the long jump and 100-meter dash. He earned an Associate of Arts degree in business administration from Mercer Junior College.

It was during college in 1997 that his dream of being a professional drag racer became a reality. While at his college dorm, he fielded a phone call from star NFL cornerback Troy Vincent, who asked if Brown was capable of riding a Pro Stock Motorcycle. Less than a year later, Team 23 Racing was a reality as Brown teamed with famed rider Dave Schultz, who mentored the animated rookie racer. In 10 seasons on his Suzuki, Brown amassed 16 PSM victories in 33 final rounds, 11 No. 1 qualifying awards, and twice finished second in the points standings (2001 and ’06).

After a decade as one of the premier riders in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category, Brown inked a deal with David Powers Motorsports to drive the Matco Tools dragster in 2008. Brown made a seamless transition to the Top Fuel class, earning the pole in his first career Top Fuel race at the 2008 Winternationals at historic Pomona, Calif. with a blast of 4.495-seconds. He won in just his fourth Top Fuel start by edging two-time series champion Larry Dixon in the final round at Houston Raceway Park becoming the first driver in NHRA history to win races in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The popular driver earned two wins in five final round appearances, along with claiming three No. 1 qualifying awards during the 2008 NHRA season en route to finishing fifth in the NHRA Countdown to 1 standings.

Despite a tumultuous season that saw four team owners in less than one year, Brown experienced a career year on 2009. With the tuning duo of Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald, the 1984 NHRA Funny Car champion, calling the shots, the Matco Tools dragster proved to be a title-contender from day one of pre-season testing. Brown earned his first of seven No. 1 qualifying awards at the season-opening Winternationals and raced to a runner-up finish at the historic California track. Two weeks later he won for new team owner Mike Ashley at Phoenix. The Matco Tools team continued to be the team to beat winning again at St. Louis before Brown became just the seventh professional driver to sweep the grueling Western Swing (Denver, Seattle and Sonoma). The former college track star led the Top Fuel field into the Countdown to 1 and despite a few sub par events, finished third in the six-race playoff. The Matco Team received some stability when drag racing mogul Don Schumacher purchased the assets of the Matco team from Mike Ashley Racing in October 2009. At the final event of the season at Pomona, despite not earning the Top Fuel championship, Brown dispatched a stellar field en route to a category-best sixth win of ’09. He posted six wins in 10 final-round appearances, seven poles, 51 round wins, and earned top speed of the meet honors at 13 races. Brown also set the 1,000-foot speed record twice at 319.22 (Indianapolis) and 319.60 (Richmond) mph.

Brown previously was a member of the Don Schumacher Racing stable from July of 2002 (Denver) through the completion of the 2007 NHRA season where he and three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Angelle Sampey were teammates aboard the U.S. Army Pro Stock Motorcycle Suzuki’s. Brown earned seven PSM wins as a member of DSR, along with collecting five No. 1 qualifying awards. He finished second in the standings in 2006 narrowly missing the championship.

In 12 seasons as a professional racer, Brown has 24 wins in 48 final rounds, 21 poles and 308 round wins. He is the only driver in NHRA history to have won races and led the standings in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Brown and his wife, Billie Jo, reside in Pittsboro, Ind. They have three children, Arianna (7), Anson (5) and Adler (1). When not at the race track, Brown enjoys spending time with his family. He also has a passion for RC boats, motorcycles and fitness.

CAREER FINAL-ROUND RECORD

2010
Gainesville runner-up (Tony Schumacher)
Charlotte 1 runner-up (Cory McClenathan)
Houston runner-up (Larry Dixon)
Englishtown runner-up (Larry Dixon)
Norwalk runner-up (Larry Dixon)
Seattle runner-up (Cory McClenathan)
Pomona 2 WINNER (def. Shawn Langdon)