View Antron Brown
Antron Brown
Bio by Gregg Leary
Category:Auto Racing -> NHRA
NHRA Top Fuel: Matco Tools Dragster
Residence: Pittsboro, IN (where Jeff Gordon lived as a teen)
Hometown: Chesterfield, NJ
Owner: David Powers
Crew Chief: Lee Beard (Has tuned 10 different winners)
DOB: March 1, 1976 (32)
Rookie Top Fuel driver
The first driver/rider to win in both NHRA Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle
(He won at Houston in only his 4th Top Fuel start at owner David Powers’ home track.)
He beat Larry Dixon by 44/10,000ths of a second.
Antron said, “The margins of victory were so tight that it felt like Pro Stock Motorcycle racing at a faster speed.”
“I dreamed about this as a kid growing up going to the Summer Nationals in New Jersey watching all the greats like Kenny Bernstein, Don Garlits, John Force and Don Prudhomme. I still ask myself, ‘Am I really here?’”
Career Best ET: 4.495 Seconds
Career Best Speed: 331.61 MPH
Antron Qualified #1 at Pomona in his very first Top Fuel race.
Antron is 3rd in Top Fuel Points…70 Points behind 2nd place Larry Dixon and 78 behind leader Tony Schumacher
Rode Pro Stock Motorcycles from 1998-2007
Best Points Finish: 2nd in 2006 and 2001
1999 Pro Stock Bike Rookie of the Year
Twice Won US Nationals (2000, 2004)
2006: Joined Mickey Thompson 6-Second Pro Bike Club
Won at least one race 1999-2006
16 Bike wins
11 #1 Qualifier
221-129 record in bikes
Winless in 2007 (Did this prompt the move to Top Fuel?)
Antron failed to qualify for only ONE event in his entire NHRA career
(His very first Pro Stock Bike start at Gainesville in 1998 he was DQ’d for “bad fuel”)
Antron started riding motorcycles at age 4
At 12 ran 80cc motocross
As high school senior rode Suzuki GSXR 1100 9.2 seconds @ 160 MPH
Excellent track athlete…100 meter dash and long jump
NFL player Troy Vincent asked Brown to run a Pro Stock Bike
Team 23 Racing teamed Antron with Dave Schultz, who mentored Brown
“Dave was my racing hero. He was my Michael Jordan.” AB
Quantum Leap?
Antron went from a Pro Stock Bike that ran 6.93 seconds at 193 MPH
To a Top Fuel dragster than ran 4.49 seconds at 331 MPH…
That’s 2 ½ seconds QUICKER and 138 MPH FASTER!
The dragster weighs 2,300 pounds (with driver) is 33.5 feet long with a 299” wheelbase and 500 Cubic Inch engine that delivers 8,000 HP (The rear wing is 7 ½ feet in the air)
The bike weighs 600 pounds (with rider) with a 70 inch wheelbase (19 feet less wheelbase than the dragster…wheelie bars can extend an additional 5 feet)…and 100 Cubic Inch (1500CC) Engine with about 300HP
Bikes deliver about 2HP per pound
Dragsters about 3 ½ HP per pound
Antron said, “The only thing I’m lacking from my career is championships. I’ll do everything I can to be the best in the Top Fuel class. I can’t wait to learn and work with Lee Beard and start winning races.” (It only took 4 events!)
Lee Beard has 51 Career Wins as Crew Chief
Only he and Dale Armstrong have seen their cars join the 4 Second/300MPH Club in Top Fuel and Funny Car, win a Championship and be named Car Craft “Person of the Year”
Beard has Crewed 10 drivers to Victory…Antron Brown, Rod Fuller, Whit Bazemore, Kenny Bernstein, Cory McClenathan, Ed McCulloch, Pat Austin, Gary Ormsby, Jim Barnard, Jerry Ruth
1989: Won Top Fuel Title with Gary Ormsby