AB Motorsports Pre-Race Report: Reading

Pep Boys NHRA Nationals
Event 15 of 20
Countdown Event 1 of 6
Maple Grove Raceway
Mohnton, Pa.
Sept. 13 – 15, 2024

ANTRON BROWN
Driver of the Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster

Countdown to the Championship Ranking: 5th

Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Event Highlights:
Two-time event champion (2015, 2016)
Three-time runner-up
Top Fuel (2012, 2013)
Pro Stock Motorcycle (2004)
Three-time No. 1 qualifier
Top Fuel (2009, 2011)
Pro Stock Motorcycle (2004)
2023 Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified fifth; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Doug Foley in E1; defeated by Steve Torrence in E2)

Last Event (Indianapolis):
Qualified fourth; First round exit (defeated by Clay Millican in E1)

2024 Statistics:
14 races; three national event wins, three specialty race wins

Career Statistics:
518 races; 77 wins, 50 No. 1 qualifiers

Noteworthy:
Reading marks the start of the 2024 NHRA Countdown to the Championship
Brown starts from the No. 5 seed
In its first two years, AB Motorsports has finished the Countdown ranked second (2022), and sixth (2023)
Brown began the 2023 Countdown from the No. 3 seed
Brown is a 15-time Countdown event winner, the most of any Top Fuel driver
The third-year team owner is pursuing a fourth series title and the first for AB Motorsports
Brown raced to the Reading winner’s circle in 2015 and 2016, and both of those seasons ended with Brown and the Matco Tools team being crowned the series champions
The Reading event is a hometown race for Brown, a New Jersey native, and two of his longtime AB Motorsports supporters, Hangsterfer’s, which is headquartered in Mantua Township, N.J., and Streamlight of Eagleville, Pa.
Brown’s uncle, Andre Brown, will compete in the Top Dragster class during the weekend
Quotable:
“I’m really excited to get back to Reading. That’s a track where I’ve had a lot of success at in the past. It’s a home track for me, which is always nice to be racing when you’re surrounded by friends and family. My uncle Andre will be out there this weekend racing in his AB Motorsports Top Dragster, which is really, really cool. I’m looking forward to seeing all of our folks from Streamlight and Hangstefer’s hanging out with us this weekend. This is their home track too. So, it’ll be nice to have a lot of support to start the Countdown and hopefully we can get this year’s playoffs kicked off on a strong note.”

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 20-race NHRA Mission Foods 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, Summit Racing Equipment, Streamlight, Western Technical College, Fire Dept. Coffee, GovX.com, and Genesis Attachments.

Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana, AB Motorsports made its on-track debut in 2022 and has collected six wins in nine final rounds throughout its first two seasons.

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. In addition to his 50 No. 1 qualifier awards, Brown is a 77-time NHRA national event winner and became the first Black driver to win a major U.S. auto racing championship when he captured his first NHRA Top Fuel series title in 2012.

In 2023, Brown launched the AB Motorsports Accelerate Program, an all-encompassing driver development initiative aimed at helping racers advance in their careers. Three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Angelle Sampey was the first athlete to join the Accelerate Program. She competed in three Top Alcohol Dragster events in 2023 with plans to run a full-season campaign in 2024 as she progresses toward the premier Top Fuel class.

For more information, visit www.antronbrown.com or @antronbrown on Twitter, and @antronbrowntf on Instagram and Facebook.