Antron Brown captured his third NHRA Top Fuel world championship Sunday at the NHRA Toyota Nationals. It is Brown’s second consecutive world championship. in 2015, he also clinched the title at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His first championship came in 2012. It is the first time in seven seasons that a Top Fuel champion has won back-to-back titles.
After defeating Wayne Newby in the quarterfinals, Brown bested his two closest contenders. Doug Kalitta, who was defeated in the quarterfinal round to Steve Torrence, and Shawn Langdon, who lost in the first round to J.R. Todd. When the smoke had cleared, Brown had secured his championship.
Antron Brown was victorious in the first race of the season at the Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals and had a runner-up finish at the next event. A victory in Epping kept him second in points.
Antron Brown nabbed the points lead in the Route 66 NHRA Nationals and never lost the top spot. During the trying Western Swing, Brown made a final-round appearance in Denver and raced to his fourth victory of the season in Seattle, Washington.
His success continued during the Countdown to the Championship. He piloted his machine to three wins in the first four races, including his semi-final showing in the Toyota Nationals.
“Brian [Corradi] and Mark [Oswald] and our entire team has worked so hard, and I’m just privileged to drive that race car for Don Schumacher Racing because Don makes it all happen,” Brown said. “When you come to a sport with all this access, it makes dreams like mine, a kid from New Jersey, come true. My dad, uncle, everybody, they instilled it in me at a young age, work hard and you can make great things happen.”
Funny Car’s John Force, Top Fuel’s Steve Torrence, and Pro stock driver Shane Gray were also event winners at the 23rd race of the 24-event NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The Toyota Nationals were the fifth race of the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship.
John Force powered his Peak Antifreeze Chevy Camaro to a 3.884-second pass at 327.19 miles per hour to defeat his daughter Courtney Force. She sped to a 3.906 second pass at 325.85 miles per hour. It is Force’s 147th career win, fourth of the year, and sixth at the Toyota Nationals.
This was the fifth time John Force and his daughter had squared-off in an event final. The most recent was in Denver, where Force also drove to victory. Force defeated John Bojec, Chad Head, and Matt Hagan in the earlier rounds for the Wally trophy.
“I’m really excited,” said Force, a 16-time world champion and the winningest driver in NHRA history. “I mean I never like beating my daughter. We also got two wins in the Countdown just a little bit late. It’s pretty exciting when I see the stands packed. The way NHRA and the way our TV deal has really been hopping, sold out crowds, and so many things going on. To be a part of it still at my age is really awesome.”
With the impressive semi-final finish, Matt Hagan climbs to second in the points standings. Unfortunately, he is still 86 behind Ron Capps, who lost to Courtney Force in the semi-finals.
Steve Torrence guided his Capco Contractors dragster to a 3.734 second pass at 323.81 miles per hour, to defeat J.R. Todd’s 3.762 second at 321.96 mph in the Top Fuel final. It is Torrence’s third win of the season, and eighth of his career. Furthermore, it was his first at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Steve Torrence defeated Richie Crampton, Doug Kalitta, and Leah Pritchett to get to the final. Likewise, J.R. Todd faced Shawn Langdon, number one qualifier Clay Millican, and 2016 champion Antron Brown in the earlier sessions.
“It’s been a good weekend all together,” Torrence said. “We kind of struggled the first few races of the Countdown and dropped the ball. I mean, heck, we also had to turn it on and come up here and try to do some good. The Capco guys have really stayed focused. They stayed driven and done what it took to overcome just some bad luck and a couple screwups on my part. We also have a really good team; we have a championship-caliber team, I believe.”
In Pro Stock, Shane Gray raced his Gray Motorsports Chevy Camaro to a 6.719 second pass at 204.76 miles per hour. He defeated his teammate Drew Skillman. It was the dragster’s first win of the season, fifth of his career, and first at The Strip.
Shane Gray also had victories against Deric Kramer, Bo Butner, and Greg Anderson before his first final round appearance of the year. His win moves him into third in points. Jason Line and Anderson remain in the first and second spots, after they both fell in the semifinals.
“It was a great weekend,” Gray said. “It was a really good weekend for me. We were talking out there; I think I’ve been in nine semi’s this year, and I haven’t won since U.S. Nationals in 2014. It was a great day. I’ve got one more race to run and then my son is getting in the car. I can’t think of a better time to win. Awesome day.”
