Antron Brown moves forward at a very rapid pace in his 8,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster and the 23-time NHRA winner will be moving forward with a new look as he competes for the 2009 NHRA championship at the Memphis NHRA race. Brown and the Mike Ashley Racing Matco Tools team will fly the colors of auto industry giant Toyota at the 22nd annual O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Oct. 2-4, at Memphis Motorsports Park.

The arrangement between Matco Tools and MAR gives the team the opportunity to generate additional funding and place a marketing partner in the primary sponsor location at given events. Brown raced the DirecTV/Matco Tools dragster to the win at the St. Louis race on May 3. The team’s customary bright blue and silver pin-striped Matco Tools Iron Eagle dragster theme will return for the final three races on the 2009 NHRA schedule at Richmond, Va., Las Vegas and Pomona, Calif.

Antron Brown moves forward at a very rapid pace in his 8,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster and the 23-time NHRA winner will be moving forward with a new look as he competes for the 2009 NHRA championship at the Memphis NHRA race. Brown and the Mike Ashley Racing Matco Tools team will fly the colors of auto industry giant Toyota at the 22nd annual O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Oct. 2-4, at Memphis Motorsports Park.

The arrangement between Matco Tools and MAR gives the team the opportunity to generate additional funding and place a marketing partner in the primary sponsor location at given events. Brown raced the DirecTV/Matco Tools dragster to the win at the St. Louis race on May 3. The team’s customary bright blue and silver pin-striped Matco Tools Iron Eagle dragster theme will return for the final three races on the 2009 NHRA schedule at Richmond, Va., Las Vegas and Pomona, Calif.

“Toyota has been a loyal supporter of our MAR Team and we thank them for that,” Brown said. “I love driving my Sequoia and we’re fired up about racing this Toyota/Matco Tools car at Memphis during the Countdown (to 1). The red and white paint scheme looks great and I know that the fans will really dig the car. There are a lot of Toyota dealers with technicians that use Matco Tools, so this is a great partnership for all of us.”

The Toyota/Matco Tools rail will feature a one-race red and white paint scheme at the third race in the Countdown to 1. The stacked Matco Tools logo will be prominently displayed on the side of Brown’s Top Fuel dragster. Brown will wear a new Impact! Racing Toyota firesuit and the MAR crew members will sport red and white Toyota crew shirts at the Memphis race. The team also will offer a special Toyota-themed autograph card that features at $10 off coupon on a Toyota parts and labor purchase of $50 or more.  

“Antron and the entire Mike Ashley Racing Team have been outstanding representatives for Toyota both on and off track during 2009. We wish them continued success with the Countdown to 1,” said Les Unger, Toyota Motorsports national manager.

Brown, the only driver in NHRA history to win races and lead the standings in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle, led the Top Fuel field into the Countdown to 1. The fan-favorite has five wins in eight final-round appearances this season. Brown, a seven-time Top Fuel winner, also earned seven poles this season, a category-best. The former college track star has posted the two fastest speeds in 1,000-foot racing at 319.75 and 319.22 mph this season.

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