Performance cuts through the pressure of winning a championship, according to Antron Brown. Seeded number one in the Countdown to 1, Brown has leaned on his team to take off the pressure of a championship run.

“They tell me just do what you do, Tronics,” said Brown, the provisional Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Concord, NC, “It's a team sport and I have a great team. When I don't step up to the plate, they do and when they take a step back, I take a step forward.

“That's how a team works and that's how we did on the Western Swing. We had each other's backs.”

Performance cuts through the pressure of winning a championship, according to Antron Brown. Seeded number one in the Countdown to 1, Brown has leaned on his team to take off the pressure of a championship run.

“They tell me just do what you do, Tronics,” said Brown, the provisional Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Concord, NC, “It's a team sport and I have a great team. When I don't step up to the plate, they do and when they take a step back, I take a step forward.

“That's how a team works and that's how we did on the Western Swing. We had each other's backs.”

For the first time the NHRA is adding bonus points for the top three quickest qualifying runs in each session. The points, 3-2-1, are awarded on a sliding scale.

“Now there's no more give me round. It’s back to ground zero and everybody is bunched up,” said Brown, “It's a six race stretch and if you don't perform here you're done.

“You'll find yourself at the back of the pack real quick like in the 10 or 9 spot. I don't want to be there so I put a little added pressure on myself.”

Brown qualified number one with an elapsed time of 3.847 seconds at 317.87 mph, but not before the competition turned up the heat.

“Tony went out there before us and dropped low e/t. The track was really good and we just had to be careful about it because a couple people got too aggressive,” adds Brown, “You don't want to get too aggressive because you don't want to lose those valuable points.”

Even with the added pressure, Brown plans to change what has happened in the past.

 “I've been this close to a championship before and I'm not going to let this slip away from me. There's a lot of pressure out there. This is it; this is for all the balls of wax and the big trophy at the end of the year.” 

Advertisement