Top Fuel driver Antron Brown can only hope his Matco Tools has finally found a stable home. The former Pro Stock Motorcycle standout who made the jump to Top Fuel prior to 2008, has taken a rollercoaster ride of uncertainty for last two seasons and with Don Schumacher’s purchase of Mike Ashley Racing’s assets, he’s on his fourth team owner.
 
Brown said this kind of movement comes with the territory of a professional athlete, but even he admits four times is a bit much.
 
“Drag racing team members are like professional stick and ball sports players, one year he could be here and the next he could be traded,” Brown explained. “That’s the same way out here. Now I feel like we are at home.”

Top Fuel driver Antron Brown can only hope his Matco Tools has finally found a stable home. The former Pro Stock Motorcycle standout who made the jump to Top Fuel prior to 2008, has taken a rollercoaster ride of uncertainty for last two seasons and with Don Schumacher’s purchase of Mike Ashley Racing’s assets, he’s on his fourth team owner.
 
Brown said this kind of movement comes with the territory of a professional athlete, but even he admits four times is a bit much.
 
“Drag racing team members are like professional stick and ball sports players, one year he could be here and the next he could be traded,” Brown explained. “That’s the same way out here. Now I feel like we are at home.”
 
Home for Brown means stability and that assurance comes in the form of Schumacher’s stated intentions that his plan is to keep the team intact. As many as four potential team owners had bid for the ownership of the team, and some reportedly bid more than the winner, but it was Schumacher who secured the team via his intentions to keep the team intact.
 
That was a primary concern for Brown when he was first notified last week the team was in the process of being sold.
 
“My main concern was not about being sold, it was about the team,” Brown said. “I was worried about our guys sticking together because we have something special. I found out the team was going to be sold before it was actually done. There were several people fighting to buy this team and Schumacher stepped in and bought it. The first thing he told us is that he would provide us with everything we needed to get the job done.”
 
What was the lure for Schumacher?
 
“He loves the synergy this team has,” Brown said. “If you look into his stalls you can see where the good teams have been together for a while. Don knows that you need synergy and great people and this team has all of that in there. When the opportunity came up to purchase this team, it was a no-brainer for him, especially with his ties to Matco.”
 
Brown admits the multiple sales in a short period could give the impression that the team isn’t worth the effort. He begs to differ with those skeptics.
 

“The bad part isn’t that we aren’t wanted, the good part is that a lot of people want us,” Brown said. “The best part is that the team has stability. Now, we are with an efficient organization that sees talent in our team and we’re moving forward. That’s a good feeling. We can get the parts we need and not pinching pennies.”
 
Large budget or not, Brown’s team performed like a team on a mission by sweeping the Western Swing and clinching the No. 1 seed in the Countdown to 1 playoffs. In 18 of the 22 events this season, the Matco team made it past the second round.
 
Joining DSR provides Schumacher with three of the four top points earning dragsters in Top Fuel.
 
“We’ve been giving these race teams fits all season and now we’re a part of them,” Brown said. “His got three championship capable teams out there in this field.”
 
For Brown, that suits him just fine.
 
Schumacher told CompetitionPlus.com if the team changes next season, it won’t be by his hand. He’d prefer to keep everything intact.
 
“My plan now is to keep everything intact for next season,” Schumacher confirmed. “The final decision is up to Brian Corradi. If he chooses to make crew changes, I don’t get involved in that. My intention is to keep everyone in place because they are a championship-contending team. I don’t choose to change anyone over there.”
 

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