Antron Brown will return to the seat of his David Powers-owned Matco Tools dragster as NHRA preseason testing continues at Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix, Jan. 25-30, at the National Time Trials. Brown and the Matco Tools team last tested at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway in mid-December.

 

The immediate goal of the Lee Beard-led team is to earn Brown’s crossover Top Fuel license. The Matco Tools team completed Brown’s required incremental passes during a three-day test at the storied Florida quarter mile. Brown needs only to make two full runs to earn his Top Fuel certification required to compete during the 2008 NHRA season, which begins Feb. 7-10 at Pomona, Calif.

Antron Brown will return to the seat of his David Powers-owned Matco Tools dragster as NHRA preseason testing continues at Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix, Jan. 25-30, at the National Time Trials. Brown and the Matco Tools team last tested at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway in mid-December.

 

The immediate goal of the Lee Beard-led team is to earn Brown’s crossover Top Fuel license. The Matco Tools team completed Brown’s required incremental passes during a three-day test at the storied Florida quarter mile. Brown needs only to make two full runs to earn his Top Fuel certification required to compete during the 2008 NHRA season, which begins Feb. 7-10 at Pomona, Calif.

 

“Our main goal is to get out there and polish what we started in Gainesville last month,” Brown said. “The licensing runs are the least of my concerns because we’ll have more than two full runs. We could have run low 4.50s at Gainesville, so I’m pretty pumped up to get out there and get in the car and run. I’m excited to finally get out there and work with my teammate, Hot Rod (Fuller), for the first time.”

 

“The first thing we have to do is get Antron (Brown) his license,” Beard added. “We’re confident he can make full runs to finish off his licensing. Then we’re going to be working on our new combination that runs with 90-percent nitro and we have a new chassis with the 2008 specs that we’re going to try and work in. We have a full plate for testing.”

 

After spending 10 seasons as one of the top riders in drag racing’s two-wheel category, the New Jersey native collected 16 wins, 11 poles and twice finished second in the PSM standings. The energetic Brown was tabbed by Powers to take over the reigns of the Matco Tools dragster for the 2008 season during the NHRA Finals at Pomona last November.