Antron Brown, rookie Top Fuel driver of the David Powers-owned Matco Tools dragster, made a lasting impression on the Top Fuel category during the six-day preseason test session near Phoenix. The 16-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle winner powered the Matco-backed rail to a run of 4.486 seconds Wednesday afternoon at Firebird International Raceway.

Brown made seven test passes during five days of testing at the Phoenix-area drag strip. Sunday’s action was washed out due to rain showers. The 10-year NHRA pro made the necessary runs to earn his crossover Top Fuel license on Saturday by clocking laps of 4.570 seconds at 292.58 mph and 4.582 at 296.89.

“I thought we accomplished a great deal in testing,” Brown said. “My learning curve improved a lot. The Phoenix test session was gratifying for my entire Matco Tools team and I’m very proud of my team. I’ve got a great group and they’ve made this transition to Top Fuel as easy as possible and I’m still learning every day.”

Antron Brown, rookie Top Fuel driver of the David Powers-owned Matco Tools dragster, made a lasting impression on the Top Fuel category during the six-day preseason test session near Phoenix. The 16-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle winner powered the Matco-backed rail to a run of 4.486 seconds Wednesday afternoon at Firebird International Raceway.

Brown made seven test passes during five days of testing at the Phoenix-area drag strip. Sunday’s action was washed out due to rain showers. The 10-year NHRA pro made the necessary runs to earn his crossover Top Fuel license on Saturday by clocking laps of 4.570 seconds at 292.58 mph and 4.582 at 296.89.

“I thought we accomplished a great deal in testing,” Brown said. “My learning curve improved a lot. The Phoenix test session was gratifying for my entire Matco Tools team and I’m very proud of my team. I’ve got a great group and they’ve made this transition to Top Fuel as easy as possible and I’m still learning every day.”

The New Jersey native blasted to his first-ever 300-mph effort on Monday when Brown drove his Lee Beard-tuned dragster to a pass of 4.548 at 327.66 mph. The Matco Tools team debuted its new 2008 Brad Hadman chassis on Tuesday afternoon at F.I.R. making a half-track attempt. Brown raced the ’08 car to his quickest pass of the preseason on Wednesday afternoon when he stopped the clocks in 4.486 seconds at 309.63 mph. Brown was traveling 284.27 mph at half track (660-feet) on the run.

“That .48 was unbelievable,” Brown said. “I had all these words to describe it in my mind, but none of them really do it justice. That run was the icing on the cake of testing. We have a lot of confidence heading into Pomona. Both of our cars are running great.”

“That was the first full run on our ’08 car,” Beard added. “We made really good decisions throughout the entire test. Our game plan coming in with the new car because that was what Antron (Brown) was used to and then pulling the new car out, proved that we made good decisions. We feel Antron has enough experience in the car to go to Pomona and be competitive. The fact that he’s a Top Fuel rookie, I don’t think that’s going to come into play at all. We have a very talented rookie driver.”