The Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals showcased impressive back-to-back victories for Antron Brown and Ron Capps, who triumphed in the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories, respectively, on Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. 

Additionally, Matt Hartford claimed his first Indy win in Pro Stock, while Matt Smith secured his second straight Pro Stock Motorcycle win. Altogether, the quartet solidified their positions as standouts in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

Brown qualified in the No. 15 spot but overcame the odds to reign supreme. Driving his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster, Brown clocked in at 3.779 seconds and reached a blistering speed of 328.54 mph to defeat Steve Torrence in the final round. This marked Brown’s second consecutive win of the season and an extraordinary 74th career victory. To reach the finals, he overcame formidable opponents, Brittany Force, Clay Millican, and points leader Justin Ashley.

Reflecting on his challenging journey, Brown expressed his admiration for the team’s resilience.

“It’s one of those weekends where we never quit, and that’s what you have to do to win the U.S. Nationals,” Brown said. “We went through all the trials and tribulations, and that’s what makes this win so special. We were coming off that win in Brainerd, and we got thrown a curveball. But we got this one done, and we’re going to remember this win for a long time.

“This is one that was a getting-dirty win. We went through all the pain, all the stuff, all the way through qualifying, and we found a way as a team. We never stopped believing. You’ve got to have faith. I love this team so much. They never quit and never stopped working, and all the credit goes to this team. They worked so, so hard and to win this two years in a row, it’s amazing.”

Meanwhile, Capps emerged victorious in the Funny Car class, securing his second consecutive win this season. Piloting his Hot Wheels/NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra, Capps recorded a time of 3.986 seconds at 323.27 mph, overtaking J.R. Todd in the championship round. Along the way, Capps had to surpass Dale Creasy Jr., Matt Hagan, and Robert Hight. This noteworthy victory propelled Capps to claim the points lead and marked his 76th career win.

“You can’t dream this big. I mean, you could hope, and you can put all this stuff together and we did it to have some fun to do something cool for Indy,” Capps said. “This just doesn’t happen. You just put this together and hope that it’s going to have some success and you end up winning.
“This is an unbelievable thing. To win here, to win Indy with my brother Antron (Brown) again, is massive. This whole week has just been a blast and we earned every bit of it today. It was very cool.”

“It’s just amazing,” added Prudhomme. “When he first sent me the paint scheme, it brought a tear to my eye. I thought, ‘This thing’s beautiful.’ It’s just this is something I’m going to remember for a long time.”

Todd reached his fourth final round in 2023 on the strength of round wins against Blake Alexander, Bob Tasca III, and Cruz Pedregon. It’s also the 45th career final round for Todd.

Hartford delivered a commanding performance, claiming his first U.S. Nationals Pro Stock win. Piloting his Total Seal/GETTRX Chevrolet Camaro, Hartford crossed the finish line in 6.624 seconds at 206.57 mph, defeating Fernando Cuadra Jr. in the championship round. 

Throughout the event, Hartford showcased his dominance, securing the No. 1 qualifying spot and triumphing over Mason McGaha, Camrie Caruso, and defending world champion Erica Enders en route to victory.

“I let the clutch out, I pulled second gear and never saw him, put it in fifth gear, and I’m still deaf from my crew chief screaming in my ear,” Hartford said. “When I got to the other end and realized I’d just won Indy, I just sat in the car for a few moments to take it all in.

“We came in here Friday night, and our goal was to qualify No. 1 Friday night. If we could do that, we felt it could stick and we would have four really good test runs. What we ran in the final was what we tested in one of the qualifying runs. The track conditions became basically what that was, so being able to be on the pole and have that test data played a huge role in the final.”

Cuadra Jr. reached the final round for the first time in his career, getting past Bo Butner, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Kyle Koretsky. Dallas Glenn will take the points lead into the Countdown to the Championship.

Smith showcased his prowess, securing his second consecutive win at The Big Go and third U.S. Nationals victory of his career. Smith’s path to success involved defeating John Hall, rookie Chase Van Sant, and points leader Gaige Herrera. 

It’s been a challenging year for Smith, but he’ll now enter the Countdown to the Championship second in points and with plenty of momentum as he looks for a record seventh Pro Stock Motorcycle championship and fourth in a row.

“I’m not surprised at all,” Smith said. “I’ve got good power. This is our second year with the Suzuki program and we’ve got great power. The problem is that I can’t figure out how to make the clutch work. I need the parts to test because we’re not getting our 60-foot times where we need them. I think a 1.09 was my best and that’s not good enough. I’ve always said you need to be good at the last six races to win a championship, so now it’s time to turn it up.”

Arana Jr. knocked off Chris Bostick, Kelly Clontz, and Angie Smith to reach the finals for the second time in 2023 and the 32nd time overall. Herrera will open the playoffs as the points leader. 

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series opens its Countdown to the Championship playoffs with the 38th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals on Sept. 14-17 at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Penn.