Last month it was the "King of the Speed" Kenny Bernstein.

On a sweltering Saturday afternoon in Topeka, it was three-time NHRA champion Angelle Sampey. 

As Sampey points out, it's the seventh time she's warmed up a Top Fuel dragster. 

It's another edition of the Antron Brown traveling nitro warm-up show. 

"The coolest part of it is that she's got some interest in doing some other things," Brown said. "I just wanted her to see what this fuel racing is all about because I've told her for many, many years, I think she'll be great in a fuel car because she rode those motorcycles like no other, winning in three championships. And one thing is she's always been a headliner in our sport for riding Pro Stock Bike. Get that picture. Imagine Angelle racing a Top Fuel car. Period."

Sampey said there's nothing to report or talk about; it was just a warm-up and nothing more.

One couldn't help but notice the tears streaming down her cheeks following the brief warm-up. Those were not tears of joy. They were tears of nitro. 

"They [fumes] were getting under the mask," Sampey amitted. "I don't guess I had it tight enough. It's usually for him, to fit him. I pulled it tight, and I know now you got to make it even tighter. But I haven't had any issues with it before because the wind's been going the correct way. But yeah, it's overwhelming, and there's a lot you have to do. I mean, once you learn how to do it, and it's just a few simple steps, but when you're used to it, it doesn't seem like it's much. 

"When you're not used to trying to learn the procedure, it seems like a lot. I mean, you really have to think about what you're doing the whole time. It's not just sitting in the car while it's running. I think everybody thinks they're just sitting in the car while it's running, and that's not the case."

Whether Sampey is planning a new career in nitro racing or not, it's definitely on Brown's mind. 

"That's something that we're throwing out there, and hopefully, we could keep working on it, and she keeps on working... if she shows some interest," Brown explained. "She's still deciding in her mind what she wants to really, really do. The cool part is, she likes it, and I think she got that nitro bug, but that's something that you have to ask her."

As if Brown doesn't need another rumor after having to set the record straight that he's not leaving the long and skinny cars to race Funny Car.

"One day, I'd like to field one with my team, but not me driving," Brown confirmed. "Not sure how all of that got started."

Brown and Sampey do have history as teammates, riding as teammates on U.S. Army-sponsored Pro Stock Motorcycles. If and when she wants to take the plunge into nitro racing, Brown said he's got her back with Antron Brown Motorsports.

"She's family and got the willingness to learn and the willingness to win, and that fits great with ABM," Brown said. "That's what we're all about, man and crewchiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald, all of them, they've been out here, they've been working hard, and they enjoy that. They enjoy the new stuff."

Sampey said the most significant hurdle she still faces in racing is putting intense pressure on herself to perform.

"I have a whole new respect because we do a lot on Pro Stock Motorcycles," Sampey said. "There's a lot going on from the start line to the finish line. I used to think there wasn't a whole bunch going on in a Top Fuel car, but now I'm like, holy crap, just warming it up.

"I've been studying it. I videoed doing it the first time, and I watched it for a week. Going over the timing and the routine, the steps in my head. The first time they put me in it, I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. I don't know if that's just because I take everything so seriously and I'm so hard on myself, and I want to be exactly perfect. I want to do it exactly like Antron does it so that the crew doesn't know any different.

"And when I'm just a little bit off, I get upset. So I mean, it shows for people that have knocked me for my emotions all these years; this is why I'm such a perfectionist. I'm so hard on myself. I have to be the best at what I do. And when I'm not, I get emotional."

And as Brown will attest, nitro can bring out all of the emotions.