In a bold move, three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Angelle Sampey stepped out of her comfort zone, racing on two wheels and into the world of 270-mph Top Alcohol Dragsters. She quickly adapted to the challenge and quickly established herself as a bona fide front-runner.

Today, her inspiration for the move, Antron Brown, and his AB Motorsports solidified their commitment to Sampey through their ABM Accelerate program in collaboration with Michalek Brothers Racing. 

Sampey, a 46-time NHRA winner, will race a limited number of Lucas Oil Series events in an MBR-prepared A/Fuel dragster with sponsorship from Hangsterfer’s Metal Working Lubricants, Factory Motor Parts, FVP, Mission Foods, and Lucas Oil.

Sampey, a Louisiana native, expressed her excitement about the opportunity to continue racing in the A/Fuel dragster in 2024. 

“I had such an amazing experience last year with both the Michalek Brothers and Samsel Racing, and I’m so excited to have the opportunity to continue to race in an A/Fuel dragster in 2024,” Sampey said. “I’m not going to lie, I was very nervous strapping into the dragster at Ennis (Texas) last fall, but Corey and Kyle were tremendous mentors and kept me calm and taught me so much in a very short amount of time. I really do have to thank both the Michalek and Samsel teams for making me look more polished than I was.

Sampey won't have to travel far as her upcoming 2024 debut event will take place at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana, near Houma, Feb. 22 – 25.
 
“I know I’ll have some butterflies in the tummy when we pull to the line for the first pass at No Problem Raceway next month, but not nearly as many rumbling around as I did last summer," Sampey said. “These will mainly come from racing in front of so many friends and family members in Louisiana. I live less than 50 miles from the track in Belle Rose, so it will be wonderful to kick-off 2024 at home. I’m super pumped to continue to be able to race and represent Mission Foods and help promote the #2Fast2Tasty program. The racers love it and I hope to be able to compete in it in Top Fuel one day.”

Following the NHRA Lucas Oil Series Division 3 race, Sampey's return to competition is scheduled for the NHRA Mission Foods season-opener at the historic Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., from March 7 to 10. Additionally, she will serve as an ambassador for Mission Foods and support the Mission #2Fast2Tasty program at 14 NHRA Mission Foods Series races in 2024. Sampey's on-track mission is to participate in up to ten NHRA national events and four Lucas Oil divisional races, aiming to accumulate enough points for a shot at the 2024 Lucas Oil Series championship.

AB Motorsports team owner Antron Brown emphasized the importance of continuing the program with Angelle Sampey, citing her popularity and engagement on social media. 

The Michalek Brothers Racing team, based near Columbus, Ohio, sees this partnership as an opportunity to contribute to Sampey's growth in the A/Fuel class with the long-term goal of transitioning her into Top Fuel. 

“This was a no-brainer to continue this program with Angelle and we couldn’t have partnered with a better group than Corey, Kyle and the entire Michalek team,” AB Motorsports team owner Antron Brown said. “Angelle is super popular in our sport. She has a great following on social media and sees a tremendous amount of fan engagement on her social platforms. The fans adore her. Getting her back on track was very important and we’re proud to have accomplished that. Now we need to get her back into the winner’s circle and help her make another championship run, this time on four wheels, with the ultimate goal of her being our ABM teammate in a Top Fuel dragster one day in the future.”

Team co-owner Corey Michalek, reflecting on the meeting with Antron Brown, highlighted the alignment of visions and aspirations.

“When we met with Antron at the PRI Show in Indy last month, he shared his vision for Angelle’s continued growth in the A/Fuel class with the ultimate goal being to graduate her into Top Fuel,” Corey Michalek said. “We didn’t have to think very long to say ‘yes’ because our aspirations are to one day follow that same path. AB is not only a household name in motorsports, but a great representative for the sport of drag racing and Angelle is such an asset to the sport. To work with both of them is a tremendous opportunity for Kyle, myself and our entire team.”
 
Sampey made her A/Fuel dragster debut with the support of Mission Foods in the Michalek Brothers Racing dragster last October at Texas Motoplex, advancing to the semifinals at her inaugural race. She then drove the Samsel Racing rail at two events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip earning a No. 1 qualifier and runner-up finish.