Brown recalls journey to elite level in Top Fuel

Antron Brown has had twists and turns throughout his journey to the top of the NHRA Top Fuel Drag Racing landscape.

That journey extends well before he became the first African-American champion of a major auto racing circuit, when he took home the Top Fuel championship in 2012.

Brown, who also won the Top Fuel championship in 2015 and 2016, grew up in a drag racing family and being around the sport sparked his interest.

“My dad and uncle were in drag racing before I was born,” Brown said Friday, ahead of this weekend’s 2020 NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wildhorse Pass Motorsports Park. “So the good part about it is my grand pop...he got them into drag racing when they were teenagers and it’s just been like a family deal where I grew up around it, not professionally but the weekend warrior racing.”

As a child there were no NHRA Jr. Dragsters like there are today, so Brown decided to try motocross. But a shoulder injury when he was in high school caused him to focus on a more traditional sport, track and field.

He went on to compete in track at Mercer Community College and graduated with an associates degree in business in 1998. He was set to to head to Long Island University on a track scholarship but changed course when the opportunity arose to start in NHRA.

His brother-in-law happened to be former NFL star Troy Vincent. Vincent decided to start a race team and invited Brown to drive for him in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Brown took Vincent up on the offer and has not looked back. After numerous successes in Pro Stock Motorcycle from 1998-2007, his dream to drive a Top Fuel dragster came to fruition.

“It wasn’t a goal,” Brown said. “It was one of those fairytale dreams. Like man, if I can ever do something in this sport I grew up watching. But we never thought that was something that was reachable or attainable.”

Since joining Top Fuel, Brown has had great success, winning numerous events including the three championships.

His team manager, Brad Mason, said Brown is a natural athlete, which helped with the transition to Top Fuel.

“He’s just a natural at everything he does,” Mason said. “Part of this job is being an athlete, making really quick, rational decisions, making quick reflexes and being physically fit is was one of the biggest things. It was easy for him to come from a bike because he already had that physical, that mental mentality.”

Weekend schedule

8 a.m. – Sportsman eliminations

9:30 a.m. – Midway opens (suggested arrival time)

10 a.m. – Competition qualifying 10:20 a.m. – Sportsman eliminations 12:15 p.m. – Competition eliminations 12:45 p.m. – Top Fuel Harley qualifying 1 p.m. – Pro Stock qualifying 1:30 p.m. – Nitro qualifying 2:30 p.m. – Sportsman eliminations 3:15 p.m. – Big Tire exhibition – final 3:45 p.m. – Top Fuel Harley qualifying 4 p.m. – Pro Stock qualifying 4:30 p.m. – Nitro qualifying

5:45 p.m. – Lucas Oil Muy Caliente and “Wicked Sinsation” Jet Cars 8:30 a.m. – Sportsman eliminations 9 a.m. – Competition eliminations 9:10 a.m. – Sportsman eliminations 11 a.m. – Nitro eliminations, round 1

Noon – Pro Stock eliminations, round 1 12:20 p.m. – Sportsman eliminations 12:35 p.m. – Competition eliminations 12:40 p.m. – Sportsman eliminations

12:45 p.m. – Top Fuel Harley eliminations

1:10 p.m. – Nitro eliminations, round 1

1:40 p.m. – Pro Stock eliminations, round 1

1:50 p.m. – Sportsman eliminations, semifinals

2 p.m. – Competition eliminations, semifinals

2:05 p.m. – Sportsman eliminations, semifinals

2:10 p.m. – Top Fuel Harley eliminations, semifinals

2:25 p.m. – Nitro eliminations, semifinals

2:40 p.m. – Pro Stock eliminations, semifinals

2:45 p.m. – Junior Dragsters

2:55 p.m. – Sportsman eliminations, final

3 p.m. – Competition eliminations, final

3:10 p.m. – Top Fuel Harley eliminations, final

3:35 p.m. – Pro Stock eliminations, final

3:40 p.m. – Nitro eliminations, final