Phoenix: Antron Brown preview

Antron Brown on Phoenix "We're really excited to get back to Phoenix. We'll tested really well there in the preseason and we're looking forward to having some good times with our Matco group from Phoenix. There's going to be a nice turnout since Matco Expo is still a few weeks away. It'll be a fun weekend of racing and sunny weather to make up for Pomona."

Brian Corradi (crew chief) on Phoenix
"We're going to go into Phoenix where we left off at Pomona. Everything looks good with the Matco car. We're confident we can run well after our results in testing there a few weeks back. We just have to take things one run at a time. The more data we get running the dragster, the more consistent we'll be and consistency is the key to success."

Antron Brown Phoenix NHRA Notebook
--Two weeks ago at the rain-delayed Winternationals, Brown earned his 15th career No. 1 qualifying award and fourth in Top Fuel. It was his second consecutive pole at the NHRA season-opener. The popular Top Fuel racer clocked low elapsed time of the event at 3.778-seconds in a semifinal victory over Brandon Bernstein. It was the second quickest 1,000-foot pass recorded (3.771-Tony Schumacher). In the final round, Brown lost a close match to Doug Kalitta, 3.82 to 3.84. It was Brown's 39th career final round appearance. He also won his 260th career elimination round.

--Last February, Brown competed in his first race at Firebird International Raceway as the Pro Stock Motorcycle category does not compete at the Phoenix race. Brown qualified the bright blue Matco Tools dragster fifth at 4.538 seconds at 320.28 mph. He advanced to round two of eliminations before falling in a tire-smoking battle to Schumacher, the six-time series champion.

--Brown and the Matco Tools team clocked the quickest performance of 2009 preseason testing during the National Time Trials at F.I.R. Using a tune-up from crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald, Brown blasted the Matco Tools rail to a lap of 3.781 seconds at 316.45 mph. Only Brown and Schumacher ran in the 3.7-second range during testing.

-credit: mar