ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE TAKES ANTRON BROWN BACK TO HIS ROOTS
It doesn ’ t take much to get Antron Brown excited about a weekend at the racetrack , but even he found a new level of enthusiasm at the PRO Superstar Shootout . Brown could feel the excitement building as fans lined up outside the gates to get in on Thursday . By the time fans poured in and started crowding the pit areas , the driver of the Matco Tools / Lucas Oil / Toyota / Hangsterfer ’ s dragster knew something special was about to unfold .
“ This shootout is off the chain ,” Brown said in a Thursday evening interview with FloRacing ’ s Courtney Enders . “ It ’ s just the atmosphere of the fans and the people . It ’ s like going back home to your grassroots . This is how we all started drag racing . To come back and have a feel like this , the people are so excited . Shoutout to SCAG , JHG , and all the people that have put this thing on . It ’ s off the chain .”
Brown , who made a name for himself in the sport in Pro Stock Motorcycle before winning three NHRA Top Fuel world championships , also recognized the unique format of the race would create some tense moments in qualifying .
“ We ’ re gonna need to do some dancing to get in this show ,” Brown said . “ It ’ s going to be tight to get into this eight-car show , but we ’ re going to give it everything we ’ ve got , and we ’ re going to have some fun doing it .”
Brown qualified solidly in the field with a 3.694 at 326.95 in the No . 4 position . Coincidentally , he drew former teammate Tony Schumacher , who qualified No . 5 , for a matchup that would ’ ve happened if the ladder was set using the qualifying order rather than the random chip draw . The two drivers were separated by just two thousandths in qualifying , but Schumacher navigated the tricky first-round track surface quicker with his 4.116 over Brown ’ s 5.221 to start Saturday eliminations . DI
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