TOPEKA, Kan. – Antron Brown, a two-time Top Fuel winner this season, drove his David Powers-owned Matco Tools dragster to a run of 4.584 seconds to finish fourth in the provisional Top Fuel order Friday at Heartland Park Topeka.
Brown, who enters the ninth race on the 2008 NHRA schedule ranked second in the Top Fuel standings, raced the Matco Tools/Valvoline car to the provisional No. 4 qualifying position Friday evening at Heartland Park Topeka. Brown used a Lee Beard tune-up in the Matco Tools/Go Fast dragster to clock a run of 4.584 seconds at 292.77 mph. The bright blue dragster lost a blower belt late in the run. On his opening effort, Brown carded a time of 5.249 at 189.84 on a planned early shut-off run. The team was trying a new tune-up.
“I’m really excited to be here at Topeka (Kan. ), it’s a really first-class facility, ” Brown said. “The Matco Tools car ran great today. I was feeling out the race track on the first run being my first time at Topeka. I was being real cautious. The parts looked great after the pass. The second run, we went up there and everything felt great. It left hard and was real aggressive and had good numbers. The blower belt snapped at 1,000 feet and we coasted through. I was stoked with a 4.58 losing the belt. I’m happy with the progress of the day. I’m pumped up about Saturday. ”
Professional nitro qualifying resumes Saturday afternoon at Heartland Park with sessions scheduled for Noon and 2:30 p. m. (ET). Brown earned the pole at the season-opener in Pomona, Calif. this February (4.495 seconds). His teammate, Rod Fuller, qualified third in the Caterpillar dragster with a run of 4.565 seconds on Friday at Topeka.
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