Antron Brown and his David Powers-owned Matco Tools team improved Friday at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, but the 18-time NHRA winner continues to sit on the outside of the 16-car order at the Auto Club NHRA Finals, the final event on the 2008 NHRA schedule.
A day after striking the tires and slowing to an elapsed time of 7.099-seconds, Brown and the Matco Tools team improved, but not enough to make the 12-car provisional qualifying order. Brown’s bright blue Matco-backed rail overpowered the track and slowed to a run of 4.875 seconds at 147.81 mph on Friday afternoon on a hot Auto Club Raceway strip. Brown, who has an average qualifying position of 5.21 in 23 races this season, has qualified for 168 consecutive races, the second longest professional streak (Angelle Sampey).
“Pomona has been a little on the tricky side,” Brown said. “But we have two runs back-to-back on Saturday and we have a good game plan. We’ll come out here and make two good runs and get in the show and get ready for Sunday.
“I gotta say the highlight of my day was doing the KTLA morning show here at the track with my girl Gail Anderson of channel 5 in L.A. We had a fun time and got to promote the race and our Matco Tools team.”
Professional nitro qualifying resumes Saturday afternoon at the Pomona track with sessions scheduled for Noon and 3:30 p.m. (PT). Brown earned the pole at the season-opening Winternationals at 4.495-seconds. He has three poles this season and 14 in his career.
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