A championship for Antron Brown this year would be his fourth in just 10 years in NHRA’s Top Fuel class.
The 40-year-old New Jersey native has won the last two consecutive championships in his Don Schumacher Racing Matco Tools dragster, but he is all too aware that he will have to raise the bar if he is to go three-in-a-row in 2017.
“What pushes us to raise the bar is we look at our previous seasons and we try to improve upon them,” said Brown, who has won 14 times over the past two years.
“You know each year you go out there, there’s always another greater challenge because people have stepped up. That’s what drives us and motivates us to continue to compete at a high level.”
The first race of the 2017 season takes place this weekend at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Pomona, California, with LIVE coverage of final eliminations starting at 4 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX.
While Brown has a staggering 45 career wins to his name, he has never taken home a Wally from the season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals.
“We always focus on the winning the first race, so the main thing is we’ve got to go out there and push and try to make more history. The emotions are at an all-time high. Now the gears are turning and we’re ready for race day. Once that race starts, it’s the bells ringing for a start of chaos, excitement and adventure in 2017.
“To even get 40 [wins] has been incredible and I think that’s what makes our team excel. We never worry about what we’ve done in the past; we always look to what we can do in the future. With that being said, (50 Top Fuel wins) is around the corner and it would be awesome if we could break through and get that this year.”
