NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

A year ago — and in his first season as a team owner — Heartland Motorsports Park was the place for a major moment for Top Fuel star Antron Brown. The three-time world champion won his first race as a team owner, setting the stage for Brown’s big finish, one that included an Indy win, a playoffs victory, and a second-place finish in points.
 
Heading into the final NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series national event at Heartland Motorsports Park at this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor, Brown is well ahead of last year’s pace.
 
He already has one victory and three final-round appearances in 2023 in his Matco Tools dragster, sitting fourth in points heading to Topeka. With two career wins at the historic facility, Brown would love nothing more than to get a third win at the final NHRA national event at Heartland Motorsports Park.

 
“[I] love going to Topeka,” Brown said. “We’re the defending champions from last year, and we’re coming from Sonoma with some momentum. We’re going to go in there with our heads down and do what we do. It can get hot, it can get tricky out there like we saw last year, but we can’t wait to get there and show out. That’s where we turned our season around last year and got on a roll, and we’re looking forward to one last showing out there and gaining some good points and momentum as we approach Indy and the Countdown (to the Championship.”
 
Brown (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), and Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) won the pivotal regular-season race in 2022, and this year’s event will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), including live eliminations coverage starting at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 13. It is the 13th of 21 events during the 2023 season, and Brown enters the race with plenty of momentum, coming off a runner-up finish in Sonoma.
 
It gave him a strong finish to the three-race NHRA Western Swing, putting the 72-time event winner in position for another big finish this year. A second straight Topeka victory would have Brown and his Toyota team peaking at the perfect time, and he’ll also be racing in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday.
 
Brown will take on Steve Torrence in a Sonoma semifinal rematch, while the other matchup features points leader Justin Ashley, who won in Sonoma, and Josh Hart. It makes for an exciting element on Saturday, while also opening up the possibility of a double-up weekend. Brown would love that, but he knows nothing comes easy in a loaded class that also features defending world champ Brittany Force, Austin Prock, Doug Kalitta, Clay Millican, Mike Salinas, and Leah Pruett.

 
Still, Brown can tell his team is again headed in the right direction heading into what could be another pivotal weekend in Topeka.
 
“[Sonoma] was a great bounce-back race weekend for us,” Brown said. “We qualified well, went some rounds, moved up a few spots in the points, and we’re just looking forward to getting out to Topeka.”

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 7:15 p.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 11, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 2:15 and 4:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 13. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, 1 p.m. on Sunday, and then eliminations at 3 p.m. ET Sunday.
 
To purchase tickets to the final NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series national event on Aug. 11-13 at Heartland Motorsports Park,  fans can visit www.nhra.com/tickets.