NHRA pros at Dallas

Closing in on the points

Results compiled by Kay Burk
Photos by Ron Lewis

Robert Hight in the AAA Funny Car at the AAA Texas Nationals.

Antron Brown furthered his points lead in Top Fuel on Sunday by racing to victory at the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals. Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Drew Skillman (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners in their respective categories at the 22nd event of 24 on the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. The AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals is the fourth race of the six-race NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

TOP FUEL

Antron Brown scored his third win of four NHRA Countdown to the Championship races this year and his seventh title of the 2016 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season on Sunday at the AAA Texas NHRA Fallnationals at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas.

It marks the 61st win of his Mello Yello Drag Racing Series career, with 45 of those coming in Top Fuel competition. With today's win at the Motorplex, Brown has reached the finals in five of the last seven races and advanced to his 11th final round of the season.

"The dream is coming true today - it's happening one round at a time," Brown said. "I am truly blessed to be on this team with Brian (Corradi), Mark (Oswald) and all these Matco Tools/U.S. Army/Toyota boys. We work hard and it's a team effort. I've got to give a big shout-out to Jimmy Prock, Chris Cunningham and also John Medlen (from Don Schumacher Racing's Infinite Hero Funny Car team). After St. Louis, we were a little down and they gave us the boost we needed when we stayed after and tested.

"We made some things happen and it's paying big dividends right now. This competition is no joke. Look at that final right there, it's Steve Torrence, a hometown boy, it was a tough matchup and I knew it was going to be tough. He threw down a great tree, they threw down a great run, we threw down a great run. That race could've gone either way. That's how all of our NHRA drag races have gone all year long and we've been fortunate to be on the right side of it. We're just trying to make it happen and we love it."

Brown has guaranteed that he will lead the series in wins for the fourth time in the last five years with just two races remaining.

He also will take a 150-point lead into the next race (each round win on Sunday pay 20 points) with eight rounds remaining. He can clinch the title at the next race in Las Vegas. It would be his third Top Fuel world championship in the last five years.