: What could you tell people about Don Schumacher that would surprise them?

AB: When you think he’s out of the country on business he’s probably in the Bahamas fishing. Don is very passionate when it comes to competition; he doesn’t like losing

: NHRA has called you the first African-American driver to win a professional class title. Do you feel that accomplishment brings some additional responsibilities to you?

AB: When any pro athlete wins the highest title in their sport it brings great responsibilities.  If it was not for heroes in this sport I would never have fallen in love with this sport. You have to pass that torch on to the next generation by example. I take that responsibility seriously.

: Auto racing history is full of examples of  great motorcycle racers who went on to be great race car drivers, but I don’t know of one instance of the reverse. Why do you think that is?

AB: Racing a motorcycle is more physically demanding than driving a car. Typically motorcycle racers race when they are younger. When they get older they turn to four wheels, which is less physically demanding, so they can have a longer racing career.

: You’ve had some engine explosions and fires driving a fuel car. Has your most frightening ride been on a bike or in the fueler?

AB: My most frightening driving experience has definitely been while driving a Top Fueler.

The first African-American to win an auto racing title in the United States is Antron Brown, and he tells NBC’s Craig Melvin that taking home the championship not only brought tears to his eyes, but also evoked emotion in his father and uncle, who have dreamed of the same accomplishment. (Video courtesy NBC)

: Have you given any thought about driving a nitro Funny Car at some time?  

AB: It would be a lot of fun in the future. For sure it’s something I have my eye on.

: Is owning a racing team part of your future plans?  

AB: Absolutely. I’d love to be a partner in a team or own the whole team so I could pass on the opportunity of driving and being involved in drag racing to new talent to help him or her fulfill their dream like I have.

: As a driver do you think that all of the automatic electronic safety devices the NHRA technical department  has mandated for Top Fuel cars is  a good or a bad policy  as far as drivers dealing with emergency situations?

AB: I think it’s a good thing, a really good thing. If something happens to a driver and they can’t control the car, there’s a way to slow it down. It’s the level of safety we need to have.

: Now that we are seeing Top Fuel cars accelerating faster than ever and reaching speeds over 330 mph in a thousand feet that NHRA thought was unsafe in a quarter mile, do you approve of slowing the cars down?

AB: The cars ARE slowed down because at the end of the day we’re always trying to accomplish a slower speed by the time we get to 1,320 feet. We’re doing that. Our cars are under 300 at 1,320 so we did slow them down.