Brainerd: Antron Brown Saturday notes

BROWN AND MATCO TEAM WIND UP IN NO. 7 POSITION SATURDAY AT BRAINERD

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 9, 2008) -- Antron Brown continued to qualify his David Powers-owned Matco Tools dragster in the top half of the Top Fuel order Saturday afternoon at Brainerd International Raceway. The four-time winner at the Brainerd NHRA race will start from the No. 7 position after qualifying with a time of 3.929-seconds.

Brown entered the final day of qualifying at the Brainerd NHRA race ranked seventh in the 16-car order with a lap of 3.929 seconds at 303.43 mph, which he recorded on Friday's first qualifying pass. The 18-time NHRA winner used a tune-up from crew chief Lee Beard to clock the second quickest pass of Saturday's first qualifying run. The Matco Tools rail posted a time of 3.930 at 306.19 to remain in the No. 7 position. Only the Alan Johnson-tuned U.S. Army dragster carded a quicker lap that session. On its final qualifying effort, the Matco-backed car overpowered the hot B.I.R. strip and slowed to a run of 4.509 at 175.78. It is the eighth time that Brown has qualified in the No. 7 position in his career. Brown, a two-time winner this season with 25 elimination round wins, qualified in the top half of the 16-car field for the 14th time in 16 races this season.

"We were consistent this weekend and that's good," Brown said. "We were pushing it on that last run, but our first run was strong. Being second quick of the session is good. We'd like to be higher than seventh, but we're confident heading into race day. I hope that we can get Lee (Beard) his first win at Brainerd."

Brown and the Matco Tools team will face off against No. 10 qualifier Morgan Lucas when final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. (CT) on Sunday at B.I.R. Brown is 1-0 against Lucas this season.

-credit: dpm