Toyota NHRA Gateway Preview

BROWN LOOKS FOR FIFTH GATEWAY TITLE IN SIX YEARS – Antron Brown will be returning to his home away from home this weekend when the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to Gateway Motorsports Park. The three-time world champion will be looking for his fifth win at the track in the last six years. In addition to his victories at Gateway from 2012-2015, he also won in 2009.

TOYOTA TOP FUELERS SHINE AT GATEWAY – Toyota’s three Top Fuel playoff contenders have combined for nine wins at Gateway Motorsports Park including the last five in a row.  Antron Brown has five Gateway victories, Doug Kalitta has earned three and Shawn Langdon is the defending champion at the St. Louis area track. In addition, Richie Crampton was the number one qualifier at last year’s event.

TOYOTA DRIVERS LOOK TO START NEW STREAK IN ST. LOUIS – Toyota drivers had won at six consecutive races before having the streak snapped at Maple Grove last week and will be looking to start a new run at Gateway this weekend.  During that stretch, four different Toyota drivers registered victories with Antron Brown (Denver and Seattle), J.R. Todd (Sonoma and Indianapolis), Alexis DeJoria (Brainerd) and Doug Kalitta (Charlotte) all finding their way to Winner’s Circle.

TITLE HUNT CONTINUES – Five Toyota drivers will continue their hunt for a world championship this weekend. In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta currently sits second, while two-time defending champion Antron Brown is fourth and Shawn Langdon holds down the tenth position. Only 51 points separate the top four spots in Top Fuel. Camry drivers J.R. Todd and Cruz Pedregon are currently seventh and tenth, respectively, in the Funny Car standings.  Todd is just 38 points out of the top five.

TALKING GATEWAY:

Antron Brown: Antron Brown, Matco Tools/Toyota Top Fuel Dragster: “This isn’t where we want to be right now. We wanted to win six rounds by now, but we are going to St. Louis with our main focus qualifying strong and to hit it hard. Everyone’s still right there in front of us. We just have to work. It’s going to be a tough one to pull out, but I like our chances the way our team competes. We should have been in the final and competing for a win at Maple Grove. We’ll take our bumps and bruises right now and move forward.”