Brown, Johnson led DSR to best qualifying effort of the season heading to Sunday’s championship eliminations at Norwalk

NORWALK, OH – Don Schumacher Racing heads into Sunday’s championship eliminations in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals with its best overall qualifying effort of the season.

Antron Brown and the Matco Tools team led DSR’s dragsters by qualifying No. 3 in Top Fuel while that position was matched by Tommy Johnson Jr. and the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T team in Funny Car.

While a No. 1 position escaped DSR at the track in northern Ohio, more importantly all seven DSR teams qualified in the top-eight of their respective categories that gives them lane choice for Sunday’s first round of eliminations that begins at 11 a.m. (ET).

In Top Fuel, Brown’s best run was in Saturday night’s last session with a time of 3.763 (323.04) for the team led by crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald. Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army) is No. 7 and Spencer Massey (Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher) is No. 8.

In Funny Car, following close behind Johnson’s time of 4.030 seconds at 319.67 mph with crew chief John Collins are No. 4 Matt Hagan (Rocky Boots/Mopar), No. 5 Ron Capps (NAPA AUTO PARTS/Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund) and No. 8 Jack Beckman (Valvoline MaxLife).

The event at Norwalk, which marks the start of the second half of the 24-event season, is the fourth of four straight Mello Yello event racing weekends.