Brown Ready for the Countdown, Sets His Sights on One Race at a Time

Mohnton, PA – Antron Brown, the reigning NHRA Top Fuel world champion, returns to Reading as the defending event champ.  Reading marks the start of the 2025 NHRA Countdown to the ChampionshipIn its first three years, AB Motorsports has finished the Countdown ranked No. 1 (2024), sixth (2023), and second (2022).

Brown raced to the Reading winner’s circle in 2015, ‘16, and ‘24, and each of those seasons ended with Brown and the Matco Tools team being crowned the series champions.  Antron begins the 2025 Countdown ranked sixth in the standingsHis 2024 title run began from the No. 5 seed; in addition to Reading, he also picked up Countdown wins in Charlotte and Pomona.

Brown is an 18-time Countdown event winner, the most of any Top Fuel driver.  AB Motorsports scored a double-up victory at the ’24 Reading event with Brown and ABM Accelerate athlete Angelle Sampey earning wins on the same day.  Sampey’s triumph was her first since switching from Pro Stock Motorcycle to the Top Alcohol Dragster category.

The Reading event is a hometown race for Brown, a New Jersey native, and two of his longtime AB Motorsports supporters, Hangsterfer’s, which is headquartered in Mantua Township, N.J., and Streamlight of Eagleville, PA.

Brown spent his off weekend between the Indianapolis and Reading events at Xtreme Raceway Park in Ferris, Texas where he powered to victory at the 275 Shootout.

Antron on Reading, “This is my hometown race, and I always look forward to going back to Maple Grove and seeing all my family and friends. We always get a big showing from our Matco Tools, FVP, and Hangsterfer’s family, and actually it’s a home race for Hangsterfer’s, too.

“First race of the Countdown, we know how crucial it is in the championship chase. Indy, we started out with a great qualifying effort and we’re looking to do the same thing this weekend in Reading. We know the conditions are going to be right, so we’ve got to go out there and perform; qualify well. I’m coming off a great weekend of doing some small-tire grudge racing, so looking to take that win we just had out there and bring it up here to our Top Fuel team. We’re entering Reading feeling very positive, very clear, in a great mindset, and we know this is a huge, huge stage with it being the first race of the playoffs and we’re looking to make up some ground.”

Countdown to the Championship Ranking: 6th

NHRA Reading Nationals Event Highlights:Three-time event champion (2015, 2016, 2024), Three-time runner-up Top Fuel (2012, 2013)
Pro Stock Motorcycle (2004), Three-time No. 1 qualifierTop Fuel (2009, 2011), Pro Stock Motorcycle (2004)

2024 NHRA Reading Nationals Event Recap: Qualified seventh; Event champion (defeated Jasmine Salinas in E1, Tony Schumacher in E2, Dan Mercier in E3, Shawn Langdon in E4)

Last Event (Indianapolis): Qualified fifth; First round exit (defeated by Justin Ashley in E1)

2025 Statistics: 14 races; one win, two runner-up finishes, one No. 1 qualifier

Career Statistics: 538 races; 81 wins, 51 No. 1 qualifiers