Toyota Chicagoland NHRA Preview

BROWN BRINGS POINT LEAD TO CHICAGO – Antron Brown will bring a 20-point championship lead to Route 66 Raceway this week. Brown has held down the top spot in the standings since Atlanta in mid-May. He also will return to Chicago as the defending race champion. The 2012 world champion has won three times this season and has advanced to five final rounds – both series highs.

(On running eliminations in the afternoon after two nights of qualifying) – AB: “It’s a challenge, but we’ve dealt with it before. We could have some tricky conditions where it gets hot and you have to go off the notes here from previous years if you went rounds – and we have. So we have all those notes and you hope the track conditions are similar to last year.”

LAST YEAR AT CHICAGO – Antron Brown defeated Brittany Force in last year’s Route 66 Nationals Top Fuel final to earn not only his fourth victory of the season, but also his 500th career round win in the process. Brown defeated Billy Torrence and Richie Crampton in the opening two rounds to advance to the semi-finals. He then defeated Clay Millican to become just the 16th driver in NHRA history to earn 500 career round wins.

WORSHAM LOOKS TO BREAK THROUGH AT CHICAGO – Del Worsham has done pretty much everything this year, except take home a Wally as the race winner – having reached two finals and six overall semi-final showings. This week, he’ll be competing at one of his favorite tracks – where he’s won in both Top Fuel (2011) and Funny Car (2001, 2002, 2004). Worsham needs to win just one round on Sunday to become the 17th driver in NHRA history to register 500 career round wins.

Del on Chicago: “Chicago’s a great race – one of my favorites on the tour. I love Chicago. I’ve won there a few times. It’s a fast track. It’s going to be warm. I’m looking forward to getting to Joliet. I’m ready to win a race.”

SIX TOYOTA DRIVERS ON PACE FOR COUNTDOWN – Two-thirds of the way through the regular season and with just six races remaining before the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, six Toyota drivers are currently on pace to qualify with three in Top Fuel and three in Funny Car. Antron Brown continues to hold on to the Top Fuel point lead, while Richie Crampton sits in fourth and Shawn Langdon is seventh. The three drivers have combined to win seven races. In Funny Car, Camry driver Del Worsham is fourth, while Cruz Pedregon is in the seventh position and Alexis DeJoria is on the bump spot in 10th.