Toyota NHRA New England Nationals Preview

BROWN FLYING HIGH ON WAY TO EPPING – Fresh off becoming just the 10th competitor in NHRA Mello Yello Series history to win 50 races with his triumph at last weekend’s Toyota Summernationals, Antron Brown will be looking for his third win in the last four races and his fourth of the season in Epping this weekend. Brown is the only driver in the series to win three times this year and one of just two that have more than a single victory.

The 2012 world champion heads to New England with the Top Fuel point lead as the series begins the second half of the NHRA regular season. His recent success adds to the dominance that Brown has had in the Top Fuel series dating back to the beginning of the 2009 season. Since that time, he’s won 32 races – almost 50 percent more than the next highest total of 22.

PEDREGON, WORSHAM, HEAD LOOK TO SET NEW FUNNY CAR FIRST IN NH – Three Toyota Camry Funny Car drivers will look to put their names into the record books at the New England Nationals this weekend. Cruz Pedregon, Del Worsham and Chad Head each have the opportunity to become the first Funny Car driver to register a three-second pass at three consecutive NHRA events. All three drivers registered a run in the 3.9s at both Topeka on Memorial Day weekend and this past week at the Toyota Summernationals in Englishtown. The task could be daunting this weekend, though, as Epping has produced just one sub-4 second Funny Car run in its history.

SIX TOYOTA DRIVERS ON PACE FOR COUNTDOWN – If the season were to end today, six Toyota drivers would qualify for the 2015 Countdown to the Championship playoffs – with three in Top Fuel and three in Funny Car.

Antron Brown heads to Epping with a 118-point advantage over second, with Richie Crampton in fourth place on the strength of two 2015 victories. Shawn Langdon currently sits sixth in the standings. The three drivers have combined to win six of the season’s first nine races.

In Funny Car, Camry Funny Car driver Del Worsham is currently third after advancing to the semi-finals or beyond in five of the season’s first nine races. In addition, Alexis DeJoria is eighth after last weekend’s final round appearance in Englishtown, and Cruz Pedregon holds down the 10th spot.