Skip to content
https://shop.fervogear.com/cart
Antron Brown Charges into NHRA New England Nationals Quarterfinals
Highlights
- Antron Brown reached NHRA New England Nationals quarterfinals
- Brown qualified 12th after traction issues in final session
- Beat Shawn Reed with quicker reaction time in first round
- Lost to Doug Kalitta in tightly contested quarterfinal race
- Next event: June 12-14 at Bristol Dragway
- Brown aims to qualify top five for championship advantage
Four-time Top Fuel champion Antron Brown reaches the quarterfinals at the NHRA New England Nationals, falling to Doug Kalitta in a close contest at New England Dragway.
The Matco Tools Eagle Experience dragster opens with a 3.868 at 327.66 mph to sit sixth after Q1. Brown trims that on Friday night with a 3.822 at 324.20 mph.
Saturday brings a 3.821 at 325.77 mph, confirming pace. But a traction issue in the final session produces an 8.264 at 70.69 mph, dropping Brown to 12th.
The lower seed places Brown in the bottom half of the ladder. He meets Shawn Reed and wins on a holeshot, .049 to .108, despite running the slower elapsed time.
Brown’s 3.828-second win came despite Reed’s 3.817, decided by a .059-second reaction-time advantage.
Brown clocks 3.828 at 330.31 mph to Reed’s 3.817 at 328.78 mph. Execution off the line proves decisive in a high-pressure opening matchup.
[p]In the quarterfinal, Kalitta gains the start advantage and converts. He posts 3.762 at 330.23 mph, beating Brown’s 3.808 at 329.58 mph in a clean-side-by-side.[/p]
In the quarterfinal, Kalitta gains the start advantage and converts. He posts 3.762 at 330.23 mph, beating Brown’s 3.808 at 329.58 mph in a clean side-by-side.
“We’re making leeway to where we need to be,” Brown says. “We’re constantly getting better and growing.”
Brown highlights steady progress within AB Motorsports, noting recent steps in consistency. The group’s baseline looks stronger, but qualifying position remains a live focus.
Qualifying stronger is the priority. A top-five seed increases lane-choice control and opens bye-run opportunities, especially valuable when the grip window narrows late in sessions.
“Our goal is to get into the top five,” Brown says. “Once we achieve that, we’ll go try to win those last races for our championship.”
The schedule turns quickly to Bristol Dragway, June 12–14. Momentum through the summer shapes the run-in to the Countdown to the Championship.
Across the New England weekend, Funny Car’s Ron Capps reaches the semifinals, while Pro Stock contenders Greg Anderson and Dallas Glenn reinforce the event’s competitive depth.
Visual Summary
BROWN
KALITTA
⚡
Quarterfinal
Exit
Exit
Antron’s Path
Eliminated in Quarters
Best Run: 3.821s
Top Speed: 330.31 mph
Holeshot ⚡
?
“We’re making leeway… We’re constantly getting better and growing.”
“We’re making leeway… We’re constantly getting better and growing.”
– Antron Brown
➡️
Next stop: Bristol, Jun 12-14
Nicholas Rivera delivers NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car news, including eliminator-round results and reaction-time stats. He brings track-side interviews, contender profiles, and championship-point breakdowns straight from drag-racing’s biggest national events.
