POMONA, Calif. — Antron Brown, who converted from a Pro Stock Motorcycle to a 7,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster this year, said he “can’t tell you what the car’s doing, because it’s going so fast still.”
What his David Powers-owned Matco Tools Dragster was doing was pacing the field for the National Hot Rod Ass’n’s Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals. On the strength of Friday’s 4.495-second elapsed time on the Auto Club Raceway quarter-mile, Brown grabbed his first No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel and the 12th of his career and added his personal-best speed of 331.61 mph Saturday.
“It’s flyin’. I’m stoked that I’m part of an incredible team,”  said Brown, who shares the pit with 2007 Top Fuel runner-up Hot Rod Fuller. “I feel like I’ve won the championship, and I ain’t even raced yet!”
Crew chief Lee Beard said, “We didn’t have a handicap by having a rookie driver. He drove like a seasoned veteran, and all the credit goes to the great technicians on this Matco Tools team.”
Brown said he knew he had performed well when he saw Beard’s trademark smirk he flashes when he’s satisfied. He said Beard told him, “We’ve got one bad-behind race team.”
Teased that Beard likely did not use the words “bad-behind race team,” Brown, an African-American from New Jersey, said he has been trying to teach Beard some of his slang. Brown said he got Beard to say of the car that “he had it going faster than a white boy going out of the ghetto.”

• In beating his first two opponents, a red-lighting and crashing Tony Pedregon and a broken-down Gary Scelzi, John Force hit the 100 round-win plateau at this storied Southern California race track.
John Force advanced past Scelzi in the second round, and daughter Ashley Force was right behind him. She eliminated longtime family friend Bob Tasca III, and Papa Force said, “My baby trucked on down through there. She drove like a man. She looks like her mama and drives like me!” He indicated that he was happy to be back in a race car in a competitive situation for the first time since Sept. 23. “I’m an old fart,” he said. “But that ol’ car makes me young again.”

• Top Fuel runner-up Cory McClenathan knows not to brag. But he did say that his team, with crew chief Mike Green, should be one to watch this year.
“A lot of people didn’t talk about us before the season started, because we didn’t run big numbers during testing in Phoenix,” he said. “But we didn’t make full passes when we were in Phoenix. We did what we were supposed to do, which was make sure the car was right, that the fuel system was right, be smart about it, and don’t go out there and beat up parts. We came into Pomona without hurting anything and actually made our first full pass Friday. I’m very thankful to have Mike Green back on my side.”
McClenathan’s final-round appearance in Pomona has him excited about the possibilities this season.
“Last year was the first season I finished out of the top 10 in 17 seasons, and I don’t think we’re going to do that again. I’m hoping that this is a top-five team this year, but we’ll let our car speak for itself. We’re just going to take one step at a time. We’re excited about the future here at DSR.”

• Top Fuel Driver Alan Bradshaw survived competition from 16 other drivers, as well as a personal scare, to qualify the Vis Viva Dragster in a career-best sixth place.
His 4.524-second e.t. at 306.40 mph came during Thursday’s opening session and held up to put the Dexter Tuttle-owned dragster in the top half of the order.
“Out of the box, we went out there and laid down a pass good enough for my career best, even with the engine shutting off at four seconds into the run. We were on a 4.48 run until the barrel-valve linkage let go. As soon as I stepped on the gas, I knew I had a bad hot rod under me. It laid me back in the seat and just kept pushing,” Bradshaw said. “We went over 277 to half-track, and that was definitely an experience and another career best for me. I see huge potential in this bunch.”
The chiropractor also thought he might have seen a huge problem back at home in Odessa, Texas, and missed the third qualifying session.
“I called home to check in and fill my dad in on the runs we had made,” Bradshaw said. “He told me he wasn’t feeling well and described some key symptoms of a heart attack. His blood pressure was off the chart, and he was experiencing pain in his left shoulder blade. I had him take a nitro pill and called 911. It was like I was doing a doctor house call over the cell phone.”
A trip to the hospital confirmed the elder Bradshaw did not suffer a heart attack. Tests showed he suffered from a severe infection and dehydration. Antibiotics and fluids put him on the right track.
“My dad’s going to be fine,” Bradshaw said. “That’s the best news I have had today.”