Imagine being one of the best to ever do what you do. Not just the best now, but in its history.
And then imagine hating it.
With three NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships and more than 40 Nationals wins, Angelle Sampey could’ve called it a career as a sure-shot hall of famer. But what then?
“I was just hating life,” she said. “I was hating drag racing and didn’t want to give up because I didn’t know how to. And when I was forced to, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”
For Sampey, her latest chapter—behind the wheel of a Top Alcohol Dragster—was one she almost didn’t write.
“I really didn’t want to do it,” she said with a laugh. “I had no experience in a dragster. My passion had always been bikes. I was done. Or so I thought.”
But someone knew better: Antron Brown.
Sampey and Brown aren’t just old teammates—they’re motorsports soulmates. They met in 1997, when Brown came through Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School. Sampey, already a star, helped train him. From there, they spent years as friendly rivals on the track and true friends off it. That friendship blossomed into something deeper when Brown offered her the chance to drive an A/Fuel dragster as part of the AB Motorsports and Michalek Brothers Racing effort.
“I wouldn’t have done it for anyone else,” Sampey said. “But I trust Antron with my life. If he said I could do this, I believed him.”
That trust has paid off in high-octane dividends. After taking the wheel, Sampey didn’t just survive—she thrived. She made the finals at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and followed that with her first Top Alcohol win not long after. With Brown mentoring her every step of the way, her reaction times sharpened, her confidence soared, and that fire that had dimmed during the twilight of her motorcycle career was reignited.
“He gives me exactly what I need mentally,” she said. “There’s no pressure. Just support, laughter, and trust. He’s like a happy pill. You can’t be around him and be in a bad mood.”
But as fast as her transition to the driver’s seat has been, it hasn’t come without new challenges—like adjusting to racing in a canopy dragster. Enclosed cockpits are still a rarity in the Top Alcohol ranks, and Sampey admits she was a little skeptical at first.
“Going from being completely exposed on a Pro Stock bike to being locked in a cockpit with a canopy? That was a big shift,” she said.
Her first run with the canopy brought back familiar instincts—and one major oversight.
“When Kyle [Michalek] closed the canopy down before my burnout, it felt exactly like dropping my visor on the bike. The world just disappeared,” she said. “So when I pulled up to stage, I didn’t put my visor down. I didn’t even think about it.”
The team noticed. Crew chief Corey Michalek caught it on the in-car cam and sent the clip to Antron. “He showed it to me and said, ‘What were you thinking?’” Sampey laughed. “I was so locked in, I thought I’d already done it.”
Despite that hiccup, the canopy has been a revelation for her.
“It’s like tunnel vision,” she said. “You hear everything better. You feel everything better. You’re more in tune with the car. I love it. I’m hooked.”
Part of the reason for the switch to the canopy-equipped dragster is strategic—it’s a former backup Top Fuel car from Antron’s team. If and when Sampey makes the jump to Top Fuel, the transition will be seamless.
“It’s identical to the Top Fuel car, just without the supercharger,” she explained. “Same controls. Same feel. So when I do make that leap, I won’t have to adjust—I’ll already know how to drive it.”
That leap is the dream, but Sampey’s not rushing it. With support from sponsors like Hangsterfer’s Metalworking Lubricants and the continued guidance of Antron and the Michalek brothers, she’s soaking in every moment of her second racing life.
It helps that she’s got another late-bloomer on the scene in 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year and Top Fuel pilot Tony Stewart.
“I’ve really enjoyed seeing Tony succeed,” she said. “He’s a natural. Doesn’t matter what you put him in, he’s going to figure it out.”
The two struck up a friendship during Sampey’s first test in the dragster at Brainerd, where Stewart offered calming words and racing advice. Since then, she’s leaned on him, Jasmine Salinas, and legends like Jack Beckman to prepare for the leap to Top Fuel.
But make no mistake: Antron is her rock.
“We help each other. When I lost my ride back in the day, Antron offered me his second bike. That led to our Army sponsorship and eventually Don Schumacher Racing. He saved my career back then, and now he’s helped me start a new one,” she said.
Their bond is more than professional. A magazine writer once called them “soulmates,” and Sampey didn’t argue.
“At first I didn’t get it,” she said. “But I looked it up, and yeah—your best friend can absolutely be your soulmate. That’s what Antron is. I can’t imagine doing this without him.”
Now, as she continues chasing new goals—like a championship in Top Alcohol and possibly a Top Fuel license—Sampey’s not only at peace with her legacy, she’s actively rewriting it.
“I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my career,” she said. “I don’t feel my age. I’m in the gym every day. I’m learning about the business side. I’ve got the best team, the best mentor, and the best friends around me.”
Whether she ends up gunning for 330 mph in a Top Fuel car or continues carving out wins in Top Alcohol, Angelle Sampey’s return to joy is the real victory.
“I’ve done almost everything I ever wanted to do,” she said. “Now, I’m adding new goals to the list. And if tomorrow was the end, yeah—I’d be OK. But let’s hope it’s not tomorrow.”
Because for the first time in a long time, Angelle Sampey isn’t hanging on.
She’s charging forward—with Antron Brown by her side, the canopy sealed tight, and nothing but open track ahead.
This story was originally published on August 20, 2025.
The post Angelle 2.0: Angelle Sampey Talks Top Alcohol Dragster Transition first appeared on Drag Illustrated.