A month after securing his fourth NHRA world championship, Antron Brown and his AB Motorsports team continued speeding towards success, this time off the track, as Brown and tenured primary partner Matco Tools announced today an extension of their relationship, which spans more than 20 years.
Brown joined the Matco Tools Racing team in July 2003 when Don Schumacher Racing assumed ownership of the U.S. Army Pro Stock Motorcycle team of Brown and Angelle Sampey before the Mile-High Nationals near Denver. Less than five years later, Brown was named the driver of the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster in the fall of 2007, after concluding a successful decade in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category that saw the New Jersey native win 16 races and claim 11 No. 1 qualifying awards.
Entering year 18 as the flagship driver of the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster, Brown has amassed an imposing resume that features four NHRA Top Fuel world championships, 64 Top Fuel race wins, 39 Top Fuel No. 1 qualifiers, and 631 Top Fuel round wins. His 64 Top Fuel wins rank second in the category’s history and his 80 overall national event victories and 852 career round wins rank sixth all-time.
“We are incredibly proud to extend our time-honored partnership with Antron Brown, especially following his remarkable achievement of winning the 2024 NHRA Top Fuel world championship, making him a four-time world champion,” said Mike Dwyer, President of Matco Tools. “Antron embodies the spirit of excellence and determination that resonates with the Matco Tools community. We take immense pride in the role Matco’s high-quality tools have played in empowering Antron and his team to achieve multiple championships. We are thrilled to continue showcasing the Matco Tools logo on the side of his dragster for years to come, and we look forward to supporting him in his future endeavors on the track. Together, we will continue to inspire and support our customers and fans.”
The multi-year agreement will see Brown’s dragster fly the familiar Matco Tools hex eagle with the addition of Matco Tools branding on Sampey’s A/Fuel dragster as part of the ABM Accelerate program with the Columbus, Ohio-based Michalek Brothers racing team of Kyle and Corey Michalek.
“I’m so proud to be making this announcement today that we’re continuing our long-standing partnership with Matco Tools,” said Brown, as he gears up for his fourth season as an NHRA team owner/driver. “On the back of our firesuit, it says, ‘Thank You Matco Distributors’ and I thank them first and foremost for allowing us to represent the Matco Tools brand and its distributor teams. For more than two decades, I’ve been a member of team Matco and they’ve become family. We have such wonderful relationships with so many great people at Matco’s corporate headquarters in Stow (Ohio), field managers around the country, and so many distributors who text me when we win and do well.
“This announcement also is great for the sport to see Matco Tools, and its parent company, Vontier, invest in NHRA racing and see the value from the sport of drag racing to recruit new franchisees, sell tools and tool storage, and entertain guests in our Pit-Side Experience hospitality area. We’re thrilled to bring another NHRA championship trophy to Matco Expo in Nashville (Tenn.) in April to share our success with the distributors and our entire Matco family.”
Brown’s Matco Tools rail, flying the No. 1 on the sides of the rear wing spill plates, will hit the track in early February for pre-season testing and the PRO Superstar Shootout in Bradenton, Fla., Feb. 6-8. The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season launches March 7-9, in Gainesville, Fla. with the NHRA Gatornationals. Last March, Brown won the Pep Boys All-Star Callout bonus race during the season-opener at Gainesville Raceway.
“When we decided to start AB Motorsports, Matco Tools fully supported my decision to venture out on my own,” Brown added. “As we enter year four of ABM, we’re strengthened by Matco’s continued support for our organization. We host thousands of Matco distributors, family members, and guests as part of our Pit-Side Experience hospitality program, we have the ABM Accelerate Program to develop new talent and athletes, and we launched the FAB Fabrication division of ABM this fall with water jet and other machining services.”
This story was originally published on December 19, 2024. 
The post Reigning NHRA Top Fuel World Champion Antron Brown Extends Partnership with Matco Tools, Continuing One of the Longest Primary Partnerships in Motorsports first appeared on Drag Illustrated.