The last time Antron Brown raced at Bradenton Motorsports Park, it worked out well for him. But this time, unlike those others, his car won’t have doors, and he’s going to be racing for a whole lot more money. 

The Matco Tools-sponsored Brown will be one of a dozen Top Fuel drivers vying for $250,000 in prize money at the inaugural PRO Superstar Shootout, Feb. 8-10, 2024, at Bradenton Motorsports Park. 

“It feels cool to be a part of something new with the Top Fuel cars,” Brown said. “I’ve been there several times for the World Series of Pro Mod and the Snowbird Nationals and the radial races and saw how all the people are excited at that style of racing. To go down there in that world and bring nitro to the party and the Pro Stock cars – this is kind of like merging both sides of it. We’re all just one big drag racing family.”

The last time Brown raced at Bradenton Motorsports Park, he walked away with $10,000 for winning the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals. This time, instead of a turbocharged 2,000-horse doorslammer, he’ll be in the confines of his 11,000-horsepower Top Fueler but in a similar atmosphere where qualifying only gets you in the field, and the luck of the draw determines your opponent. 

It might be just as rewarding for Brown outside of the car as inside. 

“It’s kind of like grudge racing,” Brown explained. “We’re going to qualify the top eight elite cars down there and put on a show in a different way. You might get to see some Funny Cars race some dragsters, too. There’s going to be a VIP experience zone for people to get to do things they don’t get to do at a normal event with some DJs, some bands. It’s going to bring entertainment like you’ve never seen at a drag race before. What we are trying to do is bring some new, fresh, creative ideas and set the bar so we can start doing it at all the other drag racing events across the country.”

Brown sees this as an opportunity to introduce fresh and creative ideas to drag racing events across the country.

“It’s huge when you look at it,” Brown said. “When you look at the nitro categories, you’re talking about big budget, big money. We probably spend about $65,000 making eight runs at a race if you have no mishaps. When you go and can race for $250,000, it swings it to the other side where it gives a smile to your face, and you’re like, ‘Man, that’s some big money up for grabs.’ You can set your race program for four races if you win that race. To see that big payout, now you’ve finally got a prize that’s worth the risk. That gets you excited.”

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Teams participating in the PRO Superstar Shootout will have the opportunity to test their vehicles at Bradenton Motorsports Park in the days leading up to the event. This extra track time before the race will undoubtedly enhance the competition, with Brown expecting intense racing and a highly charged atmosphere. 

“We’re going to be testing from Tuesday all the way to our first qualifier on Thursday night, so when we go out to qualify, there’s big money on the table to be the number one qualifier,” Brown said. “At the last six races of the Countdown, the top 12 cars were separated by about five-hundredths of a second, so what do you think it’s going to do when you have people testing there for 2-3 days, and it’s got big-money qualifying? What do you think they are going to do at this race? The hairs are standing up on my arms right now because I’m so excited and giddy to get there because I know the intensity and atmosphere is going to be unreal. The track is going to be on throwdown. It’s going to be the right time of year where everyone is going to bring their A+ game to get after it.”

As a former Pro Stock Motorcycle racer turned Top Fuel dragster driver, Brown has claimed three championships in the latter category. A victory at the inaugural PRO Superstar Shootout would be an exceptional addition to his list of achievements. 

“It’s going to be a high title for us because it will be one of those deals where we just won a shootout race of the best of the best,” Brown said. “To come away with that title is going to be something you can marinate on all season long to get ready for next year because you know you beat everybody at their best. They didn’t have just four qualifying runs to make it right, they had three days of testing to make it right. I’m going in there with my head up, eyes on the prize, and I want to chop the competition down like I’m a Scag mower.”