Four-time NHRA champion Antron Brown delivered an early season statement Saturday at Gainesville Raceway, defeating Clay Millican to win the NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout and the $80,000 bonus during the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals.
Brown ran 4.290 seconds at 258.76 mph in the final round to become the first driver to win the Callout twice. The victory came in front of a sellout crowd as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series launched its 75th anniversary season.
Brown and Millican encountered problems on the run, but the former recovered quicker to secure the win. The triumph capped a bonus race that required Brown to defeat Josh Hart and Shawn Langdon earlier in the Callout ladder.
The result reinforced Brown’s belief that offseason changes to his program are showing results. His team spent the winter refining its approach after a season where strong qualifying efforts did not always translate into race-day wins.
“It’s super exciting because the thing about for us is … on the offseason we really slowed down and we regrouped after last year,” Brown said. “We wanted to revamp our program.”
Brown said the team focused on making smaller improvements rather than chasing dramatic performance gains.
“We weren’t trying to rotate the earth,” Brown said. “We were trying to make some things change, and they’re coming to fruition.”
Those changes appeared during qualifying and carried into the Callout competition. Brown pointed to the consistency of the car as the most encouraging development.
Brown said a key moment came earlier in the day during his semifinal matchup.
“The most impressive one was E2 against Shawn Langdon,” Brown said. “We went out there running 76 flat in the hottest part of the day.”
The ability to perform in difficult track conditions gave the team confidence entering the final round.
“Right then I was like, ‘Alright, we got something because we can run quick in the heat,’” Brown said.
The final against Millican quickly turned into a test of reflexes rather than outright speed. Both cars encountered trouble before the finish line.
“When it shook, I was like, ‘Oh, Lord, I need to grab brake,’” Brown said. “Then I saw Clay jump out in front of us.”
Brown said the turning point came when Millican’s car developed problems, allowing him to regain momentum.
“I saw him have trouble, and I was like, ‘Oh, Lord, let’s just roll into this baby,’” Brown said.
The car recovered just enough to carry him past Millican before an automatic shutoff system activated near the finish line.
“Brian [Corradi] forgot to take our 3.9-second auto kill off the car,” Brown said. “But I saw that win light come on.”
The result delivered both a victory and a significant financial boost for Brown’s independent team.
“The boys are smiling. I’m smiling,” Brown said. “And I’m going to get me some Kool-Aid.”
Despite the win, Brown emphasized that the Callout serves as a prelude to the main event. Eliminations for the Gatornationals will determine the official race winner.
“We’re going to celebrate that hard tonight,” Brown said. “But tomorrow is the real job.”
Brown will open eliminations Sunday against Gary Pritchett as he attempts to repeat as Gatornationals victor. The veteran driver said his team remains focused on consistency rather than chasing headline numbers.
“Those hero runs are nice,” Brown said. “But the thing that wins on race day is when you get a consistent combination.”
Brown pointed to past champions who built success on reliability and race-day execution.
“You have to go with that race mentality,” Brown said. “That’s how you win.”
Josh Hart secured the Top Fuel No. 1 qualifying position in his first start for John Force Racing, while Ron Capps led Funny Car, Cody Coughlin topped Pro Stock, and Angie Smith paced Pro Stock Motorcycle.
The strong opening weekend has reinforced Brown’s belief that the NHRA is entering a new growth phase as it celebrates its 75th season.
“When you look out this window, look at the parking lot, look at the grandstands,” Brown said. “This is how I grew up as a kid coming to NHRA drag races.”
The veteran driver said the energy surrounding the sport reminds him of earlier eras.
“I just turned 50,” Brown said. “But I feel like I’m 30.”
