Top Fuel standout Antron Brown secured his long-awaited victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, triumphing over defending world champion Brittany Force in the finals of the bonus event at Brainerd International Raceway on Saturday. The race, part of the 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, showcased three first-time winners, including Robert Hight in Funny Car and Erica Enders in Pro Stock.

In an intense final round, Brown piloted his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools/Toyota dragster to victory with a clocking of 3.840 seconds at 292.01 mph. Earlier in the day, he had already vanquished points leader Justin Ashley before overcoming Force. As a three-time world champion, Brown eyes the opportunity to claim another win on Sunday in Brainerd and clinch his second event victory this season.

“We've been wanting to win this for a long, long time,” Brown said. “We made it a couple times, and it felt good to get past that first round today. All these cars are just tough, tough competitors. To go into that final round against Brittany and the way their car's been running, to go against Justin first round. They're the two heavy-hitters in the class, so to pull off that is very, very special for us.

“That championship is right around the corner, so we have to keep going and doing what we do. It feels good to get that first #2Fast2Tasty win, and for Mission to put this on and give us something to race for on Saturday, it just feels like this is Sunday but we're racing on Saturday. It's really cool to get to do that and watch the fans go crazy.”

In the Funny Car category, Robert Hight emerged victorious in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge final, prevailing over points leader Matt Hagan with a time of 3.988 seconds at 315.05 mph in his Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. With this victory, Hight secured his first-ever win in the bonus race, indicating a surge in form at a critical juncture after encountering difficulties earlier this summer. Hight's earlier victory over Bob Tasca III, coupled with his win against Hagan in the finals, sets the stage for his potential third overall victory of the season.

“We've been chasing this all year and just haven't been able to seal the deal and get the job done,” Hight said. “I do feel this Cornwell Tools Camaro has turned the corner and we're getting to where we need to be. Really want to thank Mission Foods for putting up the money and this challenge. It makes things exciting on Saturday and gives us some practice out there racing. You better be on your game.

“Throughout the year, people who win this thing seem to go out there and double up so that's our goal tomorrow. We need to go out there and get a win.”

Staying in form, Erica Enders displayed her skills in Pro Stock, securing the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge by defeating Deric Kramer in the finals with a time of 6.700 seconds at 203.95 mph on a holeshot. The defending world champion, who had a strong start by eliminating points leader Dallas Glenn in the opening round, carried on her momentum from the previous weekend's victory in Topeka. Enders showcased her championship potential during the 2023 season.

“This is very exciting,” Enders said. “We went to the finals last weekend and weren't able to get it done, so to get it done here is pretty exciting. I'm really excited to put that car in the winner's circle and put our name on that trophy. Coming into the year, we thought, we're going to do some good – and then we haven't. So it's very meaningful. 

“I've always loved racing at Brainerd, it's been a track that's been really good for me, but aside from that, it's just really fun coming up here. The last time we were here in 2019, my homie Jason Line put it on me in the finals and took home the win in his home track, but we've had a lot of success here and we're looking to go one round further.”

The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals eliminations are scheduled to commence at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway.