Antron Brown, 46, and Justin Ashley, 27, are considered quasi-teammates, sharing a hospitality trailer and technical data. This dynamic didn't happen overnight. Actually, the foundation was poured when the latter was only 14 years old. 

The year was 2009 when Ashley's father, Mike, purchased the assets of David Powers Motorsports Top Fuel team, where Brown had just been named the driver. Ashley made one significant change once the sale was complete; replacing veteran crew chief Lee Beard with the duo of Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald.

Ashley wasn't trying to build a team; he envisioned a family. 

When Mike Ashley raced a fuel Funny Car, Corradi and Oswald were his tuners. Moving them to a Top Fuel dragster was a bit of a gamble, considering they had been Funny Car tuners for the duration of their careers. For good measure, Brad Mason, who had been with Brown since his switch from Pro Stock Motorcycle to fuel racing, was added to the tuning line-up.

Brown will never forget the words spoken to him once the team was in place. 
 
Brown told CompetitionPlus.com in a November 2017 article, "Mike Ashley's exact words were: 'You guys are going to be great. This sport hasn't seen what's about to happen.'
 
"I'm like, 'What are you talking about?' Here's a rookie kid from New Jersey, one year in, Mike Ashley, that's won two races last year. Whoop-di-do.' You know what I mean? And here come Brian and Mark, who can make a Funny Car run, and now they're about to run a dragster. What are we going to do? And we won six races that year and almost won the championship in 2009."

Brown has gone on to win three NHRA championships. 

Fast forward to 2022, following a remarkable win at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals, and the moment had come full circle. Brown had just won the race on a holeshot, and Corradi, who had just bared his soul on the PA speaking on the family atmosphere at Antron Brown Racing. 

"What we have is more than just a team," Brown said. "It's a family."

And part of that extended family is Justin Ashley. 

If the Top Fuel fraternity is looking for someone to blame for helping this quick-reacting, cool-as-the-other side of the pillow under pressure driver get his start at the top of the food chain class, one needs to look no further than Brown. 

"I never envisioned this happening in a million years," Ashley, who currently leads the NHRA Top Fuel point standings, said. "At the time when my dad bought that team, I had so much admiration for Antron then, and still do, I could never have envisioned that it would come full circle like it did."

Brown understood he owed the kid's family a solid, considering the solid decision-making Mike Ashley had done for him in creating the atmosphere for the Matco Tools-sponsored team. 

Brown lent the cockpit of his then Don Schumacher Top Fuel dragster to Ashley for his licensing runs and, on the first full pass, ran a 3.788 elapsed time at 314.90 miles per hour. Corradi, Oswald, and Mason were the tuners of record for that day. 

"Of course, I was intimidated by the whole experience," said Ashley. "When I sat in the cockpit of his car, I had only made seven runs in a Top Alcohol Dragster. I was sitting in the world champion's dragster. I felt confident in the crew surrounding me. But, I guess I just didn't know what I didn't know."

Brown had an inkling that kid back then would be something special, and his performance since entering the ranks has confirmed it. 

"When you look at stuff, like the movie Rocky III," Brown explained. "When Apollo showed Rocky the tricks of the trade. I showed that kid the tricks of the trade. But this is the true, honest to God's truth. You can teach people as much as you want to teach them. Either you got it, or you don't. And that kid had it from day one. And that kid is dangerous. 

"When you look at it, he's only getting better. He's not like he's made the pinnacle. This is his second year of racing, and he's in the point lead for a championship with the toughest field this class has ever seen. Period."

Brown is getting better too. He has his not-so-secret weapon to thank for that. It's a dynamic duo plus one that gets the job done. 

"Brian and Mark are like Batman and Robin, and then you got Brad is in the background," Brown explained. "He's the glue that holds all the guys together. And when you put those three, The Three Amigos together, and then you got all of our crew guys that work hard. And that's what it starts with. It starts with their two relationships. And they're hard on one another. Sometimes Brian's hard on Mark. It's a true brother relationship. It ain't always cookies and cream and milk. It ain't like that all the time. 

"People think, 'Oh, they're nice." 

"Oh no. They'll say some harsh words sometimes. Mark will dig them... Like Brad will dig on Mark, and Mark will look at him and say, 'Look stupid. It's what you got to do. I'm the old man here. Think about it." And then Brian will go back like this, 'Mark. Look at me. I've been there."

"What I like is that it's real. There's no screaming. It's love. And sometimes it's tough love, and it's great love. Sometimes they're on me. "[Antron], what the hell you doing? 

"We're real with each other. And sometimes, you got to have that honesty to move forward. And that's why I love these guys with my heart because we all are in it together. And we want the best for each other." 

That is why in 2018, when Corradi had the opportunity to join John Force Racing, there was no ill-will or animosity when he left the team. He returned in 2020 and, along with Brown, helped lay the foundation for team ownership. 

Before this, nearing the end of the 2019 season, and it was clear that Corradi was leaving Force, they had a conversation.

"Brother, we're going to be back together," Brown recalled telling Corradi. "I don't think he knew what I meant."

"And six months later, I said, 'Brian, I'm putting this team together." 

"And I let Schumacher know already... the public didn't know. And I said, 'We're going to have our team, and I want to do it with you, Mark, Brad, and the rest of the guys. And I want our family to be back together." 

Just like it takes a village to raise a child, Brown understands it will take a village, or in his case, a family, to stop a kid, even if it is part of their extended family. It's a monster they created.

"You never see Justin bouncing all over the place," Brown explained. "You ever see him? He's like a cat on the prowl, about to pounce on his prey. Cat ain't bouncing around when the prey comes. He just jumps on it. And I told him that. I said, 'Got to be calm, cool, relax, breathe, focus. Just don't let it get to you. Can't sweat the small stuff." 

Whether he deems it a curse or not, in this instance, Brown sees just how good of a teacher he is. 

"He's overcome a lot of things in his journey," Brown said. "And now, he's running for that championship. And we're one and two in the points, and it's going to be a dog fight."

Or maybe a dogfight with a cat. Brown understands there are a lot of other cats to deal with.

"We got a lot of other competitors that's peaking at the right time, like Clay Millican, Josh Hart, Steve Torrence, the " four-time champ, still goes to that camp," Brown cautioned. "And Britney Force with Grubnic. Austin Prock. Mike Salinas. There's so many great cars. Doug Kalitta is coming on strong. Shawn Langdon. There's so many cars that can win this championship. But the rounds are getting slim. Sixteen rounds to win this championship. So our focus is go up to everyone that we can get."

Brown believes the team he has in place can do that with everyone on their game. 

"It takes everybody," Brown said. "And we've got nothing but strong links, especially if one was to falter. The other one picks up the back. You see everybody picking each other up. Where we might make a mistake in the pits, it doesn't reach the racetrack. That's when you got something special. That's something that ABMotorsports has got right now. And it starts at the top, trickles its way down. 

"My favorite saying, 'You only beat resistance with persistence. And you got to have faith." 

"And Lord knows that I have faith. Unwavering faith. It will never die. And look where we're at now. We're going forward."

Just to think, it started with a family atmosphere, even if he has to treat one of his extended family like the enemy when the stage lights come on.