A.B. is back on the scene, crispy and clean. Hello again everyone. We’re back at the shop in Indy. The boys got back safe and sound from Phoenix and it’s all good.

If you would have asked me in the off season about how our first two races would start out, I must say, I couldn’t have dreamed for things to have gone any better. Unless you’re Ron Capps. LOL To go into Phoenix and qualify No. 3 and to go out there and win the race and take over the points lead is something that I’m very proud of for our race team here at MAR for how we all pulled together in the most trying times. And with all the Matco support from the distributors standing behind us, I couldn’t feel more proud to drive this Matco Tools dragster. How about this picture with our Matco family in the winner’s circle Sunday at F.I.R.!

Let’s take you frame-by-frame and tell you how the Phoenix week transpired. We flew from Indy where it was about 20 degrees and landed in Phoenix on Wednesday evening about 8:30 p.m. and it was 60 degrees outside at nighttime. We love that warm weather. The next morning, I met up with Steve Marsden, who is a true asset to Matco. Steve is a very upbeat guy who gives all his customers what they need, when they need it. He had one of the most packed tool trucks I’ve ever seen. That’s the reason he’s one of the top distributors in the country. He took me to a pretty cool place that I must talk about. It was a custom trailer shop that specializes in transporting large cargo across the country. I saw a trailer that was over 200-feet long. I’m not kidding. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know how to describe it. We had a really good tool truck ride with Steve.

That night, we all showed up at F1 Race Factory for some go-karting action with our Matco family from Phoenix like Allen Plunk, Jason Neil and Kent Holladay and a bunch of distributors like my boy Ed Sopher. Ed was rockin’ his Matco crew shirt all weekend at the race track. We gave away some race car parts and Goodyear tires and did a nice speech on the great job all the distributors are doing for Matco. After dinner and giveaways, we headed out to the go-kart track to show them what A.B. could do. They were all making jokes about me going straight, that was until A.B. took the race track. I had a lot of fun and was able to turn in some good times. You see all those 1st place finishes for A-Bomb! It was fun seeing our crew chiefs Brian and Mark dicing it up. It was so funny to see Mark bump Brian out of the way to pass him. Brian came back in the next corner and gave Mark some whiplash. He hit Mark so hard they black flagged him for rough driving. Brian got a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness. It was too funny. It was a very fun event and a great team-bonding night for our MAR race team. It got us all fired up for the real business and that was qualifying for the Phoenix race.

After the first day of qualifying, we ended up second with a 3.830. Dixon nipped us in the Al-Anabi car at 3.80. Saturday we made a good opening pass and then got bumped back one spot by The Sarge and ended up starting third. We were very motivated for race day. The first round was a very close race against Del Cox. We were out in front and it was all good until the engine broke loose. I jarred me so far forward, it felt like I hit the parachute. I was like, “come on finish line.” We got through with a 3.97. Second round was against Morgan Lucas. That was a really tough race. Those guys are growing into a really solid team and we want to thank Lucas for stepping up to help our race team with Lucas Oil and the Slick Mist to keep us looking all bling, bling.

The semis against "the Sarge" was one of those big moments where. Face it, he’s the six-time world champion, and you’ve got to bring you’re A-game when you face the U.S. Army dragster. You know all the hard work and dedication from the off season is going to pay off. And it showed by beating Tony with that great 3.81. It was only the second time we beat the Sarge. The final round was a tough match-up with Brandon. With Rob Flynn and Mike Guger, they have a strong program on the Bud team. I worked with Rob last year during my rookie year and I know how sharp he is. Brandon is no slouch either. His lights have been very good so far this year. I could bet my bottom dollar that has to do with the relationship he established with Rob. With that said, I went up there and put my head down. We wanted to go A to B. I hit the pedal and drove it as straight as I could and I saw the win light come on in the right lane and it was that moment; that moment for all the effort that you put forth. I knew it was time for the celebration to begin. I put my arm around Charlotte Lucas and she handed me the silver “Wally” for the 25th running of the Lucas Slick Mist Nationals. That will be a moment I’ll never forget in my life cause wins come far and few between and you really have to cherish that moment. This year will be the toughest in the dragster class with the stout competition in the dragster class.

Stay tuned for our next installment that’s coming to you next week. Same time, same place, same channel, and as brothaman always says: love, peace and hair grease, and I’m out like shout.

Two quick things. For all the NHRA fans, I have a message board on www.antronbrown.com. Stop by and say hello. And I have to give a shout out to Aaron Rowand and Jackson Williams from the San Francisco Giants who came out to see us win last Sunday. Aaron is buddies with Tommy Johnson and he hung out with us for a bit on Sunday. Here is a picture with me, Aaron and Jackson, an up-and-coming catcher for the Giants.